Matt Houston
Each week Matt Houston, a successful private investigator, takes on a new case. The cases usually involve murder, and always involve beautiful women in skimpy outfits. Drawing on his years of experience and investigative skills, and with a little help from his assistant, C.J., Houston always manages to bring the bad guys (or girls) to justice.
- 1982-1985
- 3 seasons
- ABC
- Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama
Each week Matt Houston, a successful private investigator, takes on a new case. The cases usually involve murder, and always involve beautiful women in skimpy outfits. Drawing on his years of experience and investigative skills, and with a little help from his assistant, C.J., Houston always manages to bring the bad guys (or girls) to justice.
Season 1 Episode Guide
23 Episodes 1982 - 1983
Episode 1
X-22
Sun, Sep 26, 1982 90 mins
An Italian billionaire was about christen his new ocean liner when he smashes the champagne bottle and it blows up. So obviously someone place an explosive like nitro in it. And among the suspects are his daughter, mistress and investor. The daughter decides to turn to her old boyfriend, Matt Houston, a self made millionaire from Texas who now lives n L.A., who is also a private investigator. She wants to find out who killed her father because until the matter is cleared she can't get her inheritance. He learns from his mistress that the man is extremely Machiavellian. And the investor is an old friend of Houston's, who was somehow coerced by the man to invest in his liner. But Houston tries to give him the benefit of the doubt. Houston looks at some video taken before he was killed and he says something that makes Houston think he knew who killed him.
Episode 2
Stop the Presses
Sun, Oct 3, 1982 47 mins
When a friend of Houston's who works for a publisher of a tabloid is nearly killed. The police think someone is trying to kill the publisher, The prime suspects are four people who tried to sue the man and lost; an ex-con who worked for the publisher when the publisher was starting his paper and helped him promote his paper and made him the scapegoat when they were charged for mail fraud. A mobster whom he claimed used his influence to get his girlfriend a beauty title. And a magician who's a bigamist. Houston goes to see them and when he goes to see the mobster, the man is killed.
Episode 3
Deadly Fashion
Sun, Oct 17, 1982 46 mins
When a fashion designer is murdered, the prime suspect is a model who happens to be Houston's ex. She turns to him for help. And he looks at the man's wife, his partner, and a designer.
Episode 4
Killing Isn't Everything
Sun, Oct 24, 1982 48 mins
When the owner of a football team is killed, suspicion falls on the team's quarterback whom the owner wanted to bench. He's also a friend of Houston's and asks him to prove his innocence. And it turns out that there's a lot of people who wanted the man dead. Like his girlfriend and the coach.
Episode 5
Who Would Kill Ramona?
Sun, Oct 31, 1982 47 mins
An actress friend of Matt's who's trying to make a comeback goes to the set. The actor who thinks she's a has been, tries to humiliate her by revealing that she's drinking. After taking some of what she's drinking, he drops dead. That's when the woman's daughter goes to Matt and asks for help. He starts by checking out the actress' husband, who's rumored to be a gold digger. He then talks to the director, producer and everyone involved with the movie.
Episode 6
Recipe for Murder
Sun, Nov 7, 1982 60 mins
A restaurant critic is killed and placed in gelatin and served to his partner who was visiting another restaurant. Now the police suspect that the restaurant owner whom the critic gave a bad review. The man is a friend of Houston's so he tries to prove it. He starts by talking to the man's partner who's very difficult.
Episode 7
Shark Bait
Sun, Nov 21, 1982
Lifeguards at the beach are being fatally attacked by sharks. Before her daughter Sue becomes a victim, Alice Landa hired Houston to find out if a shark can be programmed to kill.
Episode 8
The Kidnapping
Sun, Nov 28, 1982
The son of an Arab King is kidnapped while they're on his private plane while in flight. Later on recommendation of the his personal pilot, an old friend of Houston's, he hires Houston. The King suspects that someone on the plane brought the kidnapper on board. So while he does that, he learns that his son who was on his way for medical treatment has only a little time.
Episode 9
Joey's Here
Sun, Dec 5, 1982
When the owner of a company that manufactures among other things robots is killed by one. Murray asks Houston to help his friend, the designer who was at odds with the man because he was planning to shut his project down. And among the suspects are the man's brother who was battling him for control and an unscrupulous businessman whom Houston knows who was in the building at the time of the incident.
Episode 10
The Good Doctor
Sun, Dec 12, 1982
At a hospital fund-raiser, Dr. Belkamp is shot by waiter Tom Chapman, a former orderly whom Belkamp fired for being inept. Chapman is killed while escaping. Did a member of the hospital research team hire him to kill Belkamp? If so, who?
