Very Cool!!!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I was a TV junkie in the 70's and 80's, devouring as many of the shows and made-for-TV movies as I possibly could. Unfortunately, time has erased the total experience of some of these programs, and this is one of those cases. I can't recall each episode, no. But what I DO remember is that, despite the quality behind the show - and it was, if anything, well-produced - it still managed to elude the best part of the film which inspired it: the undeniable chemistry between the film's cast members. In the film, which I watched just yesterday (on cable), you really could believe this group of actors - and not just the character they're playing - had been best friends for years and years. THAT, in addition to solid writing and directing by Alan Alda, are what drove the film and turned it into such a success in theatres and on cable. Alas, three years down the road someone decided to turn it into a TV show and, with none of the leads from the film (save for Jack Weston), they came up with something forced, leaden, with a cast devoid of much chemistry. I've never been a fan of Tony Roberts and particularly remember him being a pretty sorry substitute for Alan Alda. Sad to say, unlike the network (which I believe was CBS), I gave up on this show just several episodes into its run. As it is, it seems to have lasted just half a season. Call it an end-of-'Season' clearance.