▁in ▁a ▁night club ▁band ▁by ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁investig ator . ▁▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁Web b ▁took ▁over ▁from ▁William ▁T . ▁Or r ▁as ▁executive ▁producer ▁of ▁the ▁ABC / W ar ner ▁B ros . ▁detect ive ▁series ▁ 7 7 ▁Sun set ▁St rip . ▁He ▁brought ▁about ▁wh oles ale ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁program ▁and ▁retained ▁only ▁E f rem ▁Z im bal ist , ▁Jr ., ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁private ▁detect ive ▁Stuart ▁Ba iley . ▁G one ▁were ▁co - st ars ▁Roger ▁Smith ▁and ▁Edd ▁By r nes ▁and ▁the ▁l ively ▁series ▁set . ▁The ▁alter ed ▁program ▁began ▁with ▁Ba iley ▁quietly ▁entering ▁an ▁elev ator ▁to ▁an ▁upper ▁floor ▁of ▁a ▁ble ak ▁office ▁building . ▁The ▁story ▁lines ▁were ▁far ▁different ▁from ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁five ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁series . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster , ▁and ▁critics ▁accused ▁Web b ▁of ▁being ▁out ▁of ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁younger ▁generation , ▁a ▁per ception ▁that ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁Drag net ▁subsequently ▁did ▁nothing ▁to ▁correct . ▁Rat ings ▁fell , ▁and ▁ 7 7 ▁Sun set ▁St rip ▁was ▁cancel led ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁sixth ▁season . ▁John ▁G av in ' s ▁Dest ry , ▁a ▁light - heart ed ▁Western ▁series , ▁filled ▁the ▁remaining ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁the ▁Friday - night ▁time ▁slot ▁vac ated ▁on ▁ABC ▁by ▁ 7