What a great 'time capsule'-like experience watching this interview. Conducted outdoors mid-day in bright southern California sunshine with a slight breeze adds to the setting [perhaps at the Sheraton Universal Hotel during a media day devoted to NBC's hyping the new season, 1969 - 70]. This is rather interesting to hear the very relaxed, yet insightful, Nielsen say at first he'd hoped the series, "The Bold Ones" 'The Protectors,' wouldn't sell. But on further reflection -- like on the chemistry between himself and co-lead Hari Rhodes when shooting the pilot -- he was pointed in the opposite direction, i.e., "do it!". Despite Nielsen's genuine enthusiasm, that's no doubt shared with Rhodes, they were screwed by Washington, D.C. and their own network, NBC, before they were even 'out of the gate.' As TV GUIDE reported in the summer of '69, NBC cut Universal's order to produce eight hours of "The Bold Ones" 'The Protectors' (i.e., cops) by two. The 'heat' from D.C. was at high levels for . . . eliminating TV violence which was (absurdly) blamed for desensitizing the public to real mayhem in the aftermath of the Kennedy and King assassinations and all the riots, spring '68. Shamefully the networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, didn't counter the blatant censorship, so for example NBC neutered the final season of its legendary shows, "Star Trek" and "The Virginian" -- moves made that declared that Outer Space and the Old West were included in the ranks of 'whipping boys.' So, the bold plan for "The Bold Ones" to present eight episodes each of 'The Protectors' and the other two elements of 'the wheel' in rotation, 'The Doctors' and 'The Lawyers,' a la NBC's trendsetter the previous season, "The Name of the Game," starring Gene Barry, Robert Stack and Tony Franciosa in rotation, was tweaked at Nielsen's and Rhodes' expense. The non-violent, sterile setting of the state-of-the-art David Craig Institute for New Medicine on 'The Doctors' was handed a prescription for two extra hours -- countering the aborting of two on 'The Protectors.' With the cutback and 'the sign of the times' it was nearly guaranteed: if "The Bold Ones" went to year two it would be minus 'The Protectors.' And that's precisely what happened. The irony of Hal Holbrook's 'The Senator' taking over 'The Protectors' vacated position is that his character, the left-of-center Senator Stowe, would have lead the charge to fight the bullying blame-game, this censorship. Just as Nielsen's studio mogul, John Bracken would have done when he joined "Bracken's World" for its second season. . . . Leslie pronounces Hari Rhodes like the traditional sounding 'Harry Rhodes,' yet on the main title for "The Bold Ones" the voice-over artist pronounces it as 'Hah-ree' -- with a soft 'a'. Since interviewer and Leslie both brought up his previous work I was hoping he'd reflect on his 1965 "Peyton Place" experience a few seasons prior where for part of two months he played a dual role -- Vincent and Kenneth Markham, twins, one of whom was a love interest for Mariette Hartley's physician character. Fortunately the entire run -- including his 18 half-hours -- is available for screening via RUclips. Definitely worth a look. As is 'The Protectors' element of NBC's 'wheel' (rotating titles) series, "The Bold Ones." As soon as it was available from Universal I bought the DVD set a few years ago. And having viewed the brief run I consider it a good investment and 'a keeper.' The season prior to "The Bold Ones" Nielsen 'came to the rescue' on the second season of NBC's "Bracken's World" [all about the intrigue and personalities at a major film and television studio) by way of being cast as John Bracken, the head of Century Pictures who was unseen the entire first season, but had the most elegant, efficient, beloved of secretaries, essayed by Eleanor Parker, for the first two-thirds of the debut season. 'Thank goodness' for RUclips and its ingenious contributors tracking down AND sharing prints / copies of this half-century old series, because like "Peyton Place," it's another 20th Century Fox property inexcusably not restored and distributed on DVD and Blu-ray for the home video market. For the curious who happen to be Nielsen fans stick to the available episodes from year two of "Bracken's World." Finally, in closing, a 'heads up' to "The Bobbie Wygant Archive" and viewer "T Demo" -- switch out the "o" for an "e" in his name, correctly spelled Nielsen.
@@Jesuisderetour88 Calling him drinker was a polite term. Calling him a drunk is more like it. I personally saw him drunker than a skunk several times. They guy was married 4-5 times and could not keep a relationship together, was nasty and abusive a good deal of the time in his older years. Here he was sober and decent.
What a great 'time capsule'-like experience watching this interview. Conducted outdoors mid-day in bright southern California sunshine with a slight breeze adds to the setting [perhaps at the Sheraton Universal Hotel during a media day devoted to NBC's hyping the new season, 1969 - 70].
