BARBARY COAST

Full Name:	Jeff Cable
Nationality:	American
Organization:	American Intelligence
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Douglas Heyes
Time Span:	1975 - 1976

ABOUT THE SERIES

       Jeff Cable is an agent with American Intelligence.
       The period of time in which Cable operates is in the second half of the 19th Century, a few years after the end of the Civil War (so likely 1870-1875). The area of Cable's activities is the growing city of San Francisco, more specifically the red-light district of the city which earned the nickname of the Barbary Coast after the lawless region of North Africa against whom the newly created American government fought two wars seven decades before.
       Exactly what department or bureau in the American government Cable answered to is quite unclear and exactly what he does is also a bit fuzzy. In the total of 14 recorded adventures that exist of this operative, several have him going up against a person or group clearly at odds with the American government while others deal with far more local criminality such as protection rackets and bank heists.
       Regardless of who he goes after on whomever's behalf, Cable is an interesting fellow with an intense love of action and danger and a near fetish-level attraction to disguises and assuming other roles. He is very good at finding the excitement and even better at the role-playing.
       Cable bases his operations in an unlikely headquarters; he has chosen the lush and elegantly decorated casino and saloon named the Golden Gate and owned by a friend and sometime colleague of Cable, Cash Conover.
       Conover is an interesting fellow who would normally have never thought of getting involved in anything close to the kind of danger that Cable obviously adores. Conover has a history of being a conman and earns a good living at gambling. He is far more comfortable in the glitter and lights of his establishment than in the dark alleys that Cable frequents. Nevertheless, Conover has shown reluctant willingness to risk life, limb, and even his beloved casino to help his friend.

       Both Cable and Conover are in their early 40's. Both are in reasonably good shape but both would rather use brains and guise than straight-out physicality to win conflicts. Unfortunately for their health and comfort, their enemies are not so inclined.

MOVIES

Number of Movies:	1
First Appearance:	1975
Last Appearance:	1975


1			Barbary Coast Also known as aka In Old San Francisco Director: Bill Bixby Writer: Douglas Heyes Actors: John Vernon as Robin Templar, William Shatner as Jeff Cable, Dennis Cole as Cash Conover, Michael Ansara as Diamond Jack Bassiter, Neville Brand as Florrie Roscoe, Lynda Day George as Clo Du Bois Released: 1975 A made-for-TV movie pilot aired May 3, 1975 on ABC (US). Jeff Cable uses the casino owned by Cash Conover as a staging ground for his efforts to stop the extortion racket run by a former Confederate officer.

TELEVISION


Number of Episodes:	13
First Appearance:	1975
Last Appearance:	1976
Network:	ABC

REGULAR CAST
William Shatner	Jeff Cable [ 1 ]
Doug McClure	Cash Conover [ 1 ]
Richard Kiel	Moose Moran [ 1 ]

1	Funny Money Episode 1-01, first aired 09/08/1975 Director: Don Weis Writer: Douglas Heyes Jeff Cable has a plan to locate hidden counterfeit money. When the counterfeiter is killed, he needs a Plan B which entails Cash Conover entering a high-stakes poker game.

2	Crazy Cats Episode 1-02, first aired 09/15/1975 Director: Don Weis Writer: Harold Livingston The disappearance of a pair of jade cat statues sends Jeff Cable undercover as a reporter with Cash Conover there for much needed backup.

3	Jesse Who? Episode 1-03, first aired 09/22/1975 Director: Bill Bixby Writer: Howard Berk The legendary Jesse James comes out of retirement to rob another bank. Jeff Cable needs Cash Conover to join the revived James Gang.

4	The Ballad of Redwing Jail Episode 1-04, first aired 09/29/1975 Director: John Florea Writer: William D. Gordon Knowing that stolen money has been hidden in a jail cell, Jeff Cable gets himself arrested to search the place but is forced to join a jail break. Cash Conover is needed to get him free from the gang.

5	Guns for a Queen Episode 1-05, first aired 10/06/1975 Director: Don McDougall Writer: William Putman A load of rifles has been stolen. Jeff Cable has Cash Conover get the word out that Cable, in disguise, wants to buy them.

6	Irish Luck Episode 1-06, first aired 10/13/1975 Director: Alexander Grasshoff Writer: Harold Livingston Learning that an assassination is about to occur, Jeff Cable sets up a con to convince an Irish saloon-keeper he is accused of killing his business partner.

7	Sauce for the Goose Episode 1-07, first aired 10/20/1975 Director: Don McDougall Writers: Stephen Lord , Michael Lynn , George Reed Needing a diary from a crooked gambler, Jeff Cable masquerades as a gypsy to convince the man to play poker with Cash Conover, the diary for the Golden Gate.

8	An Iron-Clad Plan Episode 1-08, first aired 10/31/1975 Director: Herb Wallerstein Writers: L. Ford Neale , John Huff , George Reed , Michael Lynn The theft of plans for a submarine gets Jeff Cable trying to buy them while Cash Conover tries to steal them.

9	Arson and Old Lace Episode 1-09, first aired 10/14/1975 Director: Alexander Grasshoff Writer: Max Hodge The fishermen on the Barbary Coast are forced to pay protection money to The Shark though no one knows who that is. To smoke him out, Jeff Cable arranges a boxing match.

10	Sharks Eat Sharks Episode 1-10, first aired 11/21/1975 Director: Bruce Bilson Writer: James L. Henderson Jeff Cable has a problem with a pair of swindlers and their phony diamond mine. Cash Conover has a problem with a protection racket. They decide to join forces against both.

11	The Day Cable Was Hanged Episode 1-11, first aired 12/26/1975 Director: Alexander Grasshoff Writers: Stephen Lord , Howard Rayfield , Kellam de Forest At first Jeff Cable believes he has caught John Wilkes Booth but something makes him suspicious.

12	Mary Had More Than a Little Episode 1-12, first aired 01/02/1976 Director: Herb Wallerstein Writer: Winston Miller While Cash Conover is looking into the robberies of some of his customers, Jeff Cable is looking at a gang planning to rob a shipping firm vault.

13	The Dawson Marker Episode 1-13, first aired 01/09/1976 Director: Alexander Grasshoff Writers: William D. Gordon, James Doherty The heirs of the thieves of gold some time back each has a marker which join together to show where the gold is hidden.

MY COMMENTS

I remember seeing and liking a lot the pilot movie for this series way back when. I loved the disguises that Shatner/Cable used (even the turning of him into Oriental - not so PC these days). I loved the smoothness of the first Conover, Dennis Cole. I adored the depiction of the Barbary Coast section and the rest of San Francisco back then. It was, of course, television and therefore designed to be entertainment over reality but since I was for the former more than the latter (still am) I liked it.
Military duty took me away for the actual series and out-of-sight, out-of-mind until it came time to re-learn it for this entry. I have watched some of the regular episodes and more or less enjoyed them. Certainly I would watch more now and then. I am certain, though, that had I been able to view them back then, I would have definitely tried.

GRADE

My Grade: B-

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