Review for Kojak: Season 4

Rejoining Kojak 70 episodes into the series (having last seen him in Episode 26 at the end of Series 1) it's remarkable how fresh and vital the series remains. I felt, when I watched series 1, that this was a grossly under-rated TV show and I felt just the same way when watching Series 4. It's a seriously good cop show, perhaps over-shadowed in the hazy memories of those of us who saw it first time round, of Telly Salvalas and his lollipop and 'More' style cigarette gimmicks, catch-phrases like 'who loves ya baby' and that dreadful number one single, 'If'. This is a whole lot better than that, as is the Kojak persona when put into proper context.


'Kojak' is undoubtedly the link between cheesy seventies cop shows and the fast emerging, gritty reality shows like NYPD Blues. It's gritty stuff in its own right, and Season 4 is full of drug addicts, pimps, prostitutes and pedophiles. This is no comic book cop series, whatever our memories may tell us.


If you're new to the franchise, or think that Kojak is a relativey recent programme featuring an Afro-Caribbean in the title role, then think again. The original series featured Telly Savalas as the title character, bald Greek-American New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak.

The series ran for five years from 1973, quickly replacing the prime spot, nudging 'Cannon' to one side which must have been no mean feat.


The show was created by Abby Mann, an Academy Award-winning film writer best known for his work on gritty drama anthologies such as Robert Montgomery Presents and Playhouse 90. 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 was the 1973 made-for-TV movie, The Marcus-Nelson Murders. Telly Savalas starred as a police detective whose last name was spelled "Kojack." The film served as a pilot for the Kojak television series.


Set in Thirteenth Precinct, this was no rose-tinted view of New York. Often the action unfolded in unsavoury apartment blocks, or in moth-eaten diners or strip joints. Kojak himself was a stubborn and tenacious investigator who, despite the seeming cynicism and toughness, betrayed a very humane side. Salvalas was superbly cast in the role, bringing genuine anger and pathos in equal measure and able to seem entirely at ease in his own skin.


The supporting cast was equally impressive. Capt. Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer) is the perfect long suffering foil for Kojak. Det. Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson) is seen as totally reliable, incredibly loyal with a highly developed moral compass and is the perfect side-kick for our main hero. Detective Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savalas) provides much of the humour whilst , Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Rizzo (Vince Conti), are great regulars too.


Series 4 has many stand-out episodes. The series kicks off with a young Richard Gere guest starring as an impressionable young Hood, following in his brothers footsteps and getting deeper and deeper into trouble.

For me the most memorable (and I've been watching a couple of episodes a night for the last two weeks) features a pedophile who has diplomatic immunity. Depsite the rules, Kojak is in no mind to let him get away with more crimes, and we see a very determined and rebellious side to Crocker who clearly feels that justice is more important than the letter of the law. A difficult subject is dealt with sensitively with Kojak showing both the tough and the sensitive sides of his character.


Another striking episode is one where a girl claims that she is being chased by a man who has been declared dead in another state. When it turns out to be true, and the girl is killed, Kojak makes the chase personal.

Picture quality on the check discs were not as good as Series 1. The quality seems to have dipped slightly, possibly through trying to squeeze no less than five 50 minute episodes on each disc. The compression failings are just about beginning to show with slight artifacting (on close inspection) and a washed out, ill-defined look that cheapens what I suspect is a perfectly good looking show.


However, don't let this niggle stop you buying this series which is great entertainment by any standards. I have now bridged the gap by placing an order for Series 2 & 3, and Series 5 already awaits with a release date the same as Series 4. It never rains but it pours!

Here's a complete episode list for Series 4. The first number represents how many episodes into the complete Kojak this takes us. Original US air-dates are also included.

72 1 Birthday Party September 26, 1976

73 2 A Summer Madness October 3, 1976

74 3 Law Dance October 10, 1976

75 4 Out of the Shadows October 17, 1976

76 5 A Need to Know October 24, 1976

77 6 An Unfair Trade October 31, 1976

78 7 A Hair-Trigger Away November 7, 1976

79 8 By Silence Betrayed November 14, 1976

80 9 A Shield for Murder (1) November 21, 1976

81 10 A Shield for Murder (2) November 21, 1976

82 11 The Pride and the Princess November 28, 1976

83 12 Black Thorn December 5, 1976

84 13 Where Do You Go When You Have No Place to Go? December 12, 1976

85 14 Dead Again December 19, 1976

86 15 The Godson January 4, 1977

87 16 The Condemned January 11, 1977

88 17 When You Hear the Beep, Drop Dead January 18, 1977

89 18 I Was Happy Where I Was January 25, 1977

90 19 Kojak's Days (1) February 1, 1977

91 20 Kojak's Days (2) February 8, 1977

92 21 Monkey on a String February 15, 1977

93 22 Kiss It All Goodbye February 22, 1977

94 23 Lady in the Squad Room March 8, 1977

95 24 Sister Maria March 15, 1977

96 25 Another Gypsy Queen March 22, 1977