Cannon (TV series)

Cannon
Genre	Action Crime Mystery Drama
Developed by	Edward Hume
Starring	William Conrad
Theme music composer	John Parker
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	122 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Quinn Martin
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	QM Productions CBS Productions
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 14, 1971 (1971-09-14) – March 3, 1976 (1976-03-03)
Chronology
Related shows	Barnaby Jones
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Cannon is an American detective television series produced by Quinn Martin that aired from 1971 to 1976 on CBS. William Conrad played the title character, private detective Frank Cannon. The series was the first Quinn Martin production to run on a network other than ABC.

In total, there were 122 episodes, plus the series' two-hour pilot and a "revival" television film, The Return of Frank Cannon (1980).

Synopsis

Cannon was portrayed in the series as a veteran of the Korean War and a former member of the Los Angeles Police Department. He was not only street smart but also appeared to have an unusually high level of education outside the law enforcement field. Besides his familiarity with several languages, he showed extensive knowledge of such diverse subjects as science, art, and history. Cannon was a widower, having lost his wife and son in a bomb attack while he was on the police force, as revealed in the two-hour pilot.

Conrad was an overweight actor, and the series, especially in its early episodes, made frequent mention of Cannon's weight. Other characters would often remark critically about it, while he himself would joke self-deprecatingly about his girth and great love of food. In fact, Cannon was a gourmet cook who enjoyed preparing food for his friends. Despite his large size, he was a man of action. While he preferred to use his wits to escape a difficult situation, he could engage successfully in fistfights and shoot-outs with bad guys.

The plots, as in other detective series, revolved around Cannon solving crimes for a variety of clients. In a number of early episodes, he was hired by insurance companies to investigate losses. Other episodes involved him working for former police colleagues or other people from his past. In some cases, he was forced into action to clear himself of falsified charges. Many episode plot lines involved Cannon traveling and having to deal with various and sundry incompetent and/or corrupt law enforcement agencies and officials.

Throughout the series' run, Cannon drove Lincoln Continentals. In the pilot movie, he drove a 1970 model year 53A four-door hardtop sedan, which later crashed. In the series, he switched to the two-door personal luxury cars, driving a new model year every season – in Season 1, he drove a 1971 Mark III, before switching to Mark IVs for later seasons. In the 1980 TV movie, he drove a 1978 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Cast

Conrad as Frank Cannon.

Series star William Conrad was the only main cast member.

Other than the title role, the series had very few recurring characters. In the first season, Martin Sheen appeared twice as ex-policeman Jerry Warton, but the character did not extend beyond the first year. In fact, Sheen guest-starred in the third season as a completely different character: a lawyer who murdered Cannon's client. The only other actors to appear in multiple episodes as the same character were Charles Bateman (five episodes as Lieutenant Paul Tarcher) and Arthur Adams (three episodes as Officer Bill Murray).

Guest stars

Notable guest stars included Anne Baxter, Johnny Cash, Cathy Lee Crosby, Micky Dolenz, Joan Fontaine, Mark Hamill, Larry Linville, Sondra Locke, Gary Lockwood, Leslie Nielsen, Nick Nolte, Susan Oliver, Stefanie Powers, Gordon Pinsent, Denver Pyle, Roy Scheider, and Martin Sheen.

Production

Cannon debuted as a two-hour movie on March 26, 1971, that served as the pilot. In the movie, Cannon returns from an extensive overseas assignment and investigates the murder of a close friend. A later episode would reveal that his wife and child were killed by a car bomb meant for him, prompting him to retire from the Los Angeles police force and become a private detective. The pilot was picked up as a regular series for the 1971–72 television season, and the first one-hour episode aired September 14, 1971. The first season aired on Tuesday nights at 9:30 pm Eastern, following the popular Hawaii Five-0.

The series moved to 10:00 pm Wednesday nights in season 2, then moved up to 9:00 pm Wednesdays for season 3, where it remained for the rest of the series run. Following three consecutive seasons in the Top 20 Nielsen ratings, plot violence and controversial themes increased in season 5 and Cannon fell to 39th and was cancelled.

Props

In an era before cell phone use, Cannon was frequently shown using a "mobile phone" in his signature Lincoln Continental, which was very rare at the time. Cannon would first ask the mobile operator to dial a call for him. Phones of this type were precursors to modern cell phones. The phone prop itself was a Motorola brand MTS mobile phone.

Episodes

Series overview

Main article: List of Cannon episodes

This article contains a list of episodes of the United States television series Cannon, which were broadcast on CBS between 1971 and 1976.

