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Original Series
Kojak (1973)
Kojak was a popular US television series, starring Telly Savalas as the eponymous New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, which aired from October 24th, 1973 to March 18th, 1978 on CBS, which bumped the popular Cannon series, one hour before it. Kojak's Greek heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was prominently featured in the series.
History
The show was created by Abby Mann, an Academy Award-winning film writer best known for his work on drama anthologies such as Robert Montgomery Presents and Playhouse 90. Universal Television approached him to do a story based on the 1963 Wylie-Hoffert "Career Girl" murders. The crime involved the brutal rape and murder of two young professional women in Manhattan. Due to poor police work and the prevailing casual attitude toward suspects' civil rights, the crime was pinned on a young African-American male who was being held at the time on an assault charge. After illegally obtaining a confession, the police had the suspect all but convicted until a second investigation by a different team of detectives exonerated the suspect and identified the real killer.
Mann developed the project as a gritty police procedural, but with a subtext focusing on institutionalized prejudice and the civil rights of suspects and witnesses. The result, The Marcus-Nelson Murders, in which the character's last name was spelled "Kojack", prompted the commission of the series.
Plot
The series, set in New York City's Thirteenth Precinct, revolved around the efforts of the incorruptible Lt. Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas), the tough, bald New York City policeman who was fond of lollipops and for using the catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" Lt. Kojak displayed a dark, cynical wit and a tendency to bend the rules in order to bring a criminal to justice. His longtime supervisor was Capt. Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer), who had worked closely with Kojak for years. Later on, McNeil was promoted to Chief of Detectives in Manhattan. Kojak was the commander of the Manhattan South Precinct's detective squad. Members of his squad, included a young plainclothes officer, Det. Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson), who worked closely enough with the lieutenant that he was virtually a regular partner, Det. Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savalas), Det. Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Det. Rizzo (Vince Conti).
Many actors who guest-starred on the show went on to greater fame, including John Ritter, Bernie Kopell, Sharon Gless, Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Joan Van Ark, John Pleshette, Yvonne Craig, Sally Kirkland, Richard Gere, Paul Benedict, Roger E. Mosley, Nicholas Colasanto, Dabney Coleman, Paul Michael Glaser, Ken Kercheval, Irene Cara, William Katt, Jerry Orbach, Allan Miller, and James Woods, among many others. Future Falcon Crest stars, David Selby and Susan Sullivan made cameo appearances on the show, as well.
In 1976, writer Joe Gores received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV Series Teleplay for the third-season episode "No Immunity for Murder" (first aired November 23, 1975).
The show ended in 1978 after low ratings, and Savalas was very disappointed about the show's cancellation. This show set the tone for three popular 1990s New York City crime dramas, Law & Order, NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street.
Years after the series ended, Savalas reprised the role in two TV movies, The Belarus File (1985), an adaptation of the John Loftus's book The Belarus Secret, and The Price of Justice (1987), based on Dorothy Uhnak's novel, The Investigation. (Kojak is not a character in either book).
In 1989–1990 Kojak returned to television as part of a short-lived rotating series of five two-hour episodes that aired on ABC as part of their ABC Mystery Movies. No longer a lieutenant commanding a precinct detective squad, Kojak had been promoted to inspector and put in charge of the NYPD's Major Crimes Squad. Andre Braugher was cast as a young detective assigned to Kojak's command.
Trivia
* In the early episodes of the series, Kojak smoked heavily; in order to reflect the anti-smoking sentiment then gaining momentum on American TV, it was decided that Kojak had decided to quit smoking, sucking on lollipops as a substitute, which became a trademark of the character.
* The series was a favorite of Archie in the comic Dinosaurs For Hire.
* A perfect parking spot in a crowded area is called a Kojak, because the detective was always able to find a spot in the middle of NYC.[citation needed]
* Kojak is the name of a dog who plays a prominent role in Stephen King's novel The Stand.
* Parts of the set built for the 1989-1990 Kojak mini-series are still in use to this day as the squadroom set for Law & Order.[citation needed]
* Billy Howard performs an impression of Kojak (along with many other TV cops) in his December 1975 UK hit "King of the Cops", which peaked at Number 6.
