The F.B.I. is an American police procedural television series created by Quinn Martin and Philip Saltzman for ABC and co-produced with Warner Bros. Television, with sponsorship from the Ford Motor Company, Alcoa and American Tobacco Company (Tareyton and Pall Mall brands) in the first season. Ford sponsored the show alone for subsequent seasons. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1965 until its end in 1974. Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Philip Abbott and William Reynolds, the series, consisting of nine seasons and 241 episodes, chronicles a group of FBI agents trying to defend the American government from unidentified threats. For the entirety of its run, it was broadcast on Sunday nights.

Premise Produced by Quinn Martin and based in part on concepts from the 1959 Warner Bros. theatrical film The FBI Story, the series was based on actual FBI cases, with fictitious main characters carrying the stories. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. played Inspector Lewis Erskine, a widower whose wife had been killed in an ambush meant for him. Philip Abbott played Arthur Ward, assistant director to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Although Hoover served as series consultant until his death in 1972, he never appeared in the series.

Stephen Brooks played Inspector Erskine's assistant, Special Agent Jim Rhodes, for the first two seasons. Lynn Loring played Inspector Erskine's daughter and Rhodes' love interest, Barbara, in the twelve episodes of the show's first season. Although the couple were soon engaged on the show, that romantic angle was soon dropped.

In 1967, Brooks was replaced by William Reynolds, who played Special Agent Tom Colby until 1973. The series would enjoy its highest ratings during this time, peaking at No. 10 in the 1970–1971 season. For the final season, Shelly Novack played Special Agent Chris Daniels.

Some episodes ended with a "most wanted" segment hosted by Zimbalist, noting the FBI's most wanted criminals of the day, decades before the Fox Network aired America's Most Wanted. The most famous instance was in the April 21, 1968, episode, when Zimbalist asked for information about fugitive James Earl Ray, who was being hunted for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The series aired on ABC at 8 p.m. Sunday from 1965 to 1973, when it was moved up to 7:30 p.m. for the final season. The series was a co-production of Quinn Martin Productions and Warner Bros. Television, as Warner Bros. held the television and theatrical rights to any project based on The FBI Story. It was the longest-running of all of Quinn Martin's television series, airing nine seasons.

Every detail of every episode of the series was carefully vetted by F.B.I. second-in-command Clyde Tolson.Curt Gentry, J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets (NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991), 581. Actors playing F.B.I. agents, and other participants, were given background checks to guarantee that no "criminals, subversives, or Communists" were associated with the show.Gentry, 581. The premiere episode of the first season, "The Monster," about a handsome serial killer who strangled women with their own hair, so shocked Tolson that he recommended the show be cancelled.Gentry, 581. J. Edgar Hoover attempted to cancel the show on at least seven other occasions.Gentry, 582. Upon Tolson's direction, the violence in the show was severely curtailed in the final three seasons.Gentry, 582.

Cast Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Lead Inspector Lewis Erskine Philip Abbott as Arthur Ward, Assistant Director William Reynolds as Special Agent Tom Colby Lynn Loring as Barbara Erskine, daughter of Inspector Erskine (season 1) Stephen Brooks as Special Agent Jim Rhodes (seasons 1 and 2) Shelly Novack as Special Agent Chris Daniels (season 9) Dean Harens as Special Agent Bryan Durant Lew Brown as Special Agent Allen Bennett Anthony Eisley as Special Agent Chet Randolph (recurring role) Hank Brandt as Special Agent William Converse (recurring role)