Series overview

Cannon consists of a 2-hour pilot, five seasons of episodes, and a 2-hour TV-movie.

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			Premiered	Ended	Time slot
	Pilot	1	March 26, 1971 (1971-03-26)		Friday at 9:00-11:00 pm (EST)
	1	24	September 14, 1971 (1971-09-14)	March 14, 1972 (1972-03-14)	Tuesday at 9:30-10:30 pm (EST)
	2	24	September 13, 1972 (1972-09-13)	March 21, 1973 (1973-03-21)	Wednesday at 10:00-11:00 pm (EST)
	3	25	September 12, 1973 (1973-09-12)	March 20, 1974 (1974-03-20)	Wednesday at 9:00-10:00 pm (EST)
	4	24	September 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)	April 2, 1975 (1975-04-02)
	5	25	September 10, 1975 (1975-09-10)	March 3, 1976 (1976-03-03)
	TV-movie	1	November 1, 1980 (1980-11-01)		Saturday at 9:00-10:00 pm (EST)

DVD releases

At present, the first three seasons have been released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment.

DVD set		Episodes	Release date
	Cannon: Season 1, Volume 1	12	August 8, 2008 (2008-08-08)
	Cannon: Season 1, Volume 2	13	December 2, 2008 (2008-12-02)
	Cannon: Season 2, Volume 1	12	June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02)
	Cannon: Season 2, Volume 2	12	February 16, 2010 (2010-02-16)
	Cannon: Season 3	25	January 10, 2013 (2013-01-10)

Pilot

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"Cannon"	George McCowan	Edward Hume	March 26, 1971 (1971-03-26)
Private detective Frank Cannon investigates the murder of his ex-girlfriend's husband and gets entangled in small-town corruption.

Episodes

• Nº = Overall episode number
• Ep = Episode number by season

Season 1: 1971–72

Main article: Cannon (season 1)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Salinas Jackpot"	George McCowan	Ken Trevey	September 14, 1971 (1971-09-14)
Cannon trails two men disguised as clowns who committed multiple murders at a rodeo.
2	2	"Death Chain"	Jerry Jameson	Paul Playdon & David Moessinger	September 21, 1971 (1971-09-21)
Cannon investigates the murder of a bank manager's mistress.
3	3	"Call Unicorn"	Allen Reisner	Story by: E. Arthur Kean; Teleplay by: David Moessinger & Paul Playdon	September 28, 1971 (1971-09-28)
Cannon goes undercover as a truck driver to weed out a group of killers who are running a smuggling operation.
4	4	"Country Blues"	Allen Reisner	Ronald Austin & James D. Buchanan	October 5, 1971 (1971-10-05)
Cannon is hired by an insurance company to investigate the death of a Western music superstar.
5	5	"Scream of Silence"	Jerry Jameson	Robert Collins	October 12, 1971 (1971-10-12)
When the kidnapping of a political candidate's son goes awry, Cannon must lure out the culprits after the shock renders the boy unable to speak.
6	6	"Fool's Gold"	Don Medford	Story by: Bill Stratton; Teleplay by: Edward Hume	October 19, 1971 (1971-10-19)
While trying to retrieve stolen loot in a deserted town, Cannon uncovers a conspiracy.
7	7	"Girl in the Electric Coffin"	Jerry Jameson	Robert Malcolm Young	October 26, 1971 (1971-10-26)
