Anne Francis won a Golden Globe in 1966 as Best TV Star-Female. This Aaron Spelling produced private eye show wasn’t the best of the lot but Anne Francis was perfect as the glamorous judo expert P.I. John Ericson is her partner Sam Bolt. She has a pet ocelot named Bruce.
Opening episode: “The Swingin’ Mrs. Jones” w/Ray Danton – Honey is making a blackmail payoff of fifty grand. She surprises the two men by pulling a gun. Then she’s surprised when a third man knocks her out. Determined to stop the group that victimizes middle aged women she and Sam go undercover at a hotel.
Honey poses as the rich Mrs.Jones and Sam is the obnoxious swinger Touch Carstairs. Doesn’t take long for Sonny (Ray Danton) to notice her. Honey keeps in touch with Sam via a speaker in her sun glasses and a few other gadgets. Sonny is the head of the blackmail ring. A hotel waiter is another member.
Sonny makes a deal with Sam to have his picture taken with Mrs.Jones. It’ll be used to blackmail her since she wouldn’t want Mr.Jones to find out what she was up to. The waiter brings her a newspaper. The front page shows the picture of a murdered man. It was one of the men at the blackmail pickup.
A private detective tells Sonny they have trouble. He looks out the window at Mrs.Jones and informs Sonny she’s actually Honey West and Touch is really Sam Bolt.. Sonny along with his mother, the hotel’s masseuse, realize Honey will have to be taken care of along with Sam. Honey knows the right earrings to wear.
Final episode: “An Eerie, Airy Thing” w/Ken Lynch. Written by Richard Levinson and William Link. – Gordon Forbes, an old Marine buddy of Sam’s is on the ledge outside his hotel room. He’s threatening to jump unless his wife shows up. Forbes says she kicked him out that morning because of heavy gambling debts.
Honey tells Sam she’ll go to Forbes house and get his wife. While she’s at the front door she hears two gunshots. Inside she spots a car tearing out of the driveway. Mrs.Forbes is on the floor….dead. Honey goes to the Sunset Club. Gordon owes them twenty grand.
The owner says Gordon and his wife have been in there a lot. He says she’s a nice looking brunette. Honey tells him that’s interesting because Mrs.Forbes was a blonde. A picture was taken of Gordon and his babe and Honey goes back to the hotel.
The manager Mr.Rush (Jan Arvan) recognizes her but can’t recall her name. Sam thinks he’s seen her but can’t remember where. Sam tells Lt.Barney Keller (Ken Lynch) to take over talking to Gordon. Sam and Honey show the picture to a TV camerman outside. He says she’s Connie Phillips, a TV weather girl.
Honey goes to the station but Connie doesn’t want to help and manages to evade her. Honey calls Sam and they head for Connie’s apartment. Sam gets there first as Connie is packing. Sam puts the TV on so she can see Gordon is still on the ledge. That gives Connie a chance to pull a gun on him. She didn’t count on Honey to be there with a gun of her own.
It comes to a plot twist ending. Levinson and Link went on to create “Colombo” and “Murder She Wrote.”
