Film noir was really a movie style until Peter Gunn. And PG brought it to the small screen. I was 11 when PG premiered and knew nothing of film noir. Our city had two broadcast channels and no cable TV. My friends and I in the school band mostly noted the Henry Mancini music. I transcribed a simple version of the theme, and our little Jr High talent show group won over a superior-but less pop musical group playing "Put Your Head on My Shoulder".
Now that I'm old but not dead, I've rediscovered Peter Gunn on Amazon. For years a fan of film noir, I was blown away by the pilot episode. Holy cow! 1958 was at or near the end of classic film noir, yet PG may be one of the best of the genre and probably the only film noir TV series. Unlike most TV and a lot of movies of the time, PG's outdoor night scenes were actually shot at night! Like others here, I think it could have been better as a one hour show, as it's a major challenge to tell a whole dramatic story in a half hour program. OTOH, this series is a great way to introduce your millennial friends to film noir. 25 minutes almost fits their attention span. Next thing you know, they'll be looking up The Big Sleep and the Maltese Falcon.
Now that I'm old but not dead, I've rediscovered Peter Gunn on Amazon. For years a fan of film noir, I was blown away by the pilot episode. Holy cow! 1958 was at or near the end of classic film noir, yet PG may be one of the best of the genre and probably the only film noir TV series. Unlike most TV and a lot of movies of the time, PG's outdoor night scenes were actually shot at night! Like others here, I think it could have been better as a one hour show, as it's a major challenge to tell a whole dramatic story in a half hour program. OTOH, this series is a great way to introduce your millennial friends to film noir. 25 minutes almost fits their attention span. Next thing you know, they'll be looking up The Big Sleep and the Maltese Falcon.