1977: ABC Introduces the Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew, Too
January 30, 2021
| By TV WW
On this day in 1977, ABC turned teenage detectives Frank and Joe Hardy, lead characters of The Hardy Boys book series, into TV stars with The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. The series starred teen heartthrobs Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as the Hardy brothers; actress Pamela Sue Martin portrayed amateur sleuth Nancy Drew.
At first, the Hardy Boys Mysteries and Nancy Drew Mysteries — which were based on the young adult novels written under the pseudonyms Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene, respectively — alternated on ABC's Sunday night schedule. By the second season, Martin's Nancy Drew was incorporated into the Hardy Boys' mysteries, a move that prompted the actress to leave the show before the season's end. She was replaced by Janet Louise Johnson.
The show's title was shortened to The Hardy Boys Mysteries for its third and final season.