dad indifferent to kid but demands to have her--why? smuggling
"Custody" is an unusual sort of episode for a private detective show. After all, you rarely, if ever see these TV and movie guys investigating something as mundane as a child custody case. However, Richard Diamond's heart is touched and he agrees to take the case.
The show begins with a child being taken from her aunt's house. This is not an abduction--the child's divorced father has taken her and the mother is in the hospital as a result of a serious accident. But the mother is worried--her ex-husband never showed any concern or attention for the daughter before and she' wonders if the child is safe. So, Diamond follows the child and sees that the girl is rarely with her father--mostly she's being taken case of by a governess. And, oddly, while the father has long struggled for money, suddenly he's flush with cash. The puzzle pieces are confusing but slowly Diamond begins to see the picture--and it's not a particularly nice one.
While I think most viewers will eventually be able to predict the show's plot twist, the episode is still quite good for a couple reasons. It IS very original. And, it's nice to see David Janssen interacting with the kid*. All in all, well worth seeing and a show that has held up well. Too bad very few episodes of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" are available today--only about five out of a show that lasted four seasons.
*One exception to this is when Janssen starred in the awful family film "Dondi". That little brat made me want to see Janssen's character drop-kick the little no-talent! However, the girl in "Custody" seemed like a much better and more natural actor.
"Custody" is an unusual sort of episode for a private detective show. After all, you rarely, if ever see these TV and movie guys investigating something as mundane as a child custody case. However, Richard Diamond's heart is touched and he agrees to take the case.
The show begins with a child being taken from her aunt's house. This is not an abduction--the child's divorced father has taken her and the mother is in the hospital as a result of a serious accident. But the mother is worried--her ex-husband never showed any concern or attention for the daughter before and she' wonders if the child is safe. So, Diamond follows the child and sees that the girl is rarely with her father--mostly she's being taken case of by a governess. And, oddly, while the father has long struggled for money, suddenly he's flush with cash. The puzzle pieces are confusing but slowly Diamond begins to see the picture--and it's not a particularly nice one.
While I think most viewers will eventually be able to predict the show's plot twist, the episode is still quite good for a couple reasons. It IS very original. And, it's nice to see David Janssen interacting with the kid*. All in all, well worth seeing and a show that has held up well. Too bad very few episodes of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" are available today--only about five out of a show that lasted four seasons.
*One exception to this is when Janssen starred in the awful family film "Dondi". That little brat made me want to see Janssen's character drop-kick the little no-talent! However, the girl in "Custody" seemed like a much better and more natural actor.