* Mario Puzo's original script for the 1978 movie Superman had a scene where a flying Superman is using his super-vision to look for bald criminal Lex Luthor. Identifying a bald head, Superman drops from the sky and then realises that it's Telly Savalas, who greets the hero with Kojak's catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" This scene was cut from the final script.[citation needed]
* In 1980, a low-budget Hungarian movie, Kojak Budapesten (Kojak in Budapest), was produced; the film was about Kojak (played by Savalas look-alike László Inke, who had also dubbed Savalas' voice for the Hungarian telecasts of Kojak) visiting the country and solving a murder case there. The film notes that Kojak was, in fact, a Hungarian who immigrated to the US, and not of Greek descent. The movie was both a parody of Kojak and a satire of the socialist system of Hungary.
* On one episode featured a little boy whose maid spoke Greek. In real-life, actor Telly Savalas was of Greek descent.
* Dobson did not appear in either of the Kojak movies, as he was doing Knots Landing at the time. He did reprise his role of Bobby Crocker (who had left the NYPD, earned a law degree, and was now an Assistant District Attorney) in "It's Always Something," an episode of the short-lived ABC revival.
* Before Joan Van Ark co-starred with Kevin Dobson on Knots Landing in the 1980s, Van Ark guest-starred on the show with him on which she played a policewoman who was unhappily reported with rapists.
* The building that was used for exterior shots of the 13th precinct was also used for the exterior shots of the 15th precinct in NYPD Blue. It is the actual home to the NYPD's Ninth Precinct , and is located at 321 East 5th Street, New York, NY 10003.
* Marlon Brando was considered for the role of Lt. Theo Kojak.
* Savalas guest-starred on the TV show Alice as himself. However, he re-enacted his Kojak character to prove to Flo (who screams and faints) he really met Vera.
* Donald Bellisario was a frequent writer for the series, and he would later go on to create Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS.
* Savalas once received a fan letter from Africa addressed simply to "Kojak, USA". The person who wrote the letter hadn't known his real address, but this was his signature role to the point that the US Postal Service was able to figure out who it was meant for and sent it to him with no problems.
* In The Simpsons episode "Trash of the Titans", Homer Simpson interrupts a U2 concert after attacking the bald female stage manager, calling her Kojak.
Kojak (1973)
Kojak was a popular US television series, starring Telly Savalas as the eponymous New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, which aired from October 24th, 1973 to March 18th, 1978 on CBS, which bumped the popular Cannon series, one hour before it. Kojak's Greek heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was prominently featured in the series.
History
The show was created by Abby Mann, an Academy Award-winning film writer best known for his work on drama anthologies such as Robert Montgomery Presents and Playhouse 90. Universal Television approached him to do a story based on the 1963 Wylie-Hoffert "Career Girl" murders. The crime involved the brutal rape and murder of two young professional women in Manhattan. Due to poor police work and the prevailing casual attitude toward suspects' civil rights, the crime was pinned on a young African-American male who was being held at the time on an assault charge. After illegally obtaining a confession, the police had the suspect all but convicted until a second investigation by a different team of detectives exonerated the suspect and identified the real killer.
Mann developed the project as a gritty police procedural, but with a subtext focusing on institutionalized prejudice and the civil rights of suspects and witnesses. The result, The Marcus-Nelson Murders, in which the character's last name was spelled "Kojack", prompted the commission of the series.
Plot
The series, set in New York City's Thirteenth Precinct, revolved around the efforts of the incorruptible Lt. Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas), the tough, bald New York City policeman who was fond of lollipops and for using the catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" Lt. Kojak displayed a dark, cynical wit and a tendency to bend the rules in order to bring a criminal to justice. His longtime supervisor was Capt. Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer), who had worked closely with Kojak for years. Later on, McNeil was promoted to Chief of Detectives in Manhattan. Kojak was the commander of the Manhattan South Precinct's detective squad. Members of his squad, included a young plainclothes officer, Det. Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson), who worked closely enough with the lieutenant that he was virtually a regular partner, Det. Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savalas), Det. Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Det. Rizzo (Vince Conti).
Many actors who guest-starred on the show went on to greater fame, including John Ritter, Bernie Kopell, Sharon Gless, Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Joan Van Ark, John Pleshette, Yvonne Craig, Sally Kirkland, Richard Gere, Paul Benedict, Roger E. Mosley, Nicholas Colasanto, Dabney Coleman, Paul Michael Glaser, Ken Kercheval, Irene Cara, William Katt, Jerry Orbach, Allan Miller, and James Woods, among many others. Future Falcon Crest stars, David Selby and Susan Sullivan made cameo appearances on the show, as well.