Guest stars James B. Sikking S1E7 The Problem with the Honorable Wife, S1E20 Quantico, S2E3 The Assassin, S2E20 The Conspirators, S2E22 The Hostage, S2E25 The Executioners: Part 1, S4E1 Wind It Up and It Betrays You, S6E1 The Condemned, S6E26 Three-Way Split, S7E9 The Game of Terror, S9E10 Deadly Ambition Robert Duvall S1E10 The Giant Killer, S2E5 The Scourge, S2E25 The Executioners: Part 1, S4E9 The Harvest, S5E2 Nightmare Road Norman Fell S1E11 All the Streets Are Silent, S3E27 The Mercenary, S4E22 The Catalyst Robert H. Harris S2E18 A question of Guilt, S8E23 Sweet Evil John Davidson S7E18 Judas Goat Michele Carey S5E16 Tug-of-War Jon Cypher S9E23 Survival William Shatner S6E10 Antennae of Death Jason Evers S1E7&23 The Problem of the Honorable Wife & Flight to Harbin Antoinette Bower S2E24 Flight Plan, S3E10 Blueprint for Betrayal, S6E2 The Traitor, S9E5 The Exchange Julie Adams S5E9 Blood Tie Fritz Weaver S2E12 The Camel's Nose, S3E27 The Mercenary, S5E8 The Challenge, S7E4 Dynasty of Hate Darlene Carr S6E5 The Savage Wilderness, S8E6 End of a Nightmare Gary Lockwood S9E16 The Animal Arthur O'Connell S1E15 The Hijackers Diane Keaton S7E8 The Watch-Dog Alf Kjellin S3E10 Blueprint of Betrayal, S5E20 Deadly Reunion Claudine Longet S4E18 Caesar's Wife Kevin McCarthy S1E21 The Spy Master, S3E2 Counter-Stroke, S4E3 Conspiracy of Silence Robert Colbert S1E16 The Forests of the Night Gene Raymond S6E15 The Inheritors George D. Wallace S2E7 Ordeal, S6E18 Eye of the Needle Estelle Winwood S1E1 The Monster John Marley S9E8 Rules of the Game Chad Everett S4E13 The Hero Mark Miller S8E12 Holiday of Terror Charles Cioffi S7E17 The Break-Up, S9E13 A Piece of the Action Clu Gulager S7E6&7 The Mastermind: Parts 1&2 Pete Duel S1E4 Slow March Up a Steep Hill, S3E11 False Witness Robert F.Lyons S1E23 Flight of Harbin, S3E3 Blood Verdict, S8E26 The Loper Gambit Charles Bronson S1E29 The Animal Robert Walker Jr. S1E20 Quantico, S3E22 The Messenger Burt Reynolds S1E11 All the Streets Are Silent, S3E15 Act of Violence Cicely Tyson S4E6 The Enemies, S5E5 Silent Partner Wesley Addy S1E11&30 All the streets Are Silent & The Plunderers, S2E25 The Executioners: Part 1, S4E16 The Fraud, S5E5 Silent Partner Suzanne Pleshette S2E13 List for a Firing Squad, S3E27 The Mercenary, S6E14 The Inheritors Steve Ihnat S2E2 The Escape, S3E20 Region of Peril, S4E20 The Maze, S5E13 The Prey, S6E13 Incident in the Desert, S7E6&7 The Mastermind: Parts 1&2 Robert Foxworth S7E22 The Test, S8E20 The Double Play, S9E20 The Lost Man John Van Dreelen S1E26&27 The Defector Parts 1&2, S2E9 Vendetta, S3E7 A Sleeper Wakes, S5E20 Deadly Reunion Murray Hamilton S2E12 The Camel's Nose, S3E23 The Ninth Man, S4E17 A Life in the Balance, S6E12 The Witness Bill Williams S4E4 The Runaways, S9E20 The Lost Man Harrison Ford S4E18 Caesar's Wife, S5E11 Scapegoat Arthur Hill S1E23 Flight to Harbin, S2E6 The Plague Merchant, S3E5&6 By Force and Violence: Parts 1&2, S4E21 The Attorney Ron Howard S4E4 The Runaways Fred Beir S4E25 The Cober List, S5E21 Pressure Point, S7E13 Bitter Harbor, S9E12 Ransom Sarah Marshall S2E11 The Contaminator, S3E19 The Phone Call Sharon Farrell S9E17 The Two Million Dollar Hit Barry Morse S4E10 The Flaw Lawrence Pressman S6E16 The Stalking Horse Bettye Ackerman S3E18 Homecoming, S5E13 The Prey, S6E10 Antennae of Death Warren Oates S6E24 Turnabout Barry Nelson S5E16 Tug-of-War Paul Carr S6E13 Incident in the Desert, S8E9 The Wizard Harry Townes S1E16 The Forests of the Night Dana Wynter S1E26&27 The Defector Parts 1&2, S3E7 A Sleeper Wakes, S5E20 Deadly Reunion, S7E4 Deadly Gift Leslie Charleson S8E26 The Loper Gambit Anne Francis S5E25 Deadfall, S9E12 Ransom James Olson S5E18 Conspiracy of Corruption, S6E3 Escape of Terror, S9E The Betrayal Leslie Nielsen S1E14 Pound of Flesh, S9E9 Fool's Gold Wayne Rogers S1E28 The Tormentors, S2E29 The Extortionist, S3E12&23 The Legend of John Rim & The Ninth Man, S5E25 Deadfall, S6E2 The Traitor, S7E11 Superstition Rock Donna