Five Forgotten Martin Milner TV Roles

Veteran TV actor Martin Milner died on Sunday at the age of 83 and most of the articles about his death rightfully highlight his starring roles on ADAM 12 and ROUTE 66. But Milner had been appearing on TV since its earliest days and sadly many of those roles have had much less impact on the public's memories.

So let's remember these under-appreciated Martin Milner television roles, beginning with the earliest ones:


Drexel Potter on THE STU ERWIN SHOW (1950-1951)
This little-remembered TV series aired on ABC until 1955 and it starred Stu Erwin as a mild-mannered high school principal who struggles to get respect from his wife (played by June Collyer) as well as his students and fellow teachers. Milner played student Drexel Potter in eight episodes of season one and it was his first recurring television role.



Don Marshall on THE LIFE OF RILEY (1956-1957)
THE LIFE OF RILEY starred William Bendix as a clumsy yet big-hearted man who always managed to get into trouble. The show ranked in the top 30 four of it six seasons and reruns aired in syndication well into the late 1960s. Milner had been cast in a small role as "Bruce" in a 1953 episode of the show. He returned to the show in the recurring role of Don Marshall during the 1956-1957 season.


Karl Robinson on SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1975-1976)
Milner's first TV project after the success of ADAM 12 was this retelling of the classic book about a family stranded on a deserted island. Produced by Irwin Allen and with a cast that also included Willie Ames and a young Helen Hunt, the ABC show should have been a hit. But it aired against NBC's WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY and the brand-new magazine series 60 MINUTES.




Captain Pete Malloy on THE NEW ADAM 12 (1990-1991)
Proving that pointless TV reboots aren't a recent phenomena, this syndicated reimagining of ADAM 12 featured a new patrol car designated "Adam 12" and a new police duo driving it (played by Ethan Wayne & Peter Parros). The show was as spectacularly stupid as you imagine and that's even before you consider it was aired with another pointless reboot, THE NEW DRAGNET. Milner wasn't a regular on the show, but he did make a couple of appearances playing the world-weary (and now police captain) Pete Malloy.



Harris Cassidy on LIFE GOES ON (1992)
Aside from Milner's contributions, LIFE GOES ON should be streaming somewhere. It's a unknown show for most younger TV goers, but the series was the first television show that featured an actor with Down's Syndrome in a regular role. The cast included Kellie Martin and Chad Lowe and is a great example of the best of 1990s family dramas. Milner joined the show in its fourth (and final season)