Years before anyone ever heard of CSI or NCIS, there was The FBI. Starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., this TV series ran for an impressive nine seasons and 240 episodes on ABC. While the Law & Order franchise has become well-known for featuring stories “ripped from the headlines,” The FBI’s scripts were mostly based on actual bureau cases that were supplied to the production team by J. Edgar Hoover himself.
The beloved program is finally being released on DVD, exclusively as part of the Warner Archives program. Part one of the first season (the first 16 episodes) is available now for $39.95 on four DVDs. Guest stars on these installments include Robert Blake, Beau Bridges, Dabney Colemen, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman, Leslie Nielsen, and Burt Reynolds. If there’s enough interest in this initial offering, hopefully additional sets will be forthcoming.
Thanks to the folks at Warners, I recently had a chance to chat with Zimbalist. At 92 years old, this veteran actor is still as sharp as a tack and a big supporter of the real FBI agents and the law enforcement agency.
