Watch Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen is an American mystery drama television series based on the fictional character Ellery Queen created by Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee. The series aired on NBC from September 11, 1975 to April 4, 1976 and starred Jim Hutton as the titular character. Set in New York City in the late 1940s, the show follows Ellery Queen, a mystery writer and amateur detective who helps his father, Inspector Richard Queen of the New York Police Department, solve baffling murder cases. Each episode involved an unusual murder being committed under strange circumstances. Ellery would invariably be at the scene of the crime, where he picked up on small clues and details that others missed. He would point out evidence and make deductions, usually challenging the viewer to solve the mystery themselves before the final reveal. His methodical approach and eye for detail allowed him to piece together how and why the murder was committed.

Inspector Queen provided an official police presence during the investigations. He respected his son's crime-solving skills, though at times grew frustrated by Ellery meddling in police business. The father-son dynamic provided an extra layer of warmth and humanity to the mysteries. The crimes challenged Ellery intellectually, while his relationship with his father added heart.

The show had a rotating group of supporting characters and guest stars. Sergeants Velie and Thomas were regular police detectives assisting Inspector Queen. Frank Flannigan was Ellery's streetwise young assistant who provided help around town. Simon Brimmer was a rival detective and mystery author, whose arrogance created conflict with Ellery but also helped drive Ellery to solve the case first.

Each episode followed a similar structure - the crime is committed, Ellery is brought in to consult, initial suspects are interrogated, Ellery finds clues the police missed, false leads are followed, Ellery eventually gathers all the suspects together to reveal the killer and motive. This formula allowed the writers to come up with increasingly clever mysteries each week for Ellery to untangle.

The show had a unique device where Ellery would break the fourth wall and turn to the audience near the end of the episode to recap the key clues and evidence from the case. He would ask viewers to think through the information themselves and try to determine whodunit before he revealed the killer. This engaged audiences and turned the show into more of an interactive mystery game.

While centered around murder, the show maintained a family-friendly tone. Creators avoided excessive violence, foul language and adult situations that were common in other crime dramas of the era. Murder was treated as an intellectual puzzle rather than a gritty, sensational crime. This allowed viewers of all ages to enjoy matching wits with Ellery Queen each week.

In summary, Ellery Queen was an entertaining 1970s mystery series combining classic whodunit storytelling with lovable characters and interactive audience engagement. The show used creative mysteries and an unconventional crime-solver to sustain interest across its 23 episode run. Though it only lasted one season, Ellery Queen was an influential series that helped shape television detective shows for decades to come.