Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1960s 3 Mins Read

    77 Sunset Strip

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 5 8 – 1 9 6 4 (USA)
    206 x 60 minute episodes

    77 Sunset Strip was the show that started the young, cool private detective craze of the early Sixties.

    This Warner Brothers series was so big that the studio had several clones of the show drawing big ratings for the networks well into the 1960s.

    On 77 Sunset Strip, former OSS officer and languages expert Stu Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and former undercover agent and non-practising attorney Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith) were the hip, swinging, martini-clutching private eyes that worked out of their office located at 77 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

    Their brand-new sports cars shared a driveway with a swinging nightspot called Dino’s Lodge, a rat pack type hangout that was an important source of trouble (and chicks) for the boys.

    Other series regulars were Roscoe (Louis Quinn), the racetrack informant that liked to hang out with the guys, and Suzanne (Jaqueline Beer), the detective agency’s sexy French receptionist.

    Parking the cars at Dino’s was Gerald Lloyd Kookson II (Edd Byrnes) – aka Kookie – who snapped his fingers in beatnik style all the way to genuine teen idol status. Hep talking Kookie wanted to help the guys solve crimes but rarely found time to do more than pose, thrust his hips and comb his hair.

    Kookie had his own way of talking: “That chick’s the ginchiest”, “A dark Seven” (a bad week), “Let’s peel from this gig”, and piling on some Z’s” (sleeping).

    Suddenly the nation’s teens all wanted to be like Kookie, and Byrnes and Connie Stevens had a huge hit song in 1958 with Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb (featured on the second episode).

    Edd Byrnes walked off 77 Sunset Strip during the second season, demanding a bigger part on the show and more money.

    He was replaced by Troy Donahue as a long-haired intellectual type that parked the cars for Dino’s. Producers eventually gave in, and Donahue was sent packing.

    By the third season, Kookie was back as a full partner in the detective agency.

    77sunset_826Replacing Kookie in the parking lot was J.R. Hale (Robert Logan), who also had his own language – he spoke in abbreviations, man.

    Rex Randolph (Richard Long) of Bourbon Street Beat – the least successful of the many cloned 77 Sunset Strip detective shows churned out by Warner Bros for the ABC network – also joined the agency for one season.

    The show was created by Roy Huggins as a segment for a show called Conflict. Huggins later wrote such classic television shows as The Rockford Files, Alias Smith and Jones, Maverick and The Fugitive.

    A radical change took place when the show entered its sixth season. The production was turned over to Jack Webb (Dragnet) and William Conrad (Cannon), who dumped all of the regulars except Stu Bailey.

    Stu left the glamorous surroundings of West Hollywood for a career pursuing international spy cases. Gone were Dino’s bar, the jazzy beatnik music and even the Sunset Strip itself. The tone of the show also changed, from goofy escapism to bleak, violent hard-boiled pulp.

    Abysmal ratings followed, and the show was cancelled in February 1964, with re-runs featuring the original cast playing out the summer.

    Stu Bailey
    Efrem Zimbalist Jr
    Jeff Spencer 

    Roger Smith
    Roscoe

    Louis Quinn
    Suzanne Fabray

    Jaqueline Beer
    Gerald Lloyd Kookson II (“Kookie”)

