This is a topic that has always intrigued me and I hope others find it intriguing as well. Read The Mysterious Case of “Selena Mead”:
Mystery writer Patricia McGerr created the character of Selena Mead in October of 1963 in the pages of This Week magazine, a newspaper supplement. Short stories starring the lovely lady spy were published in This Week throughout 1963 and into 1964. In November of 1964, CBS announced it was turning McGerr’s short stories into a television series starring Polly Bergen as Selena. The half-hour series was scheduled and then pulled when James Aubrey was replaced as president of CBS.
The eight-minute “demonstration film” mentioned in the article produced in lieu of a pilot episode? It can be found at UCLA’s Film & Television Archive. They say it runs 20 minutes, however, and I have to wonder if anyone has taken a look at in decades. I know I’d sure love to see it.
This is the second of two new articles this month (plus a new exhibit). Next month I’ll be writing another two articles, one of my choosing and the other voted by visitors to this site. Right now it looks like Nielsen “Black Weeks” will be that second article. But there’s still time to vote for one of the other choices. The poll ends this Sunday (January 31st). Also expect a new exhibit next month.
Polly Bergen was a Black Belt in Judo and would have been perfect for the role.