"Barbary Coast"

-created by douglas heyes
1975
Only for cultural historians with a masochistic bent, BARBARY COAST was mercifully canceled after half a season. One longs for intelligence in a show. Failing that, cleverness counts. Minus those two, you'd better have a lot of charm. This show has none of the above. William shatner's one television lead smack dab between TREK and HOOKER, it's a WILD WILD WEST clone that's an object lesson in what happens with neither a vision nor good writing. Painful is the word, and once you're committed as a reviewer, all you can do is hope for the end. Shatner plays a governor's agent (and master of disguise) fighting corruption in post-Civil War San Francisco. Doug mcclure is a casino owner and reluctant partner. Richard kiel gets a chance to play against type, as a good guy who's more handyman than muscle. Kiel is wasted, mcclure is competent, and shatner needed either more devotion to his craft, or a director who could prod him to deliver more. The pilot, starring dennis cole in mcclure's part, is abysmal, and it gets only marginally better. There are no juicy guest spots. I wouldn't be writing this however, without some tiny glimmer of watchability to offer. In the final three episodes, something good almost starts to happen. For the shatner devotee, watch these two and promise to leave it at that.
-The Day Cable was Hanged
The writing finally approaches competence, and a larger historical context is added to the mix, as cable captures a man alleged to be john wilkes booth. He hands him over to a general more concerned with self-aggrandizement than truth. Cable digs deeper, and springs the condemned prisoner. They missed a chance for an inspired ending, by having the man turn out to be booth after all, but this one's worthwhile.
-Mary Had More than a Little
Cleverness finally arrives, as two nefarious plot lines weave their way toward a convergence you can't see coming. A gang of crooks take over a soup kitchen, in order to tunnel into the safe next door. The daughter of one of cash's old friends turns out to be a hustler with angel wings and a thug boyfriend ready to mug the big winners who leave her table. One of shatner's characterizations finally becomes fun.