The Untouchables: Season 03 (1961) Reviews

Earning its highest-ever ratings during its second season, The Untouchables rapidly spiralled downhill during Season Three, ending up only 41st out of the 50 top shows. No, treasury agent Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) and his team had not finally been gunned down by the minions of gang boss Frank Nitti (Bruce Gordon), nor had the series' producers been laid low by the complaints of special-interest groups who objected to the series' violence and preponderance of Italian villains. What was killing The Untouchables was its Thursday-night competition on NBC, the comparatively innocuous and benign musical series Sing Along with Mitch! Even so, the episodes this season were well up to par, with a wealth of prominent guest actors: Peter Falk, Telly Savalas, Lee Marvin, Martin Landau, Dyan Cannon, Patricia Neal, Martin Balsam and Cloris Leachman. Also seen during Season Three in comparatively minor roles were two actors on the cusp of stardom: Leonard Nimoy and Ed Asner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi