View source for Terry and the Pirates (TV series)

{{Infobox television
| image              = John Baer Terry Pirates television.JPG
| image_size         = 200
| caption            = John Baer as Terry Lee.
| genre              = [[Adventure (genre)|Adventure]]
| writer             = Frank Burt<br />[[Milton Caniff]]<br />[[Oliver Crawford]]<br />Norman S. Hall<br />Arthur Pierson<br />[[Lou Rusoff]]<br />Barney A. Sarecky
| director           = [[Lew Landers]]<br />[[Arthur Pierson (director)|Arthur Pierson]]
| starring           = [[John Baer (actor)|John Baer]]<br />Jack Reitze<br />[[William Tracy]]<br />[[Sandra Spence]]<br />[[Gloria Saunders]]
| country            = United States
| language           = English
| num_seasons        = 1
| num_episodes       = 18
| list_episodes      =
| executive_producer = H. Alexander MacDonald
| producer           = Warren Lewis
| editor             = Robert Golden<br />Maurice Wright
| cinematography     = William E. Snyder
| runtime            = 30 mins.
| channel            = [[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]]
| first_aired        = {{start date|1953|6|26}}
| last_aired         = {{end date|1953|11|21}} 
}}

'''''Terry and the Pirates''''' is an American [[Adventure (genre)|adventure series]] based on [[Milton Caniff]]'s [[Terry and the Pirates (comic strip)|comic strip]] that was telecast from June 26 to November 21, 1953. The [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] series ran for 18&nbsp;episodes and was produced by Don Sharpe Enterprises.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://free-classic-tv-shows.com/Adventure/Terry-and-the-Pirates/1953-s1-ep01-Macao-Gold/index.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102321/http://free-classic-tv-shows.com/Adventure/Terry-and-the-Pirates/1953-s1-ep01-Macao-Gold/index.php|archive-date=2016-03-04|title=Watch and download the Terry and the Pirates tv show|access-date=2023-08-09}}</ref> [[Canada Dry]] Ginger Ale was the show's original sponsor.

A version of ''Terry and the Pirates'' debuted on [[WNYW|WABD-TV]] in New York City on November 25, 1952, broadcast on alternate Tuesdays at 7:30&nbsp;p.m. Dougfair Productions was the packager, and Official Films was the distributor. Dick Irving was the director, and John and Gwen Bagni were the writers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Local Station Activity |url=https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele25ross/page/n200/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=April 8, 2022 |work=Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index |date=November 23, 1952 |page=3}}</ref>

==Overview==
[[USAAF]] Colonel Terry Lee [[John Baer (actor)|(John Baer)]] heads to the [[Far East]] to locate a [[gold mine]] he inherited from his grandfather. Once in the Orient, Lee becomes a pilot with Air Cathay, a cargo and passenger airline owned and operated by the cunning Chopstick Joe (Jack Reitzen), who is not always honest. His friend and co-pilot is Charles C. Charles, aka Hotshot Charlie ([[William Tracy]], who had played Terry Lee in the 1940 serial ''[[Terry and the Pirates (serial)|Terry and the Pirates]]''), while the [[romantic interest]] is provided by the attractive blonde Burma ([[Sandra Spence]]). Lee has several encounters in thirteen episodes with his beautiful and mysterious nemesis, Lai Choi San, aka The Dragon Lady ([[Gloria Saunders]]).<ref name="Woolery">{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series |date=1985 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1651-2 |pages=503–504}}</ref>

In the pilot episode, "Macao Gold", Chopstick Joe was portrayed by [[Jack Kruschen]] and Burma was played by [[Mari Blanchard]].{{Citation needed |date=July 2023}}

==Production==
In 1951, [[Sam Katzman]] obtained the film rights to the comic strip from [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr]] but no film resulted.<ref>{{Cite news|title=FOX MOVIE STUDIO SUSPENDS GRABLE: Actress' Refusal to Appear in 'Girl Next Door' Leads to Action--Film Starts July 1|author=THOMAS F. BRADY|date=May 2, 1951|work=New York Times|page=49}}</ref>

Twenty-six episodes were filmed using the RKO-Pathe facilities.<ref name=st>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987' |date=1989 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |isbn=0-7864-1198-8 |page=45}}</ref>

==Home media==
In 2007, Alpha Home Entertainment released four DVD sets of the episodes. Packaged with four episodes per Volume there are only sixteen of the eighteen. Episode 17 ("Overseer") and 18 ("The Diamond Maker") were not included. The episodes are not compiled in any order. The sets have been available from resellers on the internet.<ref>Amazon.com</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Terry and the Pirates (comic strip)]]''
* ''[[Terry and the Pirates (radio serial)]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0187669|title=Terry and the Pirates}}

{{Terry and the Pirates}}

[[Category:1953 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1953 American television series endings]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:1950s American drama television series]]
[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States]]
[[Category:Television shows based on comic strips]]
[[Category:American aviation television series]]
[[Category:American adventure television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Terry and the Pirates]]
[[Category:Television series about pirates]]
[[Category:Fiction about inheritances]]
[[Category:Television shows based on American comics]]


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