Naked City
Button in the Haystack
TV Flash files “Button in the Haystack” as hour 55 of 138 in the TV Flash guide — Naked City (1958–1963) on ABC, season 2, episode 16, aired 1961-02-22, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E16: listed hour 55 of 138 in the Naked City guide, hour 16 of 32 in season 2. It aired 1961-02-22 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “The Day It Rained Mink” (S02E15). Next is “Shoes for Vinnie Winford” (S02E17).
Viewer FAQ
Where does Button in the Haystack sit in the Naked City guide?
S02E16 is listed hour 55 of 138 — hour 16 of 32 in season 2, season 2 episode 16.
When did Naked City S02E16 air?
Button in the Haystack aired 1961-02-22 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with the location-shot New York cases and stay for the eight-million-stories close. Half-hour early form and later hours are both the city; sample each texture if you can.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Naked City shot crime on real New York streets and closed with the ultimate city-show mic drop: eight million stories. Location-shot urban drama that pushed documentary realism into prime time. A 2026 viewer watches the ancestor of every the-city-is-the-character cop hour — pavement, faces, and narration that still lands.
So about last night, except last night is 1958 and the location is actually New York. Naked City (ABC, 1958–1963) shot crime on real streets and closed with the ultimate city-show mic drop: there are eight million stories in the naked city, and this has been one of them. (I said spoiler-free. The catchphrase is the fandom. It is also the ending every week, so consider this a fence you can see through.) Inspired by the 1948 film, produced by Herbert B. Leonard, written into pavement by Stirling Silliphant. Early…
Filed against
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- Horace McMahon as Lt. Mike Parker
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