Vault of Coolness: Hey, look who that is!

So I was watching Volume 1 of "Brenner" from Timeless Video the other day, and this is a great, unheralded half-hour cop drama.

(I really enjoy half-hour cop shows like this and "M Squad." Is there any way a half-hour cop show would work today?)

I always say one of the great pleasures of watching 50s and 60s TV--besides the writing, acting, and immediacy of much of it--is seeing familiar faces pop up out of nowhere. Case in point: The episode "Laney's Boy" on disc 1 of "Brenner." Check this out:


I know what you're thinking: Is that really notable character actor George Mathews of "HARRRRR-vey" on "The Honeymooners" fame talking to "Brenner" star Ed Binns? Yes, it is! And his cop is totally unlike HARRRRR-vey or The Beast from his "Bilko" appearance. It's a treat seeing him here. The "Brenner" episodes I've seen don't run down all the guest stars like a Quinn Martin show, so if you go in cold, you can really get a nice surprise or two.

Oh, yeah, and I'm pretty sure that's Gene Hackman in the middle of the shot.

(Note: I give Hackman his due at the end of this post for effect, not because I don't think it's cool to see him turn up in a random old TV show. Actually, I marked out big time to see Mathews, then marked out even more to see the great--and uncredited--Gene Hackman.)