One of the series's most powerful entries, at least in my little book. After all, who would snatch a new-born baby from its hospital crib and leave the mother crying and forlorn. It's an odd crime for TV, to say the least, the motive being as mysterious as the culprit. Fortunately, the series strong points are much in evidence as Friday and Smith track the missing child pursuing both dead-ends and a murky thread. But then actress Peggy Webber takes over with a heart-rending, carefully calibrated performance deserving of at least an Emmy nomination. It's a marvel of emotional strain without going over the top. At the same time, note how Friday and Smith recede into the background once the human interest takes over - always a series strong point. Then too, note the realistic touches with hospital personnel coming and going in the hallways of what's probably a studio set. Together they make up a movingly memorable entry and show why the series made a lasting TV mark, even down to today.
Review of The Big Mother
