''Isn't It Shocking?'' is a

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

that aired on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

network in 1973 as an ''

ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

''. Written by Lane Slate, it stars

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war co ...

Louise Lasser Louise Marie Lasser (born April 11, 1939) is an American actress, television writer, and performing arts teacher and director. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera satire ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.'' She was ...

and

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

, and was directed by

John Badham John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an English television and film director, best known for his films ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977), ''Dracula'' (1979), ''Blue Thunder'' (1983), ''WarGames'' (1983), ''Short Circuit'' (1986), and ...

Plot

Daniel Barnes (

) is a small-town New England police chief. His life is complicated by a romance with local motel owner Mrs. Tate ( Patricia Quinn). She is eager for him to move in with her and her children; Barnes is equally eager to keep their affair secret. Meanwhile, the village is beset by a killer preying on the town's elderly citizens. A few deaths later, the victims are all found to have one thing in common—they all graduated from the local high school in 1928. Working with police receptionist Blanche (

), Barnes pores through the 1928 yearbook and identifies another couple, the Yettas, as potential victims. When Barnes drives to the couple's isolated house, his police cruiser is rammed and disabled by another automobile, which turns around to finish him off. Barnes escapes into the woods. Circling around to the isolated house, he finds the Yettas already dead. After another member of the class is killed, the coroner Lemuel Lovell (

Will Geer Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, musician, and social activist, who was active in labor organizing and other movements in New York and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In Ca ...

) and his daughter Doc Lovell (

Dorothy Tristan Dorothy Tristan (May 9, 1934 – January 7, 2023) was an American actress and screenwriter. She was best known for her roles in the films ''Klute'', '' Down and Out in Beverly Hills'', and ''Scarecrow''. She co-wrote the films ''Steal the Sky'' a ...

) theorize that a modified defibrillator machine is being used by the murderer to induce heart attacks. Because the Class of '28 was small, the process of elimination leads Barnes to focus on a surviving member of the class, Justin Oates (

). Until recently, Oates had been a guest at Mrs. Tate's motel. Daniel sets a trap for him. Oates takes the bait. When he is caught, it is revealed that he was traumatically humiliated by his classmates at a surprise birthday party for his 17-year-old fiancée. There, his beloved was discovered frolicking naked with another classmate. After Oates' arrest, Daniel surmises he will likely be remanded to the care of a mental health facility for the criminally insane. A subplot woven throughout has Barnes considering a lucrative job offer from a nearby town. The pay raise would make it easier for him to settle down with Mrs. Tate and the kids. But Barnes ultimately turns down the offer and decides to stay put. He also considers marriage to Blanche.

Background

The movie is a series pilot and sequel to Lane Slate's 1973 movie ''

They Only Kill Their Masters ''They Only Kill Their Masters'' is a 1972 American mystery film directed by James Goldstone, written by Lane Slate, and starring James Garner and Katharine Ross, with a supporting cast featuring Hal Holbrook, June Allyson, Tom Ewell, Peter Lawfo ...

''. In that film, set in a beach community, James Garner portrayed Police Chief Abel Marsh. In 1974, Andy Griffith starred in Slate's '' Winter Kill'', a

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, a series pilot that renamed the character (Sheriff Sam MacNeill) and changed the setting to a mountain town. When it failed to sell, the main character was renamed "Sheriff Sam Adams" for the series ''

Adams of Eagle Lake ''Adams of Eagle Lake'' is an American hour-long police series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 1975. Andy Griffith starred as Chief of Police Sam Adams and the episodes presented his attempts to maintain the law in a small re ...

'', which lasted a mere two episodes. But that failure wasn't the end of the road. In 1977, Griffith appeared in two additional television movies (''

The Girl in the Empty Grave ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' and '' Deadly Game''), which restored the name of Griffith's character back to Abel Marsh, though he was still a lawman in a mountain town. With the exception of ''They Only Kill Their Masters'', all the movies and the short-lived series, were filmed in

Big Bear Lake, California Big Bear Lake is a small city in San Bernardino County, California, located in the San Bernardino Mountains along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The city is located about 25 miles (40&nb ...

.Goldberg, Lee (1990). ''Unsold Television Pilots: 1955-1989''. Cutting Edge Publishing. .

Cast

as Dan *

as Blanche *

as Justin Oates *

Lloyd Nolan Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Among his many roles, Nolan is remembered for originating the role of private investigator Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s B movies. Bi ...

as Jesse Chapin *

as Lemuel Lovell *

Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...

as Marge Savage *

as Doc Lovell * Patricia Quinn as Ma Tate (as Pat Quinn) *

Liam Dunn Liam Dunn (November 12, 1916 – April 11, 1976) was an American character actor. Life and career The New Jersey native's early career was spent in television in series such as ''Bonanza'', ''Room 222'', ''Alias Smith and Jones'', '' Mannix'' ...

as Myron Flagg *

Michael Warren Powell Michael Warren Powell (January 22, 1937 – July 17, 2016) was an American artistic director, director, actor and designer involved in the Off-Off-Broadway movement, Off-Broadway and in the development of new American plays. Early career Origina ...

as Michael (as Michael Powell) * Jacqueline Allan McClure as Hattie

References

External links

* {{John Badham 1973 television films 1973 films ABC Movie of the Week 1970s comedy mystery films Films directed by John Badham Films scored by David Shire Films set in New England Films shot in Oregon American comedy mystery films 1970s American films