Each episode in Season 1 was 30 minutes long and reviews were mixed. The ratings were low enough for ABC to cancel it after just one season. However, one of the show's main sponsors, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, along with the show's producers, successfully lobbied the network to revive the show. Season 2 premiered in 1960 as an hour-long series to give more time to character and plot development. It was called simply Naked City, dropping "The" from the title in a further effort to distinguish it from the former show. The new show was overwhelmingly critically acclaimed and won many Emmy nominations and awards.