Cannon helps a mother look for her missing daughter after the first detective he recommended is killed, and discovers a plot involving a love triangle mixed with murder.
8	8	"Dead Pigeon"	Don Taylor	Story by: George Kirgo;	November 9, 1971 (1971-11-09)
Cannon searches for the culprit who framed an L.A. detective and former colleague for murder.
9	9	"A Lonely Place to Die"	William Hale	Jack Turley	November 16, 1971 (1971-11-16)
Cannon's investigation of a triple slaying leads him to a syndicate chieftain.
10	10	"No Pockets in a Shroud"	William Hale	Ken Pettus	November 23, 1971 (1971-11-23)
Cannon investigates a case involving a reclusive millionaire and his missing heir.
11	11	"Stone, Cold Dead"	Seymour Robbie	Paul Playdon & David Moessinger	November 30, 1971 (1971-11-30)
Cannon must vindicate a veteran accused of murder.
12	12	"Death Is a Double-Cross"	Richard Donner	Teleplay by: Edward Hume & George Eckstein	December 7, 1971 (1971-12-07)
Cannon's job on a train costs a young mother her life. Based on the novel "Every Bet's a Sure Thing" by Thomas B. Dewey.
13	13	"The Nowhere Man"	George McCowan	Michael Gleason	December 14, 1971 (1971-12-14)
An accountant decides to use stolen nerve gas in order to teach society a lesson.
14	14	"Flight Plan"	Richard Donner	Robert C. Dennis	December 28, 1971 (1971-12-28)
Cannon designs an escape plan for a man who lied about his predicament, only to have to chase the man after learning the truth.
15	15	"Devil's Playground"	Marvin Chomsky	Ken Trevey	January 4, 1972 (1972-01-04)
A foolish ex-cop enlists Cannon's help to catch the killer who assaulted him.
16	16	"Treasure of San Ignacio"	Allen Reisner	Teleplay by: Paul Playdon;	January 11, 1972 (1972-01-11)
A blasphemous ex-racecar driver steals relics from a Mexican church, leading Frank to ask a fellow investigator to come out of retirement.
17	17	"Blood on the Vine"	George McCowan	Story by: Ken Pettus; Teleplay by: Stephen Kandel	January 18, 1972 (1972-01-18)
A beloved winegrower is targeted for murder.
18	18	"To Kill a Guinea Pig"	Allen Reisner	Hal Sitowitz	February 1, 1972 (1972-02-01)
A terrorized doctor gets involved in a sinister research project.
19	19	"The Island Caper"	Lewis Allen	George Bellak	February 8, 1972 (1972-02-08)
A reformed bank robber is pressed to do one last job.
20	20	"A Deadly Quiet Town"	Seymour Robbie	Robert W. Lenski	February 15, 1972 (1972-02-15)
Cannon tangles with a satanic cult.
21	21	"A Flight of Hawks"	Charles S. Dubin	Stephen Kandel	February 22, 1972 (1972-02-22)
Cannon suspects that amateur mercenaries in an African revolution are up to something.
22	22	"The Torch"	Michael O'Herlihy	James D. Buchanan & Ronald Austin	February 29, 1972 (1972-02-29)
An insurance investigator commits a murder - and probes it himself.
23	23	"Cain's Mark"	Don Taylor	George Bellak	March 7, 1972 (1972-03-07)
An illicit-arms dealer is at war with his brother.
24	24	"Murder by Moonlight"	Seymour Robbie	Karl Tunberg	March 14, 1972 (1972-03-14)
A young convict serves an imprisoned gang boss.

