Have you ever heard of the short-lived television program, The Adventures of Scott Island? Well, you are not alone. Neither did I. But I came across an archive with a bunch of material related to the production of the television series. When I dug into the history of the series, I discovered it was re-titled Harbormaster. Yes, that sounds more familiar.
It was not uncommon for television programs to change names midway through production, before, during or after the initial telecast. On this series, Barry Sullivan starred as the captain of the sailing vessel, The Blue Chip II, who devoted his time repairing boats at the harbor and -- typical of ZIV television productions -- solving crimes as an amateur detective. When the program first aired, Harbormaster had stiff competition. Walt Disney was giving us Zorro and, well, you know how that fared for the Barry Sullivan series.
Celebrity guests included Suzanne Pleshette, Martin Landau, Larry Hagman, Barbara Bain and the usual suspects found on television programs in the 1950s. It is a darn shame this series has yet to be released commercially on DVD. But while it is easy to find promotional material on Harbormaster, it is not easy to find material on The Adventures of Scott Island.
Enjoy the photos!
