Matt Helm

The character Matt Helm was originally created by Donald Hamilton in his 1960 novel Death of a Citizen, and had previously been portrayed by Dean Martin in a series of spy comedy films in the late 1960s.

This TV series resembled neither the source novels, where Helm was a terse assassin for a secret government agency, nor the Dean Martin films, where he was a womanizing, wisecracking secret agent; it was not connected to the movies in any way.

The show reimagined Helm as a retired spy who opens a private detective business, turning most episodes into standard detective stories, such as one where he investigates the disappearance of a race horse.

A pilot TV movie aired on May 7, 1975, ahead of the series' official premiere on September 20 of the same year.

Weak ratings led to the show's cancellation after just 13 episodes, with the final episode airing on January 3, 1976.

Lynda Carter guest-starred as a singer in the penultimate episode, 'Panic', with her appearance coinciding with her rise to fame as Wonder Woman.

The series featured numerous notable guest stars over its short run, including Jack Cassidy, Susan Dey, Patrick Macnee, Ian McShane, Howard Duff, and John Vernon.

As of the time of the article, this TV series remains the most recent attempt to adapt Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm character, though a film studio reportedly optioned the rights in 2006.