Season 2: 1972–73

Main article: Cannon (season 2)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
25	1	"Bad Cats and Sudden Death"	Philip Leacock	Robert Lewin	September 13, 1972 (1972-09-13)
Cannon attempts to clear a friend on murder charges, but the more he uncovers, the worse it looks.
26	2	"Sky Above, Death Below"	George McCowan	Hal Sitowitz	September 20, 1972 (1972-09-20)
Cannon's only witness to a murder is a fugitive draft dodger.
27	3	"Bitter Legion"	Michael O'Herlihy	George Bellak	September 27, 1972 (1972-09-27)
Cannon plays dirty to keep a Vietnam veteran on the straight and narrow.
28	4	"That Was No Lady"	George McCowan	Dick Nelson	October 4, 1972 (1972-10-04)
A lawyer puts her life at stake when she defends suspects in a robbery.
29	5	"Stakeout"	Leo Penn	Harold Gast	October 11, 1972 (1972-10-11)
A crooked ex-cop's daughter is set up in a robbery - and all the witnesses and police forensic scientists and detectives refuse to cooperate.
30	6	"The Predators"	George McCowan	Arthur Heinemann	October 18, 1972 (1972-10-18)
A coyote trap connects a dead man to smugglers.
31	7	"A Long Way Down"	George McCowan	Stephen Kandel	October 25, 1972 (1972-10-25)
Cannon searches a hospital for clues when drugs are stolen and a murder is committed.
32	8	"The Rip Off"	George McCowan	Douglas Day Stewart	November 1, 1972 (1972-11-01)
When Cannon's apartment is burglarized, his pursuit of the thief leads him to discover thefts at an airport.
33	9	"Child of Fear"	David Lowell Rich	Robert W. Lenski	November 15, 1972 (1972-11-15)
A wealthy rancher is missing, and his foolish wife allows her private security force to have free rein over her ranch.
34	10	"The Shadow Man"	Robert Douglas	Robert Lewin	November 22, 1972 (1972-11-22)
A woman says her husband fell off a cliff, but the body is gone - along with a fortune in bonds.
35	11	"Hear No Evil"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert W. Lenski	November 29, 1972 (1972-11-29)
Cannon investigates when a convicted wiretapper seems to have taken up blackmailing.
36	12	"The Endangered Species"	Robert Douglas	Del Reisman	December 13, 1972 (1972-12-13)
A friend of Cannon's is charged with murder - and the real killer is his attorney.
37	13	"Nobody Beats the House"	Herbert Hirschman	Meyer Dolinsky	December 20, 1972 (1972-12-20)
A gambler in debt is given an ultimatum: pay or die.
38	14	"Hard Rock Roller Coaster"	Charles S. Dubin	Story by: Bill S. Ballinger; Teleplay by: Meyer Dolinsky	January 3, 1973 (1973-01-03)
A smuggler (Fritz Weaver) uses Cannon to find a cache of diamonds.
39	15	"The Dead Samaritan"	Jerry Jameson	Story by: Robert Van Scoyk; Teleplay by: Stephen Kandel	January 10, 1973 (1973-01-10)
In a faux pas episode, a good Samaritan saves a woman from which has the appearance of an assault in broad daylight in front of 11-15 witnesses (Cannon claims there were only 4), and the Samaritan is charged with murder.
40	16	"Death of a Stone Seahorse"	William Wiard	Anthony Lawrence	January 17, 1973 (1973-01-17)
A murderer attempts to frame his mentally-unstable sister for his crime.
41	17	"Moving Target"	Lawrence Dobkin	Worley Thorne	January 31, 1973 (1973-01-31)
An author is targeted for murder when he starts writing a fake autobiography of a billionaire.
42	18	"Murder for Murder"	Herschel Daugherty	Arthur Heinemann	February 7, 1973 (1973-02-07)
Cannon follows a teacher bent on revenge after his daughter dies at a jet-set party.
43	19	"To Ride a Tiger"	Virgil W. Vogel	Robert W. Lenski	February 14, 1973 (1973-02-14)
An ex-con's lawyer disappears after winning a case.
44	20	"Prisoners"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Lewin	February 21, 1973 (1973-02-21)
A young man's plot to extort money from his father backfires.
45	21	"The Seventh Grave"	John Badham	E. Arthur Kean	February 28, 1973 (1973-02-28)
Cannon's search for a murderer is clouded by a lab worker altering the evidence.
46	22	"Catch Me If You Can"	William Hale	Douglas Day Stewart	March 7, 1973 (1973-03-07)
A psychopathic killer asks Cannon for help.
47	23	"Press Pass to the Slammer"	Leo Penn	Meyer Dolinsky	March 14, 1973 (1973-03-14)
Cannon must solve a murder before a columnist is sent to prison.
48	24	"Deadly Heritage"	Seymour Robbie	Robert Lewin	March 21, 1973 (1973-03-21)
A friend of Cannon's searches for her stepson, who had been abandoned by her husband years ago.