    Edd Byrnes
    Rex Randolph

    Richard Long
    J.R. Hale

    Robert Logan
    Lt. Gilmore 

    Byron Keith
    Hannah 

    Joan Staley

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Strange World of Gurney Slade, The
      Strange World of Gurney Slade, The
      1 9 6 0 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This weird and surreal ATV series starred singer Anthony Newley as…
    • Tenspeed & Brown Shoe
      Tenspeed & Brown Shoe
      1 9 8 0 (USA) 1 x 96 minute episode 10 x 60 minute episodes E L 'Tenspeed' Turner (Ben Vereen)…
    • Outsider, The
      Outsider, The
      1 9 6 8 - 1 9 6 9 (USA) 26 x 60 minute episodes This NBC crime drama series starred…
    • Hawaiian Eye
      Hawaiian Eye
      1 9 5 9 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) 134 x 60 minute episodes This private detective series from ABC…
    • D.A.'s Man, The
      D.A.'s Man, The
      1 9 5 9 (USA) 26 x 30 minute episodes Working as an undercover investigator for the New York City District…
    • Tab Hunter Show, The
      Tab Hunter Show, The
      1 9 6 0 - 1 9 6 1 (USA) 32 x 30 minute episodes This NBC sitcom featured Paul Morgan…
    • Roaring 20's, The
      Roaring 20's, The
      1 9 6 1 (USA) This drama series from ABC was set in the bootlegging days of the 1920s in New York…
    • Fair Exchange
      Fair Exchange
      1 9 6 2 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) 27 x 60/30 minute episodes Eddie Walker (vaudeville star Eddie Foy…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous Article26 Men
    Next Article Bomp!

    Comments are closed.

    A Labour of Love

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love for me since 1998.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small – to help me with the running costs of the site and ensure I can keep Nostalgia Central running for your entertainment and education.

    Thank you so much, and please enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Farm, The
      The band formed in Liverpool in 1983 and initially comprised […]
    • Posies, The
      Formed around the nucleus of Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, The […]
    • Illustrated Man, The (1968)
      Three of the stories from Ray Bradbury’s book The […]
    • Penetration
      In 1977, following exposure to The Sex Pistols, Penetration […]
    • LaserDisc
      In 1978, Phillips began selling the LaserDisc (abbreviated as […]
    • Bobby Freeman
      17-year-old Bobby Freeman was still at High School in San […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65006801 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Terry Hall: Coventry scooter ride-out pays tribute to singer

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Hundreds of people ride through Coventry on what would have been the singer's 64th birthday.
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    metro.co.uk/2023/03/13/the-whos-roger-daltrey-thinks-theres-no-point-releasing-an-album-18434779/ ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    The Who's Roger Daltrey thinks there's 'no point' releasing another album

    metro.co.uk

    Bad luck.
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64963359 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Sir Michael Caine's first Rolls Royce sells at Duxford for £120K

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The Italian Job actor hired a chauffeur to drive the 1968 Silver Shadow, with its doors still intact.
    7 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64900348 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The TV star, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Do you think she know it eas going to happen

    PlayTalk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay

    Talk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 7
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71.
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Guitarist Gary Rossington had survived a 1977 air crash that killed several of his bandmates.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    What a talented man. Lucky enough to see original band in concert. BRILLIANT.

    Rest in peace Dickie Davies. An absolute giant of British sports broadcasting.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Dickie Davies, World of Sport presenter, dies at 94

    www.theguardian.com

    The broadcaster became something of a cult figure after fronting the ITV show for 20 years
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Yes, one of the great presenters. R.I.P.

    For fans of the radio series Round The Horne (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty close to the edge, even by modern standards. Bona! 

https://open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA

    For fans of the radio series "Round The Horne" (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty "close to the edge", even by modern standards. Bona!

    open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    For those interested, the complete “Jules and Sandy” is available on Audible…

    Bona to vada your jolly old eek. Lovely riah....

    RIP the beautiful Stella Stevens, who has died at the age of 84.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Stella Stevens: Nutty Professor and Poseidon Adventure star dies at 84

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The co-star of Elvis Presley also worked in TV on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I.
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends. 

If they only knew what lay ahead . . .

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends.

    If they only knew what lay ahead . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 18
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    I always hated the Beatles, and as it happens I still do.

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Tag Cloud
    1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games British Invasion Britpop Bubblegum music Canada Civil rights Cold War Computer games Crime Disc Jockeys Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Folk rock Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen James Bond JFK Kraütrock Labels Madchester Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave New Zealand Nixon Northern Soul NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Politics Power Pop Prog rock Pub rock Punk Radio Reggae Rolling Stones Scotland Ska Ska revival Skiffle Soul music Space Race Sport Surf music Video games Vietnam war
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.