Matt Helm (TV series)

Matt Helm was an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC from 1975 to 1976. It was based on the Matt Helm novels by Donald Hamilton, but significantly deviated from the source material.

The series starred Tony Franciosa as Matt Helm, a former secret agent who retired from the service to become a private investigator in Los Angeles. The television version of Helm was portrayed as a debonair and suave detective who enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle, a stark contrast to the more serious and gritty portrayal in the novels.

The show featured a recurring cast including Laraine Stephens as Claire Kronski, Helm's legal counsel and sometime romantic interest, and Gene Evans as Sergeant Hanrahan, a police detective who often worked with Helm.

The series ran for 13 episodes during its single season. Despite attempts to capture the audience with its action sequences and Franciosa's charisma, the show failed to resonate with viewers and was ultimately canceled. The television adaptation was generally considered to be a light-hearted and formulaic crime drama, lacking the depth and complexity of Hamilton's novels.