Season 3: 1973–74

Main article: Cannon (season 3)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
49 50	1 2	"He Who Digs a Grave"	Richard Donner	Teleplay by: Stephen Kandel	September 12, 1973 (1973-09-12)
Cannon encounters trouble when he attempts to clear a friend charged with murder. Based on a novel by David Delman.
51	3	"Memo from a Dead Man"	Richard Donner	Robert C. Dennis	September 19, 1973 (1973-09-19)
A dead man's will hires Cannon to find out if any of his heirs had something to do with his death.
52	4	"Hounds of Hell"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jack Turley	September 26, 1973 (1973-09-26)
A Vietnam vet hires Cannon to investigate when vicious dogs murder two ex-GIs who served with the vet.
53	5	"Target in the Mirror"	Gene Nelson	Robert Blees	October 3, 1973 (1973-10-03)
Cannon is unaware that the man who killed his client happens to be an old friend who's a police lieutenant.
54	6	"Murder by Proxy"	Robert Douglas	Robert W. Lenski	October 10, 1973 (1973-10-10)
While having to deal with an incompetent police detective, Cannon tries to clear a woman who has been framed for murder.
55	7	"Night Flight to Murder"	Michael Caffey	Carey Wilber	October 17, 1973 (1973-10-17)
Cannon searches for a hijacked plane that was carrying $3,000,000 worth of securities.
56	8	"Come Watch Me Die"	George McCowan	Herb Meadow	October 24, 1973 (1973-10-24)
A man escapes from a mental hospital to find his wife, certain that she framed him for murder.
57	9	"The Perfect Alibi"	Robert Douglas	Ray Brenner & Jack Guss	October 31, 1973 (1973-10-31)
A man accused of robbing a safe has a solid alibi: he had been in jail for a year.
58	10	"Dead Lady's Tears"	Virgil W. Vogel	Steve Fisher	November 7, 1973 (1973-11-07)
Cannon must clear a man suspected of killing a model he was with before her death.
59	11	"The Limping Man"	Michael Caffey	Shirl Hendryx	November 14, 1973 (1973-11-14)
Cannon looks for a fugitive in the hope that he can save a policeman's reputation.
60	12	"Trial by Terror"	Robert Douglas	Larry Brody	November 21, 1973 (1973-11-21)
The syndicate kidnaps a judge's daughter in order to curry the outcome of a trial in their favor.
61	13	"Murder by the Numbers"	George McCowan	Story by: Michael McTaggart; Teleplay by: Robert Blees	November 28, 1973 (1973-11-28)
A socialite's new husband is revealed to be a blackmailer and a bigamist.
62	14	"Valley of the Damned"	Lawrence Dobkin	Carey Wilber	December 5, 1973 (1973-12-05)
Cannon's attempts to clear an Indian of murder lead him to search for others who have vanished without a trace.
63	15	"A Well-Remembered Terror"	Seymour Robbie	Robert I. Holt	December 12, 1973 (1973-12-12)
An airline's pilot scheme of his own plane's hijacking is jeopardized by his panicky partner.
64	16	"Arena of Fear"	Marc Daniels	Collier Young & Meyer Dolinsky	December 19, 1973 (1973-12-19)
A boxer's manager claims that the fighter killed a man he punched in a barroom brawl.
65	17	"Photo Finish"	George McCowan	John Hawkins	January 2, 1974 (1974-01-02)
Cannon is hired to find out who murdered a mercanary's brother.
66	18	"Duel in the Desert"	William Wiard	Robert C. Dennis	January 16, 1974 (1974-01-16)
Cannon get amnesia and forgets about the ransom he was to deliver for a kidnapped woman.
67	19	"Where's Jennifer?"	Gene Nelson	Robert White & Phyllis White	January 23, 1974 (1974-01-23)
Cannon follows a girl who supposedly died long ago.
68	20	"Blood Money"	William Wiard	Stephen Kandel	February 6, 1974 (1974-02-06)
A lawyer arranges for his imprisoned client's death, then searches for the man's hidden fortune.
69	21	"Death of a Hunter"	George McCowan	Meyer Dolinsky	February 13, 1974 (1974-02-13)
Cannon investigates when a supposedly tranquilized lion mauls an animal keeper.
70	22	"The Cure That Kills"	Seymour Robbie	Worley Thorne	February 20, 1974 (1974-02-20)
A fake faith healer bumps off the only witness to a murder he committed.
71	23	"Bobby Loved Me"	Lawrence Dobkin	Joel Murcott	February 27, 1974 (1974-02-27)
Cannon searches for the culprit who murdered a dancer who swindled lonely women out of their savings.
72	24	"Triangle of Terror"	George McCowan	Carey Wilber	March 13, 1974 (1974-03-13)
A millionaire is believed to have killed himself at a resort after embezzling money from his own bank.
73	25	"The Stalker"	Lawrence Dobkin	Richard Newhafer	March 20, 1974 (1974-03-20)
An escaped murderer stalks Cannon while the detective is on vacation.

