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Burke’s Law

BEHEMOTH EXPORT from Stateside cataloguing antics of one Amos Burke, mega wealthy boss of LAPD’s murder squad, blessed with personal chauffeur driven Rolls Royce and dumb driver Henry (LEON LONTOC). Originally launched as a series for DICK POWELL, who played the titular character as part of his “Dick Powell Theatre Presentations” series, in an adventure imaginatively called “Who Killed Julia Greer?” Part then fell to former Bat Masterson star GENE BARRY (real name Eugene Klass). All of Burke’s cases were called “Who Killed…” with the name of that week’s unlucky victim tagged on to the end, and all of the cases revolved around the world of high society and millionaires to which Burke somehow fitted into seamlessly. He was assisted by detectives Tim Tilson (GARY CONWAY) and Lester Hart (REGIS TOOMEY), with Sgt Amis (EILEEN O’NEILL) joining later. Burke eventually quit the police force to become an undercover agent as US television tried to cash in on the Bond craze with a series entitled Secret Agent, but returned to the police force in a crappy through-the-motions 1994 revival.

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