Tightrope! is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960, under the alternating sponsorship of the J. B. Williams Company (Aqua Velva, Lectric Shave, etc.), and American Tobacco (Pall Mall). Produced by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene in association with Screen Gems, the series stars Mike Connors as an undercover agent named "Nick" who was assigned to infiltrate criminal gangs. The show was originally to have been titled Undercover Man, but it was changed before going to air. Actor Robert Phillips, a former Los Angeles undercover policeman and US Marine, claimed the show was based on his exploits, but that he was not chosen to portray himself.p. 60 Freese, Gene Richard Jaeckel, Hollywood's Man of Character McFarland (2 May 2016)

Synopsis Mike Connors' character narrated the episode, echoing film noir technique. He starred as an undercover police officer, known only as "Nick" (although some sources revealed that his last name was "Stone", his last name was never shown in the series' ending credits). Only his immediate superior on the police force knew he was working undercover. Because the police often did not know that Nick was working for the law, he was often in danger from both the good guys and the bad guys, as he walked the "tightrope" between good and evil. A special gimmick was that in addition to a gun in a shoulder holster, he carried a second gun, a snubnosed revolver, in a holster behind his back; he was often searched by both cops and bad guys, but they stopped searching after finding the first gun.

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Guest stars

Rico Alaniz Jack Albertson Robert Anderson Raymond Bailey Barbara Bain Whit Bissell Madge Blake Whitney Blake Neville Brand Paul Burke Jean Byron Jeanne Carmen as Francie Verlaine Anthony Caruso Mary Castle James Chandler Russ Conway Ellen Corby Jerome Cowan Walter Coy Dennis Cross Donna Douglas Jack Elam Ross Elliott Douglas Fowley Bruce Gordon Dabbs Greer Ron Hagerthy

Myron Healey Connie Hines Richard Jaeckel L.Q. Jones Brett King John Larch Ruta Lee Barton MacLane John Marley Ann McCrea Ed Nelson Simon Oakland John M. Pickard Stuart Randall Mike Road Madlyn Rhue Doris Singleton Olan Soule Karl Swenson William Tannen Kent Taylor George Tobias Jesse White

Cancellation Despite the show's popularity, it was canceled after only one season. Mike Connors stated in an interview that the show's primary sponsor (J. B. Williams) refused the network's request to move it to a later timeslot on a different day. When CBS head James Aubrey stated that the show was indisputably going to move timeslot, the sponsor dropped Tightrope!, and underwrote another program on another network. Connors also did not agree with suggested changes to the show's format, that would have extended its length to one hour and added a sidekick, to be played by Don Sullivan.Interview by Paul & Donna ParlaSULLIVAN’S TRAVELS IN HOLLYWOOD An Interview with ‘B’ Monster Movie Hero Don Sullivan copyright 2008 Paul Parla/Anthony Di Salvo He thought such an alteration would eliminate the suspense element of the program. Yet another factor in the show's eventual cancellation were complaints concerning its alleged excessive violence.

Seven years later, Connors would go on to star in the successful, long-running CBS crime series Mannix.

Reboot A 1972 TV-movie, Man on a String, starred Christopher George as Pete King, a deep cover cop infiltrating organized crime. It was reported by some sources as a reimagining of Tightrope!, but despite the similar backstory, and a title that evoked the earlier series, nothing in the credits suggested that the earlier show was the source material for the film, which, though intended as a pilot, did not go to series.

In April 2024, Roku announced it has greenlit a reboot of the show in the form of a slapstick comedy starring Modern Family'''s Ty Burrell with Bryan Cranston as Executive Producer. This is similar to what ABC and the writers of Airplane! did in 1982 with Police Squad!, a spoof of M Squad''.

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