Series Description

The Michael Shayne TV show was a 60 minute crime drama series on NBC about a redhead Irish private eye with a love of excitement, babes and booze. He was assisted in his cases by his sexy blonde secretary, her younger brother, a reporter friend and the Miami Chief of Police.

Michael Shayne Cast

Richard Denning .... Michael Shayne
Gary Clarke .... Dick Hamilton
Patricia Donahue .... Lucy Hamilton
Jerry Paris .... Tim Rourke
Margie Regan .... Lucy Hamilton
Herbert Rudley .... Police Lieutenant Gentry

Michael Shayne Trivia

The Michael Shayne TV show was inspired by several novels written by Brett Halliday. Bret also served as a consultant for the series. There were also several movies in the 1940s featuring the character of Michael Shayne but did not include the other characters from the novels who were reinstated in the TV series.

There were some later "B" movies that also featured Michael Shayne and the character also starred on a radio show in Dell comics and in the Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine.

This was not the only major role for Richard Denning. He starred as Jerry North on the 1952-1954 series, "Mr. and Mrs. North" and as Dr. Greg Graham on the 1959 series, "The Flying Doctor". After Michael Shayne left the air he went on to star as Steve Scott on the 1964-1965 series, "Karen" and in his coveted role as the Governor of the State of Hawaii on the 1968-1980 classic series, "Hawaii Five-0"! Denning was also beloved as George Cooper on the 1948-1951 "My Favorite Husband Radio Show" which co-starred Lucille Ball and was the inspiration for the TV series, "I Love Lucy"!

The suave, handsome Denning and his equally "hunky" character Michael Shayne simply had to encounter a never-ending list of beautiful females on the show. Some of the most vivacious actresses of the day co-starred with Denning including Julie Adams, Lola Albright, Patricia Crowley, Mona Freeman, Julie London, Rita Moreno, Carol Ohmart, Susan Oliver, Carol Rossen and Alexis Smith.

Many fans of classic television will know Jerry Paris best from his role as Rob and Laura Petrie's next door neighbor Jerry Helper on the series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" but Paris had already appeared in numberous TV episodes and movies by that time. His final acting roles were on five episodes of "Happy Days", a series where he directed a whopping 237 episodes!

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

The First And Only Season

1. Dolls Are Deadly (9/30/1960)
2. A Night with Nora (10/7/1960)
3. Die Like a Dog (10/14/1960)
4. Framed in Blood (10/28/1960)
5. Call for Michael Shayne (11/4/1960)
6. Shoot the Works (11/11/1960)
7. This is It, Michael Shayne (11/18/1960)
8. The Poison Pen Club (11/25/1960)
9. Blood on Biscayne Bay (12/2/1960)
10. Murder Plays Charades (12/9/1960)
11. Murder And The Wanton Bride (12/16/1960)
12. Death Selects The Winner (12/23/1960)
13. Murder in Wonderland (12/30/1960)
14. Man With A Cane (1/6/1961)
15. Spotlight On A Corpse (1/13/1961)
16. Murder Round My Wrist (1/20/1961)
17. The Badge (1/27/1961)
18. The Heiress (2/3/1961)
19. Final Settlement (2/10/1961)
20. Four Lethal Ladies (2/17/1961)
21. The Ancient Art Of Murder (2/24/1961)
22. Murder at the Convention (3/3/1961)
23. Strike Out (3/10/1961)
24. Murder Is A Fine Art (3/17/1961)
25. The Body Beautiful (3/24/1961)
26. Marriage Can Be Fatal (3/31/1961)
27. The Boat Caper (4/7/1961)
28. Date With Death (4/14/1961)
29. The Trouble With Ernie (4/21/1961)
30. No Shroud for Shayne (5/5/1961)
31. It Takes A Heap O'Dyin' (5/12/1961)
32. Dead Air (5/19/1961)