Detective Ellery Queen has to solve a series of murders in which the victims were killed in numerically descending ages, the male victims strangled with blue cords and the female victims with pink ones. This earlier pilot episode aired as a TV movie on NBC on November 19, 1971. Peter Lawford and Harry Morgan played Ellery and Inspector McQueen respectively, with E. G. Marshall and Stefanie Powers in co-starring roles and Bill Zuckert as Sgt. Velie. NBC did not order a series from this pilot.
| Name | Type | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manfred Lee | Writer | ||
| Ted Leighton | Writer | ||
| Frederic Dannay | Writer | ||
| Stefanie Powers | Guest Star | ||
| Bill Zuckert | Guest Star | ||
| Peter Lawford | Guest Star | ||
| Harry Morgan | Guest Star | ||
| E.G. Marshall | Guest Star | ||
| Barry Shear | Director |