McMillan and Wife
Encyclopedia
McMillan & Wife is a lighthearted American
crime drama series
that aired on NBC
from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson
and Susan Saint James
in the title role
s, the series premiered in 90-minute episodes as part of the wheel series
NBC Mystery Movie
, in rotation with Columbo and McCloud. Initially airing on Wednesday night, the original line-up was shifted to Sundays in the second season, where it aired for the rest of its run.
) and his attractive, bright, but slightly daffy twentyish wife Sally (Susan Saint James
). Often, the storylines featured Mac and Sally attending fashionable parties and charity benefits before solving robberies and murders. John Schuck
appeared as Sgt. Charles Enright and Nancy Walker
was Mildred, the couple's maid, both characters serving as comic relief.
paper towels). Mac also got a new apartment and a new housekeeper, Agatha (Martha Raye
), who was Mildred's sister as well as a new police aide, Sgt. DiMaggio (Richard Gilliland
), as Schuck also left for his own series. The new format was not a success and McMillan was cancelled after six episodes were broadcast.
released the first season of McMillan & Wife on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 in 2005/2006.
On May 21, 2010, Visual Entertainment
announced it had acquired the rights to distribute McMillan & Wife on DVD in Region 1. They subsequently released seasons 2 & 3 in Canada and the US. Seasons 4 and 5 were released in the US on July 5, 2011, with the sixth and final season followed on September 20, 2011. It is unknown when the remaining seasons will be released in Canada. All US releases are being distributed by Millennium Entertainment
.
VEI plans to release a complete series box set in the US in the future. This 21-disc set will features all 40 episodes of the series.
In Region 4, Madman Entertainment
has released the first five seasons on DVD in Australia. Season 5 was released on October 19, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
crime drama series
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
and Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-Early life:...
in the title role
Title role
The title role in the performing arts is the performance part that gives the title to the piece, as in Aida, Giselle, Michael Collins or Othello. The actor, singer or dancer who performs that part is also said to have the title role....
s, the series premiered in 90-minute episodes as part of the wheel series
Wheel series
A wheel series is a term applied in the broadcast television industry to a television program in which two or more regular series are rotated with the same time slot...
NBC Mystery Movie
NBC Mystery Movie
The NBC Mystery Movie is the general name of an American television series, produced by Universal Studios, that was broadcast by NBC from 1971-77...
, in rotation with Columbo and McCloud. Initially airing on Wednesday night, the original line-up was shifted to Sundays in the second season, where it aired for the rest of its run.
Plot
McMillan & Wife revolved around a fortyish San Francisco police commissioner, Stewart McMillan (Rock HudsonRock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
) and his attractive, bright, but slightly daffy twentyish wife Sally (Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-Early life:...
). Often, the storylines featured Mac and Sally attending fashionable parties and charity benefits before solving robberies and murders. John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
appeared as Sgt. Charles Enright and Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
was Mildred, the couple's maid, both characters serving as comic relief.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Rock Hudson Rock Hudson Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",... |
Stewart "Mac" McMillan |
| Susan Saint James Susan Saint James Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-Early life:... |
Sally Hull McMillan |
| John Schuck John Schuck Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster... |
Sergeant Charles Enright |
| Nancy Walker Nancy Walker Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director... |
Mildred |
| Martha Raye Martha Raye Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television.... |
Agatha |
| Bill Quinn Bill Quinn Bill Quinn was an American actor.Quinn appeared in more than 150 acting roles starting in the 20's in silent films and ending in the digital age in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He is best remembered as Archie's blind friend, Mr... |
Police Chief Paulson |
| Mildred Natwick Mildred Natwick Mildred Natwick was an American stage and film actress.- Early life :A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born to Joseph and Mildred Marion Dawes Natwick. She graduated from the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore... |
