Shark Bytes

The pilot with Dennis Cole as Cash Conniver (tag line: "Cash makes no enemies") was the best of the series, but overall an enjoyable show. Jaff Cable's (William Shatner) "master of disguise" gimmick got old early on, and was downplayed as the series progressed, with the result being a typical crime drama with the twist that Conniver has to help Cable because Cable knows enough about Cash's dealings to send him to prison. Sort of "The Wild Wild West" meets "It Takes a Thief", if you will... One other interesting thing about the Barbary Coast is seeing Richard Kiel (he plays Moose, the Barbary Coast's barker/bouncer) playing a realistic human being type role for a change. You might find it surprising, but Kiel was actually quite good when he didn't have to wear a mouth full of metal teeth...

Unfortunately, other than some good guest appearances on shows like Columbo, William Shatner never again reached the peak he hit in the early episodes of Star Trek once that classic show was cancelled. Having said that, Barbary Coast was a decent program and Shatner did a fairly good job on it. Similar to the Wild, Wild, West, the show was entertaining and compared to the garbage that we see broadcast today, it was certainly more memorable.

A previous poster says Dennis Cole replaced Doug McClure. Actually, it was the other way around. Dennis Cole played Cash Connover in the pilot movie (directed by Bill Bixby) but was replaced by McClure for the series. Presumably, McClure was a bigger name because of his long run on "The Virginian". This series was created by talented writer-director Douglas Heyes, who had done memorable episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and "Thriller", the movie "Kitten With a Whip" with Ann-Margaret,the movie "Beau Geste" with Doug McClure, the TV movie "The Loneliest Profession", and the mini-series "Captains and Kings". Heyes had also created the 1971 series "Bearcats" with Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole. Heyes may have been trying to rework the "Bearcats" concept with this series. It also bore some resemblance to "The Wild, Wild, West". Heyes must have enjoyed working with Cole on "Bearcats" to cast him again in "Barbary Coast". Heyes had also worked previously with Shatner in the "Thriller" episode "The Hungry Glass".

When Doug McClure was replaced by Dennis Cole, a Ted McGinley look-alike.