The TV Series

Produced by: CBS / MGM

Length/Episodes: 7 episodes, 75 minutes each

Original Airdates: 9 October, 1973 to 19 February, 1974

Series Production Credits

Producer

William Read Woodfield

Executive Producer
Allan Balter

Music
Johnny Pate

Theme Music
Isaac Hayes

Developed for television by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter

Based on the character created by Ernest Tidyman

Regular Cast

John Shaft

Richard Roundtree

Lt Al Rossi

Ed Barth

Notes

The series ran as part of The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies in a 90-minute timeslot. It was rotated with the series Hawkins that starred James Stewart. The character of Shaft had to be toned down quite a bit for TV, but the odd flash of Roundtree's tougher movie portrayal came through every so often. In my view the best episodes were The Killing and The Kidnapping. The series was well made, although largely formulaic, and retained the Isaac Hayes theme from the original movie.

Episodes

The episodes are listed in order of transmission. I believe the actual shooting order was: The Kidnapping, Cop Killer, The Enforcers, Hit-Run, The Killing, The Capricorn Murders, Murder Machine. An interesting side note is that The Kidnapping featured a reprise of the helicopter chase from the end of Shaft's Big Score!

The Enforcers

The Killing

Hit-Run

The Kidnapping

Cop Killer

The Capricorn Murders

The Murder Machine

Producer	William Read Woodfield
Executive Producer	Allan Balter
Music	Johnny Pate
Theme Music	Isaac Hayes
Developed for television by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter
Based on the character created by Ernest Tidyman