Mr. McGavin, who was born in 1922, appeared on television as early as 1945, mounting up hundreds of credits on shows like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Studio One” and “Mike Hammer,” a detective series in which he played the title role. "Television has taught me never to say ‘never,’” said Mr. McGavin, who was never shy about criticizing the shows on which he appeared. "There comes the time when you feel being negative about TV is just silly."