Mills S6E23 The Hitchhiker, S7E17 The Break-Up Roger Perry S4E16 The Fraud, S6E12 The Witness, S7E20 Arrangement of Terror, S8E22 The Detonator, S9e16 The Animal Woodrow Parfrey S6E15 The Victim Unknown Norman Alden S8E9 The Wizard, S9E17 The Two Million Dollar Hit Larry Gates S1E12 An Elephant Is Like a Rope, S2E18 A Question of Guilt, S3E1 The Gold Card, S4E9 The Harvest, S5E26 The Quest, S8E26 The Loper Gambit Simon Scott S1E24 The Man Who Went Mad By Mistake, S2E19 The Gray Passenger, S3E1&16 The Gold Card & Crisis Ground, S4E2 Out of Control, S5E6 Gamble with Death Cameron Mitchell S7E13 Bitter Harbor Lloyd Nolan S9E10 The Killing Truth Murray Matheson S2E24 Flight Plan, S5E19 The Diamond Millstone Jill Haworth S1E6 To Free My Enemy, S8E17 A Gathering of Sharks Linden Chiles S2E11 The Contaminator, S3E25 The Predators, S4E21 The Attorney, S5E1 Target of Interest, S7E18 Judas Goat James Caan S4E17 A Life in the Balance Tom Skerritt S2E3 The Assassin, S3E12 The Legend of John Rim, S6E15 Unknown Victim, S7E24 The Deadly Species Don Stroud S6E5 The Savage Wilderness, S9E3 Break-In Lin McCarthy S1E9 The Exiles, S2E5 The Scourge, S4E24 The Young Warriors, S5E22 Summer Terror Carl Betz S5E4 Boomerang, S6E22 Downfall Don Gordon S3E6&7 By Force and Violence: Parts 1&2, S4E25 The Cober List, S5E16 Tug-of-War, S8E15 Dark Christmas, S9E19 Deadly Ambition Edward Binns S3E26 The Tunnel, S5E24 The Dealer Peter Graves S2E21 Rope of Gold Peter Haskell S6E26 Three-Way Split, S9E14 Selkirk's War Richard Kiley S3E18 Homecoming, S6E16 Eye of the Needle, S7E19 The Hunters Jackie Cooper S9E3 Break-In Dabney Coleman S1E4&15 Slow March up a Steep Hill & The Hijackers, S2E20 The Conspirators, S5E7 Flight, S6E13 Incident in the Desert, S7E9 The Game of Terror, S9E23 Survival Dawn Wells S4E21 The Attorney Benson Fong S1E32 The Hiding Place Andrew Prine S3E24 The Mechanized Accomplice, S7E1 Death on Sunday, S8E23 Sweet Evil John McIntire S1E15 The Hijackers, S2E4 The Cave-In, S7E3 The Last Job Jessica Walter S1E23 Flight to Harbi, S2E21 Rope of Gold, S3E2 Counter-Stroke, S4E5 Death of a Fixer, S7E14 The Recruiter, S8E17 A Gathering of Sharks Sorrell Booke S6E19 The Fatal Connection Elizabeth Ashley S9E18 Diamond Run Penny Fuller S5E15 The Doll Courier, S7E24 The Deadly Species, S8E21 The Wedding Gift Bruce Dern S1E14 Pound of Flesh, S4E7 The Nightmare Jessica Tandy S7E21 The Set-Up Diane Baker S2E12 The Camel's Nose, S4E9 The Harvest, S5E1 Target of Interest Joan Van Ark S4E20 The Maze, S6E1 The Condemned, S7E4 The Deadly Gift, S9E21 The Vendetta Albert Salmi S1E30 The Plunderers, S6E26 Three Way Split, S8E11 Canyon of No Return Robert Quarry S9E15 The Betrayal Richard Evans S5E19 The Diamond Millstone, S6E13 Incident in the Desert, S8E14 The Outcast Jan Shepard S3E9 Line of Fire, S4E4 The Runaways Patrick O'Neal S1E25 The Spy-Master, S8E8 A Game of Chess Michael Tolan S3E17 Ring of Steel, S4E1 Wind It Up and It Betrays You, S5E9 Blood Tie, S8E2 Edge of Desperation, S9E15 The Betrayal Nan Martin S4E16 The Fraud, S5E11 Scapegoat, S7E19 The Hunters Kurt Russell S1E28 The Tormentors Viveca Lindfors S3E7 A Sleeper Wakes, S5E15 The Doll Courier Gene Hackman S2E17 The Courier Jacqueline Scott S1E25 The Divided Man, S2E7 Ordeal, S8E2 Edge of Desperation, S9E4 The Pay-Off Ross Martin S8E9 The Wizard Patricia Smith S1E10 The Giant Killer, S3E7 A Sleeper Wakes, S4E7 The Nightmare, S8E7 The Engineer Ivan Dixon S6E8 The Deadly Pact Richard Carlson S4E26 Moment of Truth Billy Dee Williams S4E15 Eye of the Storm, S5E10 The Sanctuary, S6E4 The Architect William Schallert S5E3 The Swindler, S7E25 Dark Journey Scott Marlowe S2E1 The Price of Death, S3E8&26 Overland & The Tunnel, S4E24 The Young Warriors, S5E9 Blood Tie, S6E19 The Fatal Connection, S7E6&7 The mastermind: Parts 1&2, S8E16 The Rap Taker, S9E5 The Exchange Robert Blake S2E1 The Price of Death R.G. Armstrong S1E3 A Mouthful of Dust, S2E29 The Extortionist, S3E3 Blood Verdict Pat Hingle S8E24 Memory of a Legend