

Season 3 • Episode 39
LatestBallinger and M squad are called in to investigate a diamond robbery. All the evidence points to an inside job. M squad have the tough task of working out who was the inside connection.
Lt. Frank Ballinger is a no-nonsense plain clothes cop in the elite M Squad Division. The Squad's task is to root out organised crime and corruption in America's Second City, Chicago.
Acting
Lee Marvin's granite-jawed intensity invented tough.
Direction
Tight 30-minute format, zero fat.
Production
Chicago location shooting before it was standard.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
M Squad hit airwaves the same year as Sputnik, capturing Cold War paranoia in domestic crime stories.
Lee Marvin reportedly took the role specifically because it let him stay in Chicago near his then-wife; his commitment to grumpiness was method.