Season 4: 1974–75

Main article: Cannon (season 4)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
74	1	"Kelly's Song"	William Wiard	S.S. Schweitzer	September 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)
A former prostitute reluctantly goes back to her old life to help Cannon capture a vice-ring operator.
75	2	"The Hit Man"	William Wiard	Robert Heverly	September 18, 1974 (1974-09-18)
A hit man who looks just like Cannon is hired to execute a bishop.
76	3	"Voice from the Grave"	William Wiard	Robert Hamner	September 25, 1974 (1974-09-25)
Cannon assists a retired detective with an unsolved homicide case.
77	4	"Lady in Red"	William Wiard	Max Hodge	October 2, 1974 (1974-10-02)
Cannon must ensure the safe travel of a woman carrying valuable securities.
78	5	"The Deadly Trail"	George McCowan	Calvin Clements	October 16, 1974 (1974-10-16)
A tyrannical industrialist hires Cannon to find the daughter he gave up for adoption when she was born.
79	6	"The Exchange"	George McCowan	Jackson Gillis	October 23, 1974 (1974-10-23)
An ex-con seeks revenge against the police officers who were involved in the shooting of his brother during a holdup.
80	7	"The Avenger"	Corey Allen	Robert Sherman	October 30, 1974 (1974-10-30)
Cannon is out to avenge the murder of his policeman friend.
81	8	"A Killing in the Family"	George McCowan	Larry Alexander	November 6, 1974 (1974-11-06)
Cannon is hired to investigate a policy-holder's death, then dismissed when he finds evidence of murder.
82	9	"Flashpoint"	William Wiard	Robert Heverly	November 13, 1974 (1974-11-13)
Cannon assists a public defender clear his client who's charged with rape and murder.
83	10	"The Man Who Couldn't Forget"	George McCowan	Robert I. Holt	November 20, 1974 (1974-11-20)
A Dutchman is searching for a suspected Nazi war criminal.
84	11	"The Sounds of Silence"	George McCowan	Teleplay by: Anthony Spinner;	December 4, 1974 (1974-12-04)
An engaged woman hires Cannon to find her fiance, vanished three weeks before a wedding.
85	12	"The Prisoner"	William Wiard	Norman Hudis	December 11, 1974 (1974-12-11)
An ex-Army captain is plotting to kill a released prisoner of war who knows some unsettling facts about the officer's actions in Vietnam.
86	13	"Daddy's Little Girl"	Leslie H. Martinson	Larry Alexander	December 18, 1974 (1974-12-18)
Cannon faces the consequences of killing a hit man who was going to marry a gangster's daughter.
87	14	"The Conspirators"	George McCowan	Margaret Armen	January 1, 1975 (1975-01-01)
Cannon goes to a small town in Texas to probe a woman's disappearance.
88	15	"Coffin Corner"	George McCowan	Story by: Rick Husky; Teleplay by: Robert I. Holt	January 15, 1975 (1975-01-15)
An ex-football player asks Cannon to protect him from a pair of killers.
89	16	"Perfect Fit for a Frame"	William Wiard	Robert Hamner	January 22, 1975 (1975-01-22)
A woman is being hunted by her vengeful husband because she tried to kill him.
90	17	"Killer on the Hill"	Harry Falk	Carey Wilber	January 29, 1975 (1975-01-29)
A man who despises a congressman is framed for his attempted murder.
91	18	"Missing at FL307"	William Wiard	Carey Wilber	February 5, 1975 (1975-02-05)
An ex-con boards a plane, then disappears before it lands.
92	19	"The Set Up"	George McCowan	Robert Sherman	February 12, 1975 (1975-02-12)
In a case of mistaken identity, Cannon is stalked by killers looking for a lawyer who looks just like the detective.
93	20	"The Investigator"	George McCowan	Robert C. Dennis	February 26, 1975 (1975-02-26)
A mayor hires Cannon to investigate the death of a reporter who was going to expose corruption within the police.
94	21	"Lady on the Run"	George McCowan	Gerald Sanford	March 5, 1975 (1975-03-05)
Cannon trails a rich woman who first ran from her husband, then from her murderous boyfriend.
95	22	"Vengeance"	Alf Kjellin	Robert I. Holt	March 12, 1975 (1975-03-12)
After hiring a hit man to end his life, an ex-con changes his mind and asks Cannon to stop the hit man before it's too late.
96	23	"Tomorrow Ends at Noon"	William Wiard	Robert C. Dennis	March 19, 1975 (1975-03-19)
Terrorists kidnap a diplomat's daughter and threaten to kill her unless their cohorts are released from jail.
97	24	"Search and Destroy"	Edward M. Abroms	Story by: Robert Mitchell & Esther Mitchell; Teleplay by: Stephen Kandel	April 2, 1975 (1975-04-02)
Cannon looks for a runaway girl, unaware that she saw her aunt participate in a murder.

