MacGruder and Loud
Encyclopedia
MacGruder and Loud is an American crime drama from Aaron Spelling
Productions that aired on ABC
in 1985.
The series starred John Getz
and Kathryn Harrold
as married police officers Malcolm MacGruder and Jenny Loud in a Los Angeles Police Department
-styled police agency (where strict anti-fraternization policies were in effect). They fought a battle every day to keep it a closely guarded secret from their boss, Sgt. Hanson (played by veteran actor Lee de Broux).
Malcolm and Jenny lived in a duplex-type apartment complex where there was a secret door behind the grandfather clock in her apartment, where Malcolm could sneak in and enjoy her company.
This was one of the few failures from Aaron Spelling's production company in its history, since it was picked by ABC to debut right after the Super Bowl
in 1985, resulting in high ratings at first, but after that the ratings declined quickly, hence the series was cancelled three months into its run, after ranking 40th out of 104 programs that aired that season with an average 15.76 household rating, according to TVTango.com.
Since is was set to follow the Super Bowl, it was highly promoted by very frequent commercials during the game; prompting Johnny Carson to ask during his monologue on the Tonight Show the following night, "Did you see that new show, 'Often and Loud?'"
The series was rushed into production by ABC in order to capitalize on the popularity of another crime drama at that time, Cagney and Lacey (which aired on CBS
).
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
Productions that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in 1985.
The series starred John Getz
John Getz
-Personal life:Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley. He began acting while attending the University of Iowa, where he helped found the Center for New Performing Arts...
and Kathryn Harrold
Kathryn Harrold
-Background:Harrold was born in Tazewell, Virginia. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California, majoring in Drama.-Television:She has appeared in a number of TV series, including The Rockford Files, MacGruder and Loud, The Bronx Zoo, I'll Fly Away, The Larry Sanders Show, and Mister...
as married police officers Malcolm MacGruder and Jenny Loud in a Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
-styled police agency (where strict anti-fraternization policies were in effect). They fought a battle every day to keep it a closely guarded secret from their boss, Sgt. Hanson (played by veteran actor Lee de Broux).
Malcolm and Jenny lived in a duplex-type apartment complex where there was a secret door behind the grandfather clock in her apartment, where Malcolm could sneak in and enjoy her company.
This was one of the few failures from Aaron Spelling's production company in its history, since it was picked by ABC to debut right after the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
in 1985, resulting in high ratings at first, but after that the ratings declined quickly, hence the series was cancelled three months into its run, after ranking 40th out of 104 programs that aired that season with an average 15.76 household rating, according to TVTango.com.
Since is was set to follow the Super Bowl, it was highly promoted by very frequent commercials during the game; prompting Johnny Carson to ask during his monologue on the Tonight Show the following night, "Did you see that new show, 'Often and Loud?'"
The series was rushed into production by ABC in order to capitalize on the popularity of another crime drama at that time, Cagney and Lacey (which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
).