Brenner was based on a one-shot January 1959 production from Playhouse 90 entitled ‘The Blue Men’.
Roy Brenner (Edward Binns) is a no-nonsense, seen-it-all plainclothes NYPD lieutenant, and his son Ernie (James Broderick) is a rookie beat cop in his first year on the force.
Roy Brenner’s assignment within the police department is on the Confidential Squad – what we would now call Internal Affairs – where he investigates allegations of corruption among other cops.
Although Roy ends up exonerating as many police officers as he takes down, the series projects an attitude that’s almost perversely anti-police.
Several episodes also focussed on Ernie’s growth as a cop, charting the lessons he learns from his mistakes and his acceptance or rejection of the examples set by various older cops.
The series was shot on location in New York City but took little advantage of the panorama of awesome cityscapes that give Naked City such visual richness, with the majority of the show taking place mainly on interior sets.
CBS ran unused episodes of Brenner in 1964 as a summer replacement.
Roy Brenner
Edward Binns Ernie Brenner
James Broderick Detective Steve Mason
Dick O’Neill Inspector Straud
Walter Greaza
Roy Brenner (Edward Binns) is a no-nonsense, seen-it-all plainclothes NYPD lieutenant, and his son Ernie (James Broderick) is a rookie beat cop in his first year on the force.
