History Creator / HankSimms

!!The Shows of Hank Simms...a Wiki/TVTropes Production!!!

On September 15, 1965, Hank Simms began his most famous professional relationship. That was the day that ''Series/TheFBI'' debuted. Creator/QuinnMartin hired Simms to do the announcing duties over the series' TitleSequence. From that moment on, Hank's voice became one of the most recognized voices in television, as almost every QM series from that point on featured Simms's razor-sharp voice announcing the stars, guest stars and episode titles.[[note]]Exceptions were ''Series/TheInvaders'' (which was announced by Martin's other announcer, Dick Wesson), ''Most Wanted'', ''Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected'' and ''A Man Called Sloane'', the latter three not having any announcer at all.[[/note]] From Fernando Lamas to Kevin O'Brien, from Joan Fontaine to Lori Lethin, dozens of actors had the honor of having their names called out in the opening credits to QM series by Hank Simms.

* ''Series/TheInvaders'' (one uncredited role as Edward [=McKelvey=], one credited role as a newsman, both 1967)

After ''Police Squad'', Hank Simms and his wife Moe retired to Florida, where they lived for a number of years, and then to Arkansas, where he passed away on August 7, 2013.

After serving in the Air Force in World War II (he worked his way through the ranks to Squadron Engineering Officer and then Captain), Simms attended Oklahoma University and later Tulsa University, taking up broadcasting at the urging of his older brother. Hank later did radio jobs in Tulsa, Wichita, Dallas, Los Angeles and Honolulu.

He was recalled to the Air Force for the Korean War and eventually made the rank of Major. After meeting the woman he married while in Honolulu, the couple settled down in Los Angeles.

His career began in the 1950's, with one of his longest-running gigs being the Academy Awards, which he announced for 25 years. He also did movie trailers around this time and also announced for Series/TheTonightShow.

On September 15, 1965, Hank Simms began his most famous professional relationship. That was the day that Series/TheFBI debuted. Creator/QuinnMartin hired Simms to do the announcing duties over the series' opening credits. From that moment on, Hank's voice became one of the most recognized voices in television, as almost every QM series from that point on featured Simms's razor-sharp voice announcing the stars, guest stars and episode titles (exceptions were Series/TheInvaders, which was announced by Martin's other announcer, Dick Wesson, Most Wanted, Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected and A Man Called Sloane, the latter three not having any announcer at all). From Fernando Lamas to Kevin O'Brien, from Joan Fontaine to Lori Lethin, dozens of actors had the honor of having their names called out in the opening credits to QM series by Hank Simms.

* Cesare Danova: two different pronunciations...on Cannon, Simms called him 'CHEZ-a-ray Dah-NO-va'. Eight years later, on Barnaby Jones, he pronounced it as 'Chez-a-RAY DAN-uh-va'.

Hank Simms was involved with other shows as well. If you have the DVD set of Series/HoneyWest, there's a teaser for the episode "The Abominable Snowman", where he narrates the clip of that episode. He also did the sponsor's intro for Series/TheFelonySquad, the 'will continue after station identification' announcements for Series/MissionImpossible, Series/{{Mannix}}, Series/PoliceWoman and Series/{{Baretta}}, to name a few, and the intro for the NBC Mystery Movie, where he announced the night's star and their role (i.e., 'Tonight, starring Peter Falk as Series/{{Columbo}}!').

After Quinn Martin sold his company, Simms continued to work as an announcer on ''Barnaby Jones'' and later replaced Creator/WilliamConrad as narrator for Series/BuckRogersInThe25thCentury. His last project was announcing the parody series Series/PoliceSquad, where his serious narration contrasted brilliantly with all the lunacy in the opening credits, culminating with him announcing a SpecialGuestStar who was always killed off and finally announcing a different title than the one pictured on screen.

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!!The Shows of Hank Simms...a TV Tropes Production!!!

* Series/TheFBI (opening credits announcer, 240 episodes, 1965-74)
* Series/HoneyWest (announcer over next week's teaser, 1965-66)
* Series/TheFelonySquad (sponsor intro announcer, 1966-69)
* Series/TheFugitive (uncredited role as radio newsman, one episode, 1966)
* Series/TheInvaders (one uncredited role as Edward McKelvey, one credited role as a newsman, both 1967)
* Series/MarcusWelbyMD (as newscaster, one episode, 1970)
* Series/DanAugust (opening credits announcer, 26 episodes, 1970-71)
* Series/{{Cannon}} (opening credits announcer, 120 episodes, 1971-76)
* Series/TheStreetsOfSanFrancisco (opening credits announcer, 120 episodes, 1972-77)
* Series/BarnabyJones (opening credits announcer, 178 episodes, 1973-80)
* Series/BuckRogersInThe25thCentury (narrator, 13 episodes, 1980)
* Series/PoliceSquad (opening credits announcer, 6 episodes, 1982)
* Series/MissionImpossible (commercial break announcer)
* Series/{{Mannix}} (commercial break announcer)
* Series/PoliceWoman (commercial break announcer)
* Series/{{Baretta}} (commercial break announcer)

Hank Simms was involved with other shows as well. If you have the DVD set of Series/HoneyWest, there's a teaser for the episode "The Abominable Snowman", where he narrates the clip of that episode. He also did the sponsor's intro for Series/TheFelonySquad, the 'will continue after station identification' announcements for Series/MissionImpossible, Series/Mannix, Series/PoliceWoman and Series/Baretta, to name a few, and the intro for the NBC Mystery Movie, where he announced the night's star and their role (i.e., 'Tonight, starring Peter Falk as Series/Columbo!').

* Series/Cannon (opening credits announcer, 120 episodes, 1971-76)

* Series/Mannix (commercial break announcer)

* Series/Baretta (commercial break announcer)