The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
Genre	Mystery Drama
Based on
Developed by	Glen A. Larson
Starring	Parker Stevenson Shaun Cassidy Pamela Sue Martin Ed Gilbert Edith Atwater Lisa Eilbacher William Schallert Jean Rasey George O'Hanlon Jr. Janet Louise Johnson Jack Kelly
Theme music composer	Stu Phillips
Opening theme	"The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Theme"
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	46 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Glen A. Larson
Producer(s)	Joyce Brotman Arlene Sidaris
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	44-48 minutes
Production company(s)	Glen A. Larson Productions Universal Television
Distributor	NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	January 30, 1977 (1977-01-30) – January 14, 1979 (1979-01-14)

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries was a popular TV show about two famous detective teams: the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. It was based on the mystery book series of the same names. The show ran from January 30, 1977, to January 14, 1979. It was made by Glen A. Larson for the ABC network.

Parker Stevenson played Frank, and Shaun Cassidy played Joe. They were brothers who solved mysteries. Pamela Sue Martin (and later Janet Louise Johnson) played Nancy Drew, a young detective. The show was special because it often focused on one detective team at a time. In the first season, episodes would switch between the Hardy Boys' adventures and Nancy Drew's cases. Later, the stories started to mix, and Nancy Drew appeared less often. In the third season, the show was even renamed The Hardy Boys.

About the Mystery Series

Season One: Meet the Detectives

In the first season, we meet the main characters. The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, are amateur detectives from a made-up town called Bayport, Massachusetts. They live with their dad, Fenton Hardy, who is a famous private detective. Their aunt, Gertrude, also lives with them. Their friend, Callie Shaw, sometimes helps them with cases.

Nancy Drew is another young detective, though she likes to call herself a "part-time investigator." She lives with her dad, Carson Drew, who is a lawyer. They live in the made-up town of River Heights, New Jersey. Nancy solves mysteries with her best friend, George Fayne, and her dad's assistant, Ned Nickerson. Some of the characters were a bit different from how they were in the original books. For example, Callie Shaw was Frank's girlfriend in the books, but not really in the show.

Season Two: New Adventures and Team-Ups

The second season brought some big changes to the show. For the Hardy Boys' episodes, most of their friends and family, except their dad, were no longer part of the stories. For Nancy Drew's episodes, Ned Nickerson was gone at first. He later came back for one episode, played by a different actor.

In the first episode of season two, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew finally meet! They are in a hotel in Europe. At first, they don't get along. Frank and Joe are looking for their missing dad, who was working with Nancy. But soon, they start working together to solve mysteries. Nancy and Frank often argued in the early episodes where they teamed up. They even shared a kiss in one episode, but their relationship stayed mostly professional.

In the first part of season two, the Hardy Boys were the main characters in more episodes than Nancy Drew. Because her role was smaller, Pamela Sue Martin, who played Nancy, left the show. Janet Louise Johnson then took over the role of Nancy Drew.

Season Three: The Hardy Boys Take Over

After the second season ended, the Nancy Drew character was removed from the show completely. The series was then renamed The Hardy Boys.

In the first episode of season three, Joe Hardy was going to get married, but his fiancée was killed. Frank and Joe helped the FBI solve the case. After that, they became government agents for the Justice Department. Their new boss, Harry Hammond, became a regular character on the show. The series was canceled by ABC midway through this season.

Who's Who: The Cast

Episode Guide

List of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries episodes

One interesting episode, "The Mystery of the Ghostwriter's Cruise," had a scene where a huge wave (tsunami) seemed to approach a cruise ship. This was a special nod to the 1972 movie The Poseidon Adventure, which Pamela Sue Martin had also starred in.

Guest Stars and Famous Faces

Many well-known actors appeared in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Some were already famous, while others became stars later on.

• Some famous guest stars included Ricky Nelson, Bob Crane, Lorne Greene, Jaclyn Smith, Robert Wagner, and Dennis Weaver.
• Actors who became famous later included Jamie Lee Curtis, Robert Englund, Mark Harmon, Melanie Griffith, and Kim Cattrall.

Bernie Taupin, who writes songs for Elton John, appeared in the two-part episode The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula. He played a young British musician.

The show's producer, Glen A. Larson, also created the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. Many actors from The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries also appeared in Battlestar Galactica, like Lorne Greene, Anne Lockhart, and Rick Springfield.