Target: The Corruptors!


Target: The Corruptors! is an American crime drama series starring Stephen McNally that aired on ABC from September 29, 1961 to September 21, 1962, from 10 to 11 p.m. on Fridays. The Navy Motion Picture Service also made some episodes available on 16 mm film for showing aboard ship to personnel of the United States Navy. The series's title in syndication was Expose.

Plot

Paul Marino is a newspaper columnist, and Jack Flood is his assistant. Together they investigate criminal activity and expose organized rackets and corruption. In each episode they probe a different type of illegal activity such as bookmaking, charity scams, prostitution, and protection rackets.
The New York Times wrote that the first episode "indicated that the stress here may be more on violence and sensationalism than on the social phenomenon under study."
Lester Velie, one of the series's creators, said that the program was an attempt to make a different kind of series for television, one that combined "the resources of investigative journalism with the drama of television". He added that involving viewers in contemporary situations that affected people's lives would be a unique approach for a dramatic series. After the show ended, Velie had no explanation for its cancellation by ABC, especially considering its high Nielsen ratings.

Cast

Main cast

The series was produced by Four Star Television. The producers were Leonard Ackerman and John Burrows. Gene Roddenberry wrote for at least one episode. Sydney Pollack directed the episode "The Wreckers".
In the opening episode, cameras used extreme closeups to show faces "in a way that projects them almost physically and uncomfortably into the living room."

Senate hearing

Target: The Corruptors! was considered as part of an investigation by the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency of the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate. On July 28, 1961, a hearing focused on violence and crime on television, especially with regard to their depiction when many children were watching.

Episodes