SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 22:00 Min.
First airing on September 30, 1995, this episode of the Canadian syndicated TV series was directed by Jon Cassar off Dave Cole’s script.
At a downtown church, journalist Frank (Gray) and computer ace Joe (Popowich) Hardy serve as the best man and wedding photographer for their friend: Tommy (Small), a local news vendor. Yet, Tommy inexplicably no-shows the wedding and has seemingly dropped from sight.
The Hardys promise his worried fiancée, Anita (Clarke), that they will find Tommy. Following clues from Tommy’s newsstand, Frank & Joe’s investigation uncovers his long-suppressed former life as a jazz musician. More so, after serving decades in prison, an elderly mobster (Tager) is now shadowing the Hardys. He, too, wants to find Tommy, as they evidently have a personal old score to settle.
Cast:
Frank Hardy: Colin K. Gray
Joe Hardy: Paul Popowich
Anita: Norma Clarke
Tommy (Carter): Ron Small
Jimmy: Aron Tager
Jordan: Karen LeBlanc
Pawnbroker: Ellen-Ray Hennessy
Bartender: Robbie Rox
Wedding Guests: Uncredited
Priest: Uncredited
Nightclub Patrons: Uncredited
Pedestrians: Uncredited
Flashbacks: Uncredited.
Notes: There are sporadic hints that the series was filmed in Canada (i.e. a close-up of a license plate). Reminiscent of their 1970’s incarnations, the show was produced in tandem with a Nancy Drew TV series – likewise, it wasn’t long for this world. Both single-season series only ran for thirteen episodes and were effectively canceled the same night: December 16, 1995.
REVIEW:
Despite its limitations, this obviously low-budget episode makes for some passable viewing. While competently directed, the episode’s flimsy plot is something of a letdown for stars Colin K. Gray and Paul Popowich. They simply don’t get much of a mystery conveying that they are ‘The Hardy Boys,’ as opposed to some unremarkable, twenty-something amateur detective duo. Among this cast, only guest star Karen LeBlanc makes a vivid impression in her minimal screen time.
Still, “Jazzman” delivers a watchable, all-ages caper to sample this mid-90’s revival of The Hardy Boys.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
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