TV Episode Review: The Hardy Boys - The Flickering Torch Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Decent mystery, fun characters

Cons: No connection to novel; 70's cheese

The Bottom Line:

Rock star, missing man

Another fun mystery

Dated production

The Hardys Saving a Rock Star

During the late 70's, the adventures of teen detectives Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys made it to the small screen.  During the first season, the two alternated weeks solving crimes that, while not based on any of the books in the series, mirrored their famous novels in plot depth.  The Flickering Torch Mystery was the fourth case that siblings Frank and Joe Hardy solved.

Now I can hear you saying, "But one of the books in the series is The Flickering Torch Mystery."  And you're completely right to point that out.  If I read the book, it was so long ago I don't remember much about it at all.  However, from the plot teaser for the book I've found on the internet, there appears to be no connection between the two.  This one also doesn't include a flickering torch at all, but it is an interesting mystery.

Frank (Parker Stevenson) and Joe (Shaun Cassidy) are trying to track down a missing man.  He's a sound engineer and vanished without a trace on the way to a small local airport.  Their father Fenton (Edmund Gilbert), meanwhile, is working on concert security for rock star Tony Eagle (Ricky Nelson).  It's not surprise to viewers when Tony knows the missing sound engineer.  What does his disappearance have to do with Tony?

This is actually a pretty decent mystery.  No, there aren't too many red herrings, but the clues lead logically from one to another to the ultimate solution.  Frank and Joe even make a mistake along the way, something that seems common in the TV show but never happens in the books.

Once again, I find myself really enjoying the characters.  There's an ease between them that isn't present in the books.  And while I miss much of the supporting cast from the books, I understand the limits of time and budget in keeping them out.

The acting is certainly fine.  About the only performance that is truly off is from the actress playing the missing man's distraught wife.  Her big scene is almost painful to watch.  Fortunately, she isn't around much, so the rest of it is very pleasant.

There's plenty of late 70's cheese here from production values to corny jokes to hair and clothes.  It's part of the charm, at least for me.

The Flickering Torch Mystery proves to be a nice diversion.  At only 48 minutes, it's nothing deep, but there's some nice suspense, especially at the climax.  Fans of the characters and the time period will enjoy it, especially if they get it as part of the first season DVD set.