Episode 11
The Rock and the Hard Place
Sun, Jan 2, 1983
When a boxer goes out to dinner with his wife, doctor and promoter. The doctor's nurse who arrives wanted to talk to the boxer but before she could she gets killed. His wife goes to Houston telling him that she thinks someone might be trying to kill her husband because he's had a few close calls lately. But the boxer doesn't want Houston around.
Episode 12
The Purrfect Crime
Sun, Jan 9, 1983
A cat food magnate who keeps some exotic cats as pets, is killed by his pet tiger. Later his four ex-wives hire to Houston to find out what happened. It seems the man believed that one of them is trying to kill him, so until it's resolved, none of them can lay a claim to his estate. One of them tells Houston that she thinks one of his exes is the one so he goes to see that one who lays the blame on another. When he goes to see her she blames the other one. At the same time, the man's grounds keeper who took care of his pets, is arrested under suspicion of killing the man and Houston doesn't think he did it.
Episode 13
The Yacht Club Murders
Sun, Jan 16, 1983 60 mins
While being named Commodore of Southland Yacht Club, Rawson Harmon IV is killed by a snake. Manager Honey Lewis asks Matt to investigate. Suspects include Honey; her restless son Jeb; sleazy filmmaker Bevak; and unlucky gambler Binky.
Episode 14
Whose Party Is It Anyway?
Sun, Jan 23, 1983 60 mins
Houston goes to the office to meet some people who asked to see him. But when he gets there, he learns that they think he asked them to come. But Houston doesn't know all of them. But then one of the guests says that they do have something in common but that's when he's killed. And they find themselves locked in. And that's when someone is sending them messages which are suppose to be hints of why he is targeting them. And more people are getting killed. And more messages are being sent.
Episode 15
Get Houston
Sun, Feb 20, 1983
When a man Houston sent to prison escapes, he then makes an attempt on Houston but gets Bo instead. Houston tries to flush him by shaking down his old associates. He then learns that the man was broken out by a deranged billionaire who became a serial killer whom he caught, who's been in an insane asylum, so he has to find out how he's doing it. He also finds out that the man has recruited a couple of other men to get Houston.
Episode 16
The Visitors
Sun, Feb 27, 1983
Womanizing scientist Ivar Mardosian dies of an induced heart attack while in the desert with colleagues awaiting alien contact. Are aliens really visiting, or is this a staged hoax to cover up a murder? And who killed him?
Episode 17
Here's Another Fine Mess
Sun, Mar 6, 1983
A couple of men who are dressed like Laurel and Hardy try to kill C.J. Houston tries to figure out what's going on. And he learns that a couple of her friends have had some close calls. And he thinks it stems from the death of another friend of theirs who may have been killed by the man she was dating.
Episode 18
The Beverly Woods Social Club
Sun, Mar 13, 1983
During a carnival fund-raiser, vicious gossip columnist Vonda Moran is blown up because someone tampered with a "strength test" mallet & ringing bell attraction. Houston is subsequently kidnapped and persuaded to investigate.
Episode 19
The Showgirl Murders
Sun, Mar 20, 1983
Alcoholic singer Johnny Foster wakes up with blood on his clothes and is arrested soon after for the serial killings of several Las Vegas showgirls. Johnny's friend Matt Houston thinks he's innocent.
Episode 20
Fear for Tomorrow
Sun, Apr 3, 1983
Bloodied gunfire victim Eric Brant lands in a passing car, hands the driver a codebook, and gives her a message for Houston: Fear for Tomorrow. Brant dies when the car blows up. His assailants then go after Houston's buddy Vince Novelli.
Episode 21
A Deadly Parlay
Sun, Apr 10, 1983
After Houston's friend Winston Fowler's top jockey Cindy Gaines breaches her contract with him to move to England, she is fatally pitch-forked in a stable. Houston is found standing over her remains and subsequently arrested for her murder.
Episode 22
A Novel Way to Die
Sun, Apr 17, 1983
At a mystery writers' convention where Houston is the keynote speaker, publisher Wayne Slocum shoots hated mystery writer Emily Armor three times with a .45 magnum, then brazenly entreats his friend Houston to help solve her murder.
Episode 23
The Hunted
Sun, Apr 24, 1983
Marquis Duval Sr. kidnaps C.J. and holds her hostage. As ransom, he demands that Houston arrange for his son, whom Houston considers a terrorist, to be released from prison.