Season 5: 1975–76

Main article: Cannon (season 5)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
98	1	"Nightmare"	Paul Stanley	Robert Lenski	September 10, 1975 (1975-09-10)
A dying man confesses to causing the deaths of Cannon's wife and child, but dies before revealing his motive.
99	2	"The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 1"	Michael Caffey	Stephen Kandel	September 17, 1975 (1975-09-17)
Cannon teams up with Barnaby Jones to investigate the activities of a large corporation that may include murder. Note: The story-line finishes in the Barnaby Jones episode "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2". Note: For syndication, the ending was re-filmed to resolve the case in one episode, with Bud McKenna (Murray Hamilton) surviving instead of being murdered by Alex Parks (Diana Douglas). Although Miss Douglas is listed in the opening titles, her role is completely edited out of the syndicated version of the Cannon episode.
100	3	"The Wrong Medicine"	Paul Stanley	Norman Lessing	September 24, 1975 (1975-09-24)
Cannon probes a malpractice suit filed against a young resident.
101	4	"The Iceman"	William Wiard	Larry Alexander	October 1, 1975 (1975-10-01)
Cannon reopens a murder case in the hope that he can find evidence to clear an imprisoned friend.
102	5	"The Victim"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jimmy Sangster	October 8, 1975 (1975-10-08)
A singer says that friend, a famed vocalist, is being held hostage.
103	6	"The Man Who Died Twice"	William Wiard	S.S. Schweitzer	October 15, 1975 (1975-10-15)
A corrupt cop who was presumed dead is the prime suspect in the murder of a loan shark.
104	7	"A Touch of Venom"	Chris Robinson	Larry Alexander	October 22, 1975 (1975-10-22)
Radicals poison Cannon and withhold the antidote in an attempt to make him subject to their whims.
105	8	"Man in the Middle"	Allen Reisner	Richard Landau	October 29, 1975 (1975-10-29)
Cannon heads to Mexico to pick up the body of a friend's son, who apparently died under strange circumstances.
106	9	"Fall Guy"	Lawrence Dobkin	Howard Dimsdale	November 5, 1975 (1975-11-05)
Cannon attempts to vindicate the vice-president of an oil company who's accused of misappropriating funds.
107	10	"The Melted Man"	Leo Penn	Norman Lessing	November 12, 1975 (1975-11-12)
A wealthy heiress believes she sees a snowman with a hatchet in its head on her desert estate.
108	11	"The Wedding March"	Leo Penn	Brad Radnitz	November 19, 1975 (1975-11-19)
Cannon hunts for a psychopath who's beating women.
109	12	"The Hero"	William Wiard	Irving Pearlberg	November 26, 1975 (1975-11-26)
Frank investigates the death of a member of a sadistic drug gang, who seems to have been killed by the son of a General and war hero.
110	13	"To Still the Voice"	Leo Penn	Story by: Robert Heverly;	December 3, 1975 (1975-12-03)
Cannon probes a black leader's assassination. This episode is notable because a key suspect from a very wealthy, very conservative family refuses to divulge information that would exonerate himself from the assassination because the information would expose the fact that he was homosexual.
111 112	14 15	"The Star"	William Wiard	Margaret Armen	December 10, 1975 (1975-12-10)
A former movie star's son disappears without a trace and when Cannon finds him, he must figure out why the boy is being stalked by assassins.
113	16	"The Games Children Play"	Margaret Armen	Story by: Jack Turley; Teleplay by: Albert Aley	December 17, 1975 (1975-12-17)
A boy tries to convince everyone that he saw a kidnapping.
114	17	"The Reformer"	Lawrence Dobkin	Larry Forrester	January 7, 1976 (1976-01-07)
A crusading editor accused of murder hires Cannon to vindicate him.
115	18	"The House of Cards"	Kenneth Gilbert	Robert I. Holt	January 14, 1976 (1976-01-14)
An accountant vanishes after he finds records containing evidence of fraud committed within his company.
116	19	"Revenge"	Paul Stanley	Gene Thompson	January 21, 1976 (1976-01-21)
Cannon is implicated in a mob boss's murder. Note: The Appeals court would not have reversed Lucius Delgado's conviction. He would, instead, have been granted a new trial. Also, Cannon commits Battery On a Law Enforcement Officer, Assault With a Firearm On a Law Enforcement Officer, Theft of a Firearm, Escape From Custody, and Grand Theft Auto, all felonies, and he is never charged. Also, upon Cannaon's arrest, a search warrant for his home would have been immediately obtained. Upon Cannon's escape, his home would have been under 24 hour surveillance.
117	20	"Cry Wolf"	Lawrence Dobkin	Teleplay by: Carey Wilber;	January 28, 1976 (1976-01-28)
A multimillionaire suspects foul play in his grandson's supposed kidnapping.
118	21	"The Quasar Kill"	William Wiard	Terence Tunberg & Karl Tunberg	February 4, 1976 (1976-02-04)
Cannon investigates the bizarre case of a scientist getting killed by a laser beam.
119	22	"Snapshot"	Michael Caffey	Leonard Kantor	February 11, 1976 (1976-02-11)
An ex-enforcer hires Cannon to find out why a hit man is stalking him.
120	23	"Point After Death"	Chris Robinson	Teleplay by: Mann Rubin;	February 18, 1976 (1976-02-18)
Cannon probes the killing of a star quarterback's girlfriend. This episode is notable for the second homosexual-themed storyline of the season, and the series.
121	24	"Bloodlines"	David Whorf	Teleplay by: Anthony Spinner & Gene Thompson;	February 25, 1976 (1976-02-25)
A millionaire tries to frame his daughter-in-law for murder.
122	25	"Madman"	William Wiard	Larry Forrester	March 3, 1976 (1976-03-03)
A scientist at an Army base, who's a friend of Cannon's, behaves irrationally, so the detective tries to help him.

