Most Wanted Pilot (1976–1977) Online

This made-for-TV effort, (complete with appropriate moments for commercial insertions), is to today's "C.S.I." and "Law and Order" series what "Adam-12" was to "Hill Street Blues." It's not so much bad as just thin, bland, and undistinguished. Since the killer's identity is revealed in the opening scene, there's not much suspense or mystery involved, and the use of nuns as victims of a serial killer seems merely like a distasteful ploy for ratings. The means by which the police catch the killer lack flair and ingenuity.

There is some interest in seeing a young Tom Selleck playing support to Robert Stack but he spends most of the show with a faintly dazed expression on his face as if he's a misplaced "Playgirl" centerfold wondering if now is the moment when he should start taking his clothes off. Alas, he never does.

Still, Selleck almost looks good compared to the miscast actor who plays the tough, street-smart undercover cop. This guy looks like a C.P.A. who got off the elevator on the wrong floor!

One early example of TV's treatment of a sensitive subject that became more popular in the 90's. The film follows the efforts of a police task force trying to catch a serial killer who preys on nuns. Robert Stack seems stuck in his "Elliot Ness" persona, with a few extraneous personal details thrown in to make the "Evers" character seem unique. The plot is better than the characterization. The members of Evers' task force include a pre-Magnum Tom Selleck, and although efforts are made to bring them to life, there simply isn't enough time. The subject matter is handled very carefully, but this is an adult film and is part of the genre that includes the works of Thomas Harris and the recent deluge of "Cops After Heinous Serial Killer" films. Considering its place in history, I'd rate it 7 out of 10. One wonders if it wasn't originally conceived as a pilot for a new series. It would have been ahead of its time.