This is rather interesting to hear the very relaxed, yet insightful, Nielsen say at first he'd hoped the series, "The Bold Ones" 'The Protectors,' wouldn't sell. But on further reflection -- like on the chemistry between himself and co-lead Hari Rhodes when shooting the pilot -- he was pointed in the opposite direction, i.e., "do it!".
Despite Nielsen's genuine enthusiasm, that's no doubt shared with Rhodes, they were screwed by Washington, D.C. and their own network, NBC, before they were even 'out of the gate.' As TV GUIDE reported in the summer of '69, NBC cut Universal's order to produce eight hours of "The Bold Ones" 'The Protectors' (i.e., cops) by two. The 'heat' from D.C. was at high levels for . . . eliminating TV violence which was (absurdly) blamed for desensitizing the public to real mayhem in the aftermath of the Kennedy and King assassinations and all the riots, spring '68. Shamefully the networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, didn't counter the blatant censorship, so for example NBC neutered the final season of its legendary shows, "Star Trek" and "The Virginian" -- moves made that declared that Outer Space and the Old West were included in the ranks of 'whipping boys.'
So, the bold plan for "The Bold Ones" to present eight episodes each of 'The Protectors' and the other two elements of 'the wheel' in rotation, 'The Doctors' and 'The Lawyers,' a la NBC's trendsetter the previous season, "The Name of the Game," starring Gene Barry, Robert Stack and Tony Franciosa in rotation, was tweaked at Nielsen's and Rhodes' expense. The non-violent, sterile setting of the state-of-the-art David Craig Institute for New Medicine on 'The Doctors' was handed a prescription for two extra hours -- countering the aborting of two on 'The Protectors.' With the cutback and 'the sign of the times' it was nearly guaranteed: if "The Bold Ones" went to year two it would be minus 'The Protectors.' And that's precisely what happened. The irony of Hal Holbrook's 'The Senator' taking over 'The Protectors' vacated position is that his character, the left-of-center Senator Stowe, would have lead the charge to fight the bullying blame-game, this censorship. Just as Nielsen's studio mogul, John Bracken would have done when he joined "Bracken's World" for its second season.
. . . Leslie pronounces Hari Rhodes like the traditional sounding 'Harry Rhodes,' yet on the main title for "The Bold Ones" the voice-over artist pronounces it as 'Hah-ree' -- with a soft 'a'. Since interviewer and Leslie both brought up his previous work I was hoping he'd reflect on his 1965 "Peyton Place" experience a few seasons prior where for part of two months he played a dual role -- Vincent and Kenneth Markham, twins, one of whom was a love interest for Mariette Hartley's physician character. Fortunately the entire run -- including his 18 half-hours -- is available for screening via RUclips. Definitely worth a look. As is 'The Protectors' element of NBC's 'wheel' (rotating titles) series, "The Bold Ones." As soon as it was available from Universal I bought the DVD set a few years ago. And having viewed the brief run I consider it a good investment and 'a keeper.'
The season prior to "The Bold Ones" Nielsen 'came to the rescue' on the second season of NBC's "Bracken's World" [all about the intrigue and personalities at a major film and television studio) by way of being cast as John Bracken, the head of Century Pictures who was unseen the entire first season, but had the most elegant, efficient, beloved of secretaries, essayed by Eleanor Parker, for the first two-thirds of the debut season. 'Thank goodness' for RUclips and its ingenious contributors tracking down AND sharing prints / copies of this half-century old series, because like "Peyton Place," it's another 20th Century Fox property inexcusably not restored and distributed on DVD and Blu-ray for the home video market. For the curious who happen to be Nielsen fans stick to the available episodes from year two of "Bracken's World."
Finally, in closing, a 'heads up' to "The Bobbie Wygant Archive" and viewer "T Demo" -- switch out the "o" for an "e" in his name, correctly spelled Nielsen.
This was a wonderful read. Thank you.
Remarkable seeing Leslie before his big break out in comedies like Police Squad and Airplane.
He's so funny in this interview 🤣
Always liked Mr. Nielson. Strong acting skills and turned out to be pretty darn good at comedy to boot! Talks like he had a lot of common sense too.
Same voice as a young man
It's Nielsen not Nielson.
Still waiting for the fart
He was a dramatic actor, who reinvented himself as a total goofball 😂😂😂
The marvelously talented and handsome Leslie Nielsen...a few years before he hit the bottle.
What do you mean? Was he a drinker?
@@Jesuisderetour88 Calling him drinker was a polite term. Calling him a drunk is more like it. I personally saw him drunker than a skunk several times. They guy was married 4-5 times and could not keep a relationship together, was nasty and abusive a good deal of the time in his older years. Here he was sober and decent.