Beatrice McMillan |
| Linda Watkins Linda Watkins Linda Watkins was an actress in theater, motion pictures, and television. She was born Linda Mathews Watkins in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Gardiner and Elizabeth R. Watkins.-Theatrical actress:... |
Emily Hull |
| Donna Mills Donna Mills Donna Mills is an American actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing.-Early years:... |
Laura |
| Richard Gilliland Richard Gilliland Richard Gilliland is an American television and movie actor.Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He appeared onscreen in the 1970s. Notable appearances include Thirtysomething, Party of Five, Little Women, and a recurring role on Designing Women... |
Sergeant Steve DiMaggio |
| Gloria Stroock Gloria Stroock Gloria Stroock was an American film and television actress who was born in New York City. The older sister of actress Geraldine Brooks, Stroock was best known for her supporting role in the television series McMillan & Wife as Maggie, the secretary of lead character Stewart McMillan... |
Maggie |
| Maudie Prickett | Mrs. Chandler |
| Connie Sawyer | Mrs. Goodbody |
Episodes
Popularity
Like the other two original shows in the NBC Mystery Movie, McMillan & Wife was an immediate hit. After its network run on NBC, it appeared regularly in the form of syndicated reruns on local and cable television in the United States.Cast and series name change
Due to a contract dispute between Saint James and the studio, the character of Sally (and their never seen, sometimes mentioned son) was killed off in an airplane crash during the fifth season. With one of the main characters missing, the show was retooled and renamed McMillan. Other cast changes included the departure of the Mildred character who left Mac's employment to run a diner (actress Nancy Walker left to star in her own sitcom but the "diner" reference was an inside joke meant to evoke her then-popular commercials on behalf of BountyBounty (brand)
Bounty is a paper towel product manufactured by Procter & Gamble in the United States. It was introduced in 1965.- Sale of British rights :...
paper towels). Mac also got a new apartment and a new housekeeper, Agatha (Martha Raye
Martha Raye
Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
), who was Mildred's sister as well as a new police aide, Sgt. DiMaggio (Richard Gilliland
Richard Gilliland
Richard Gilliland is an American television and movie actor.Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He appeared onscreen in the 1970s. Notable appearances include Thirtysomething, Party of Five, Little Women, and a recurring role on Designing Women...
), as Schuck also left for his own series. The new format was not a success and McMillan was cancelled after six episodes were broadcast.
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released the first season of McMillan & Wife on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 in 2005/2006.
On May 21, 2010, Visual Entertainment
Visual Entertainment
Visual Entertainment Inc. is a home video/television distribution company that is based in Toronto, Ontario Canada. It is an independent label but has managed to release quite a few well-known TV series on DVD.-Children:* The Big Adventure Series...
announced it had acquired the rights to distribute McMillan & Wife on DVD in Region 1. They subsequently released seasons 2 & 3 in Canada and the US. Seasons 4 and 5 were released in the US on July 5, 2011, with the sixth and final season followed on September 20, 2011. It is unknown when the remaining seasons will be released in Canada. All US releases are being distributed by Millennium Entertainment
Millennium Entertainment
Led by CEO Bill Lee, Millennium Entertainment is a leading independent supplier that acquires and distributes feature films, television series and specialty programming...
.
VEI plans to release a complete series box set in the US in the future. This 21-disc set will features all 40 episodes of the series.
In Region 4, Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
has released the first five seasons on DVD in Australia. Season 5 was released on October 19, 2011.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 (US) | Region 1 (CAN) | Region 4 | ||
| Season One | 8 | August 9, 2005 | April 19, 2010 | |
| Season Two | 7 | June 7, 2011 | August 24, 2010 | September 15, 2010 |
| Season Three | 6 | June 7, 2011 | March 8, 2011 | March 16, 2011 |
| Season Four | 6 | July 5, 2011 | TBA | July 20, 2011 |
| Season Five | 7 | July 5, 2011 | TBA | October 19, 2011 |
| Season Six | 6 | September 20, 2011 | TBA | TBA |
| Complete Series | 40 | TBA | TBA | N/A |