Kojak TV series

Kojak

1973 - United States

Before Kojak became a global television sensation, it began life as the critically acclaimed 1973 TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders, based on the real-life Wylie-Hoffert case. With Telly Savalas stepping into the role of Lieutenant Theo Kojak, a tough-talking, lollipop-sucking New York detective with a wry sense of humour and razor-sharp instincts, the series quickly carved out a niche for itself with its gritty, street-level realism. Unlike the polished, sun-soaked crime dramas of California, Kojak returned the spotlight to the grimy, unvarnished streets of New York City — and audiences loved it.

With his gleaming bald head, natty dress sense, and sardonic one-liners, Kojak made an immediate impression. Savalas, a long-established movie actor by the early ’70s, brought a charismatic, no-nonsense presence to the small screen that oozed authority and charm. As much style as substance, his portrayal was layered, showing a man as concerned with justice as he was with appearances — and never without a Tootsie Pop in hand.

Supporting Savalas was a solid ensemble cast, including George Savalas (Telly’s real-life brother) as the bumbling but loyal Detective Stavros, and Dan Frazer as Chief Frank McNeil. The show also served as a springboard for a number of then-unknown actors who would soon become household names.

Kojak

Kojak was an instant hit, climbing into the top ten during its first season and staying there for much of its five-year run. It was lauded for its realism, its hard-hitting storylines, and its unapologetically urban flavour. Even after the series ended in 1978, the character lived on in a string of made-for-TV films, the last of which aired in 1989. By then, Kojak had risen through the ranks to Inspector, still as sharp and stylish as ever.

Behind the scenes, not all was smooth sailing. In 1993, Savalas sued Universal Television for $6 million, alleging he was owed a quarter of the show’s profits. He died the following year, but by then his place in pop culture was already secured. Kojak had turned him into an unlikely international sex symbol, something underlined in 1975 when he inexplicably topped the UK charts with a spoken-word cover of David Gates’ If. His brief musical career ended, thankfully, after a less successful follow-up limped to number 47 for a solitary week.

New York, once again painted as the 'Crime Capital of the World', became as much a star of the show as Kojak himself. In contrast to the glossy escapism of Starsky & Hutch or CHiPs, Kojak grounded its stories in a city that felt real and raw. The world’s television audiences embraced that realism, and Savalas, wholeheartedly. And New Yorkers? They loved him even more.

Though it might feel a little dated now in its pacing and presentation, Kojak remains a landmark crime drama. A stylish series that married grit and glamour with a knowing wink—and one hell of a catchphrase.

"Who loves ya, baby?"
Well, for a time at least, just about everyone.

Published on December 28th, 2018. Written by Skip Wilson Jr. for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Hill Street Blues

US police series based around the dangerous professional and private lives of the officers who worked out of the aging, dilapidated, Hill Street Stationhouse.

Also tagged Us Police Series

Fabian of Scotland Yard

The first ever British made filmed series, shot by Trinity Productions for the BBC and consisting of 39 black and white episodes, Fabian of Scotland Yard has been described as Britain's first generation of the TV detective.

Also tagged Cops On The Box

The Fall TV series

Hard hitting and somewhat bleak drama series about a cold but passionate policewoman who goes head to head with a cold serial killer in Belfast.

Also tagged Cops On The Box

The Baker Street Boys

Based on a group of street urchins whom Conan Doyle recruited on behalf of Holmes to perform various missions, take messages, search London following clues and going to places where the detective himself could not.

Also released in 1973

Twin Peaks

A 17-year old homecoming queen is murdered and the FBI send an officer to investigate.

Also tagged Us Police Series

Robert Fabian

Landmark TV series in which real-life cases were dramatized

Also tagged Cops On The Box

Billy Liar

Adapted from the highly successful novel/play/film by successful writing team Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, this version of Billy Liar was updated by them to make it more relevant to the early 1970s.

Also released in 1973

Checkmate

An expensive investigative agency operating in San Francisco protects the lives of people who had become targets of the criminal underworld.

Also tagged Crime Series