TV-movie

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"The Return of Frank Cannon"	Corey Allen	James David Buchanan & Ronald Austin	November 1, 1980 (1980-11-01)
Private detective Frank Cannon comes out of retirement to investigate the murder of an ex-girlfriend's husband.

See also

• List of Barnaby Jones episodes - includes Part 2 of "The Deadly Conspiracy"

References

• Cannon at epguides.com
• Cannon at IMDb
• Cannon at TV.com

Connections to Barnaby Jones

Frank Cannon met Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen), an aging veteran private investigator who had retired and turned over his agency to his son, Hal, when Hal is killed. With the aid of Cannon and Hal's widow, Betty Jones (Lee Meriwether), he hunts down Hal's killer. Afterwards, Jones decides to come out of retirement. The premiere episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" was planned as a second-season Cannon episode, but when Barnaby Jones was sold as a separate series the script was reworked into the premiere of that series. William Conrad appeared as a special guest star.

Cannon had a second "crossover" with the Barnaby Jones series. The first part of the two-part episode, "The Deadly Conspiracy", was aired as the second episode of the fifth season of Cannon on September 17, 1975; the second part aired two nights later as the fourth-season premiere of Barnaby Jones.

Home media

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first two seasons of Cannon on DVD in Region 1. Season 3 was released on January 10, 2013, via Amazon.com's CreateSpace program. This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Amazon.com.

On May 4, 2015, it was announced that Visual Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series in Region 1. They subsequently released Cannon – The Complete Collection on September 2, 2015.

On March 18, 2016, VEI re-released the first season on DVD and on April 1, 2016, they re-released the second season.

In Region 4, Shock Entertainment has released the first two seasons on DVD in Australia.

DVD name	Ep no.	Release date
Season 1, Volume 1	13	July 8, 2008
Season 1, Volume 2	13	December 2, 2008
Season 1	24	March 18, 2016
Season 2, Volume 1	12	June 2, 2009
Season 2, Volume 2	12	February 16, 2010
Season 2	24	April 1, 2016
Season 3	24	January 10, 2013
Season 4	24	N/A
Season 5	25	N/A
The Complete Series	122	September 2, 2015

Awards and nominations

Cannon received three Emmy Award nominations, for Outstanding Drama Series in 1973 and for William Conrad as Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1973 and 1974.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated Cannon for three Golden Globe Awards, for Best Television Series – Drama in 1974 and for William Conrad in 1972 and 1973 as Best Actor in a Drama Television Series.

In other media

Novels

A series of nine tie-in novels were published in the 1970s by Lancer/Magnum in the United States and Triphammer/Corgi in the United Kingdom.

1. Murder by Gemini by Richard Gallagher
2. The Stewardess Strangler by Richard Gallagher
3. The Golden Bullet by Paul Denver (pseudonym of Douglas Enefer)
4. The Deadly Chance by Paul Denver
5. I've Got You Covered by Paul Denver
6. The Falling Blonde by Paul Denver
7. It's Lonely on the Sidewalk by Paul Denver
8. Farewell, Little Sister by Douglas Enefer
9. Shoot-Out! by Douglas Enefer

Parody

In an episode of his Thames Television series, British comedian Benny Hill parodied 1970s American detective series. In the skit, Hill played several staple characters of the genre: Frank Cannon, Robert Ironside, Theo Kojak, Sam McCloud (ironically, all but the latter were airing on BBC1 at the time rather than on Hill's home of ITV) and, although he was not a part of the genre, Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

External links

• Cannon at IMDb