In 1976, writer Joe Gores received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV Series Teleplay for the third-season episode "No Immunity for Murder" (first aired November 23, 1975).
The show ended in 1978 after low ratings, and Savalas was very disappointed about the show's cancellation. This show set the tone for three popular 1990s New York City crime dramas, Law & Order, NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street.
Years after the series ended, Savalas reprised the role in two TV movies, The Belarus File (1985), an adaptation of the John Loftus's book The Belarus Secret, and The Price of Justice (1987), based on Dorothy Uhnak's novel, The Investigation. (Kojak is not a character in either book).
In 1989–1990 Kojak returned to television as part of a short-lived rotating series of five two-hour episodes that aired on ABC as part of their ABC Mystery Movies. No longer a lieutenant commanding a precinct detective squad, Kojak had been promoted to inspector and put in charge of the NYPD's Major Crimes Squad. Andre Braugher was cast as a young detective assigned to Kojak's command.
Trivia
* In the early episodes of the series, Kojak smoked heavily; in order to reflect the anti-smoking sentiment then gaining momentum on American TV, it was decided that Kojak had decided to quit smoking, sucking on lollipops as a substitute, which became a trademark of the character.
* The series was a favorite of Archie in the comic Dinosaurs For Hire.
* A perfect parking spot in a crowded area is called a Kojak, because the detective was always able to find a spot in the middle of NYC.[citation needed]
* Kojak is the name of a dog who plays a prominent role in Stephen King's novel The Stand.
* Parts of the set built for the 1989-1990 Kojak mini-series are still in use to this day as the squadroom set for Law & Order.[citation needed]
* Billy Howard performs an impression of Kojak (along with many other TV cops) in his December 1975 UK hit "King of the Cops", which peaked at Number 6.
* Mario Puzo's original script for the 1978 movie Superman had a scene where a flying Superman is using his super-vision to look for bald criminal Lex Luthor. Identifying a bald head, Superman drops from the sky and then realises that it's Telly Savalas, who greets the hero with Kojak's catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" This scene was cut from the final script.[citation needed]
* In 1980, a low-budget Hungarian movie, Kojak Budapesten (Kojak in Budapest), was produced; the film was about Kojak (played by Savalas look-alike László Inke, who had also dubbed Savalas' voice for the Hungarian telecasts of Kojak) visiting the country and solving a murder case there. The film notes that Kojak was, in fact, a Hungarian who immigrated to the US, and not of Greek descent. The movie was both a parody of Kojak and a satire of the socialist system of Hungary.
* On one episode featured a little boy whose maid spoke Greek. In real-life, actor Telly Savalas was of Greek descent.
* Dobson did not appear in either of the Kojak movies, as he was doing Knots Landing at the time. He did reprise his role of Bobby Crocker (who had left the NYPD, earned a law degree, and was now an Assistant District Attorney) in "It's Always Something," an episode of the short-lived ABC revival.
* Before Joan Van Ark co-starred with Kevin Dobson on Knots Landing in the 1980s, Van Ark guest-starred on the show with him on which she played a policewoman who was unhappily reported with rapists.
* The building that was used for exterior shots of the 13th precinct was also used for the exterior shots of the 15th precinct in NYPD Blue. It is the actual home to the NYPD's Ninth Precinct , and is located at 321 East 5th Street, New York, NY 10003.
* Marlon Brando was considered for the role of Lt. Theo Kojak.
* Savalas guest-starred on the TV show Alice as himself. However, he re-enacted his Kojak character to prove to Flo (who screams and faints) he really met Vera.
* Donald Bellisario was a frequent writer for the series, and he would later go on to create Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS.
* Savalas once received a fan letter from Africa addressed simply to "Kojak, USA". The person who wrote the letter hadn't known his real address, but this was his signature role to the point that the US Postal Service was able to figure out who it was meant for and sent it to him with no problems.
* In The Simpsons episode "Trash of the Titans", Homer Simpson interrupts a U2 concert after attacking the bald female stage manager, calling her Kojak.
