McMillan & Wife

McMillan & Wife follows Stewart McMillan, a suave city police commissioner, and his wife Sally, a glamorous socialite who often finds herself drawn into the cases that cross their doorstep. The show blends polished San Francisco visuals with playful mysteries, delivering a polished, easily watchable take on the crime genre. Rather than a hard edged thrill ride, it treats investigations as a collaborative pursuit where experience and instinct meet charm and wit. Each episode sets up a self contained mystery that allows Mac to outsmart suspects while Sally brings her social connections and street sense to the problem. The tone stays breezy, never losing sight of dangerous moments behind the smiles.

Produced for NBC, the series premiered in 1971 as a 90 minute installment within the Mystery Movie wheel alongside Columbo and McCloud. Created by Leonard B Stern, it cast Rock Hudson as Mac and blended light humor with detective storytelling.

Placed within the NBC Mystery Movie umbrella, the show helped popularize star led, self contained mysteries that mixed relationship chemistry with procedural plotting. It proved that a glamorous couple could solve crimes together on weekly TV without losing warmth or humor. Its light touch kept audiences returning week after week.

Critics landed on its breezy tone and pace, praising the way Mac and Sally balance duty with life. The series centers on partnership, wit, and the clash between social elegance and street level crime, maintaining appeal through the 70s. The mix of sophistication and practical crime solving kept it accessible.