Series Description

Switch was a 60 minute detective action/drama series with a comedy twist on CBS with some similarity to the hit series, "Mission Impossible". A former police detective named Frank McBride teemed up with a con artist named Pete Ryan that he had sent off to prison years earlier and together they formed a private detective agency. The combination of their unique talents allowed them to con criminals into turning themselves in to police or disclosing where they had hidden their illgotten gains. Just like on Mission Impossible, the bad guys were tricked into thinking that they were in so much danger that they needed to surrender for their safety or they were convinced that there was a good reason to bring their loot out of hiding. Restaurant owner Malcolm Argos often assisted them using his talents as a master of diguise, yet another similarity to Mission Impossible.

Switch Cast

Robert Wagner .... Peterson "Pete" T. Ryan
Eddie Albert .... Frank MacBride
Sharon Gless .... Maggie Philbin
Charlie Callas .... Malcolm Argos
Ken Swofford .... Lieutenant Griffin (Season 1)
Richard X. Slattery .... Lieutenant Modeer (Season 1)
William Bryant .... Lieutenant Shilton (Seasons 2-3)
Mindi Miller .... Revel (Season 3)
James Hong .... Wang (Season 3)

Switch Trivia

While there were many similarities to Mission Impossible, Switch was actually inspired by the 1973 film, "The Sting" starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The series has also often been compared to "The Rockford Files".

Robert Wagner ("Hart to Hart") and Eddie Albert ("Green Acres") just might be two of the greatest stars of all times when it comes to combining action and drama with comedy. These talents made Switch interesting because not only could audiences enjoy the intriguing way in which the bad guys were deceived but they also got a few laughs out of it!

Robert Wagner's wife at the time, "Natalie Wood" made two short appearances on Switch in the episodes, "The Cruise Ship Murders" and "The Cage".

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

TV Pilot Movie

Las Vegas Roundabout (3/21/1975)

Switch - The First Season

1. The James Caan Con (9/9/1975)
2. The Late Show Murders (9/16/1975)
3. The Old Diamond Game (9/23/1975)
4. Stung from Beyond (9/30/1975)
5. The Deadly Missiles Caper (10/7/1975)
6. The Man Who Couldn't Lose (10/14/1975)
7. Death Heist (10/21/1975)
8. The Body At The Bottom (11/4/1975)
9. The Cruise Ship Murders (11/11/1975)
10. Kiss of Death (11/25/1975)
11. Death By Resurrection (12/2/1975)
12. The Cold War Con (12/9/1975)
13. Through The Past Deadly (12/16/1975)
14. Mistresses, Murder And Millions (12/23/1975)
15. The Walking Bomb (1/6/1976)
16. Ain't Nobody Here Named Barney (1/13/1976)
17. Come Die with Me (1/27/1976)
18. One of Our Zeppelins Is Missing (2/10/1976)
19. Before the Holocaust (2/17/1976)
20. Big Deal in Paradise (2/24/1976)
21. The Case of the Purloined Case (3/2/1976)
22. The Girl on the Golden Strip (3/16/1976)
23. Round Up the Usual Suspects (3/23/1976)
24. Death Squad (4/6/1976)

25. The Pirates Of Tin Pan Alley (9/21/1976)
26. The Twelfth Commandment (9/28/1976)
27. Fleece of Snow (10/5/1976)
28. The Argonaut Special (10/12/1976)
29. The Things That Belong to Mickey Costello (10/19/1976)
30. Quicker Than the Eye (11/9/1976)
31. Gaffing the Skim (11/16/1976)
32. The Lady from Liechtenstein - Part 1 (11/23/1976)
33. The Lady from Liechtenstein - Part 2 (11/30/1976)
34. Switch Hitter (12/7/1976)
35. Maggie's Hero (12/14/1976)
36. The Hundred Thousand Ruble Rumble (12/21/1976)
37. Portraits of Death (1/4/1977)
38. The Snitch (1/16/1977)
39. Eyewitness (1/23/1977)
40. Camera Angles (1/30/1977)
41. Butterfly Mourning (2/6/1977)
42. The Four Horsemen (2/13/1977)
43. Eden's Gate (2/20/1977)
44. The Hemline Heist (2/27/1977)
45. Three For The Money (3/6/1977)
46. Two On The Run (3/13/1977)
47. Whatever Happened to Carol Harmony? (3/27/1977)
48. Heritage of Death (4/3/1977)

49. Net Loss (9/23/1977)
50. Downshift (9/30/1977)
51. Legend Of The Macunas - Part 1 (10/21/1977)
52. Legend of the Macunas - Part 2 (10/21/1977)
53. Fade Out (11/4/1977)
54. Dancer (12/5/1977)
55. Go For Broke (12/12/1977)
56. Lady Of The Deep (12/19/1977)
57. Thirty Thousand Witnesses (12/26/1977)
58. Dangerous Curves (1/2/1978)
59. The Death Tong (1/9/1978)
60. Who Killed Lila Craig? (1/16/1978)
61. Three Blond Mice (1/30/1978)
62. Coronado Circle (2/7/1978)
63. Stolen Island (aka Death Island) (3/28/1978)
64. Formula For Murder (4/28/1978)
65. Blue Crusaders Reunion (5/5/1978)
66. Mexican Standoff (5/5/1978)
67. Play Off (6/18/1978)
68. The Cage (6/25/1978)
69. Photo Finish (7/2/1978)
70. The Siege At The Bouziki Bar (7/9/1978)