Load of rubbish!!

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

In 1973 I failed to watch this private eye show. It would take many years of maturity until I rediscovered how great David Janssen's The Fugitive was. It has become one of my all-time favorites. It was excellent on many levels and taking to it's full potential was David Janssen. Given the chance in 2018 to see episodes of Janssen's post fugitive show Harry O was a no-brainer, I was in. This is a show that fits with the natural on-screen persona of Janssen, not the other way around. Harry O is a retired cop on an early disability. He now spends his days working the occasional private case and living on the beach in San Diego. We don't, at least in the early episodes, know much about Harry's back story because what's important is where he's headed. He's somewhat of a loner, rather cool, but definitely a thinker. He doesn't drive a flashy car, in fact he rarely drives as his is a beater most often in for repairs. There's good elements here to make an interesting character and Janssen is adept at playing one that is layered yet not at all flashy.Harry is a thinker, not a head knocker. Still he does get in some spots where his thinking put him in a bit of a precarious situation. Janssen, again, is perfect in this persona. Combine this with some fair writing (it's not as sharp or deep as that of The Fugitive) and Harry O is a very watchable and entertaining show. While it doesn't have the deep hook of his previous work, David Janssen gives this show legs. I like location filmed shows and San Diego is a nice backdrop in addition. At the point of the first episode I don't see a story arc like The Fugitive and I must say I think the previous show's episodes building to an arc will be missed. That said, I do recommend Harry O to fans of Janssen and those who like crime shows that don't condescend in bombast.

Vaguely remembered "Harry O" from "back in the day" yet there was something that stuck--why is that? Zerbe's grudging friendship as Lt. Trench was superb of course, he deserved the Emmy (as did Henry Darrow, portraying Lt. Manny Quinlan, who never got it.) Janssen deserved an Emmy more, as leading actor. Harry's character provides the solitary clue to great screen writing: we CARED about the character. Why? So simple, yet so difficult to achieve. The fact he had a bullet near his spine was part of the appeal, but also the fact that he was always hopping on a bus (unheard of in LA/San Diego), he lived on the beach, etc. These details implied a hidden depth and tragic sense to Harry that was very appealing. The voiceovers (narration a la Raymond Chandler) added to the effect and to the appeal. WB can MAKE MONEY doing DVDs of this short-lived series. They will make more than the issue of the series costs them. THAT BEING THE (OBVIOUS) CASE, WHAT IS THE HOLD-UP? (if you'll pardon the expression)

I first remember seeing this show in the late '70s on BBC - I was (and am) a big fan of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and Harry Orwell was as close to a modern-day version as I could imagine.Taciturn and laconic, David Janssen's portrayal of the world-weary detective was far above the quality of many other shows of the day, and a marked contrast to one of my other favourites, The Rockford Files, where every week Jim got knocked on the head, argued with Dennis and got in a car chase, although, granted, his car was always in good shape.The stories were intelligently-written, the supporting cast always first-class (Henry Darrow and Anthony Zerbe providing excellent foils for Janssen), and guest artists either well-established or up-and-coming stars.'Harry O' is a show that deserves a DVD release - when one considers the availability of more obscure shows it's difficult to understand why it hasn't had its turn.Like Harry, I'm a patient man, but I'd like to see this show again before I die...

If ever a series deserved a better fate, it's this one. A quirky, three-dimensional main character, interesting plots and smart dialogue. It should have lastedyears, lasted 44 episodes. Janssen was terrific (better than in The Fugitive, a show where you only had to see the first episode and the last), his supporting players were almost as good and the writing, particularly by creator HowardRodman, was a cut above the typical TV fare. Yes, it was just another detective show and it did follow some of the typical cliches, but hey, it also provided a poignancy and adult (not X-rated, but intelligent) point of view rarely seen on the little screen. Hey, Warner Brothers (I think)! Where's the DVD collection?