''Today's FBI'' is an American
crime drama television series, an updated and revamped version of the earlier series ''
The F.B.I.''
Like the original program, this series is based on actual cases from the files of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
, and the F.B.I. was involved in the making of the show. Unlike the original series, which ran for nine seasons, this show ran for only 18 episodes (following a
TV-movie pilot) on
ABC, during the
1981–82 season.
Cast
*
Mike Connors as Ben Slater, a veteran "G-Man" who is the chief and mentor of an elite unit of agents.
*
Joseph Cali
Joseph Cali (born March 30, 1950) is an American actor known for playing the role of Joey in the 1977 film '' Saturday Night Fever''. Post Saturday Night Fever, he appeared on television and in films such as 1979's '' Voices'', '' The Competiti ...
as Nick Frazier, the one "ethnic" member of the team, a young and determined agent.
*
Carol Potter as Maggie Clinton, the one female member.
* Rick Hill as Al Gordean, a "country boy" and strongman of the group, is often partnered with Nick.
*
Harold Sylvester as Dwayne Thompson, the one African American on the show; he often acts as the member who keeps the others focused.
Episode list
Reception
The series suffered from low ratings as a result of direct competition from CBS's Top 20 hits ''
Archie Bunker's Place
''Archie Bunker's Place'' is an American television sitcom produced as a continuation of ''All in the Family''. It aired on CBS from September 23, 1979, to April 4, 1983. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough ...
'' and ''
One Day at a Time'' and was cancelled after only 18 episodes.
According to Michele Malach of
Fort Lewis College, the series attempted a more positive portrayal of the FBI by using diverse characters and a "fallacious assumption that its audience still viewed special agents as 'us' rather than 'them'," in contrast to federal agents with "a rigid, dogmatic, inhumane bureaucracy" depicted in later media, like ''
Point Break'', ''
Betrayed'', and ''
The X-Files''. Viewers "did not buy either the image or
he series" prompting a cancellation. Richard Gib Powers called it "pointless and a cover-up
fthe FBI villainy
References
External links
*
*
1981 American television series debuts
1982 American television series endings
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
1980s American crime drama television series
American Broadcasting Company original programming
English-language television shows
Television series about the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Television shows set in Los Angeles
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