''T.H.E. Cat'' is an American television action

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

that aired on NBC Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. during the 1966–1967 television season.Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earl, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 1st Edition'', page 606, Ballantine Books, 1979 Robert Loggia starred as the title character, Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat. The series preceded the 1968–1970 ABC television series '' It Takes a Thief'', which was also about a cat burglar who uses his skills for good. ''T.H.E. Cat'' is reminiscent of ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' in that the action is backed by a memorable music score, composed by

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Music of Latin America, Lati ...

, who did the music for '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' and '' Mission: Impossible''.Robert Loggia Has a Problem - His Hit is Still Missing, ''Akron Beacon Journal'', November 20, 1966, page 3 The series was co-sponsored by R. J. Reynolds ( Winston) and Lever Brothers and was created by Harry Julian Fink.

Synopsis

Out of the night comes a man who saves lives at the risk of his own. Once a circus performer, an aerialist who refused the net. Once a cat burglar, a master among jewel thieves. Now a professional bodyguard. Primitive... savage... in love with danger. The Cat!

The series' hero is a reformed thief who had served a prison term. Of Romani heritage, Cat is cast in the mold of famed private eye

. Like Gunn's waterfront bar Mother's, Cat operates out of Casa Del Gato (House of the Cat) in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, of which he is part owner. Thomas is a master of martial arts who uses his skills to stop antagonists in his pursuit of justice for the downtrodden. He always works on the side of the law, occasionally using his skills to benefit the local police. His police contact is Police Capt. McAllister, a man with one hand. R. G. Armstrong played McAllister in 12 episodes of the series. Cat is also a master gymnast and acrobatic artist who uses his skills to gain entry to places from which the police are barred by law.

Ratings and mid-season changes

The series was test-marketed during the summer of 1966 and did well, so NBC expected it to have high ratings. However viewership was disappointing, and few teenagers watched the program. After sixteen episodes were completed the series took a two-week filming break so that star Robert Loggia could go on an eight-city publicity tour to explain his character, T. Hewitt Edward Cat, and the writers could make changes they hoped would appeal to more teens. Loggia stated people had told him the series was too "arty" and they didn’t understand the concept. He had also been told that the "mysterious" character was too mysterious, and viewers didn’t know enough about him. When the series resumed production the character of Captain McAllister was eliminated, as many viewers didn’t like seeing Cat being close to a policeman. The changes didn’t help viewership, and the series was cancelled after one season.

Episodes

Cast

* Robert Loggia as Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat * R. G. Armstrong as Captain McAllister * Robert Carricart as Pepe Cordoza Guest stars: Chris Alcaide,

Barbara Stuart Barbara Stuart (born Barbara Ann McNeese; January 3, 1930 – May 15, 2011) was an American actress. She had a recurring role of Sgt. Carter's girlfriend Bunny on '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' Early years Born in Paris, Illinois, Stuart was ...

, Steve Ihnat, Robert Duvall, Laura Devon, Yvonne Romain, Sorrell Booke, Diana Muldaur, Linda Cristal, Ted Jordan, Robert Sampson, Simon Scott and Fred Beir and Caesar Romero.

References

External links