Houston Knights
Encyclopedia
Houston Knights was a television crime drama set in Houston, Texas
. The show ran on CBS
from 1987 to 1988 and had 31 episodes. The core of the show was the partnership between two very different cops from two different cultures. Chicago
cop Joey LaFiamma, played by Michael Paré
, is transferred to Houston after he kills a mobster from a powerful Mafia family and a contract is put out on him. Once there, he is partnered with Levon Lundy, played by Michael Beck
, the grandson of a Texas Ranger
.
Although as different as night and day, and after a rocky beginning (the two engage in a fist-fight) they form a successful partnership and become friends. This is aided to a certain extent by an event where a hitman from Chicago who holds the contract to shoot La Fiamma arrives in Houston and is ultimately killed by Lundy.
During the series, it is revealed that both La Fiamma and Lundy have their own personal demons; La Fiamma's Chicago police partner had been killed when he went ahead while La Fiamma had waited for backup to arrive. Lundy's wife had been killed by an explosion that was intended to kill him.
style, opening with a steamy saxophone
then featuring slide guitar
work and a heavy bass line. Dennis McCarthy & George Doering composed the music for the series. Lee Ritenour
is also credited as a major contributor to the music featured in the series.
"replicar", credited as being provided by "North American Fibreglass". The car was yet another way to demonstrate that La Fiamma didn't "fit" in Texas, as most other characters on the show drove pickup trucks (including Lundy).
The wardrobe for La Fiamma consisted of well-cut and stylish Italian label clothing, another contrast to Lundy, who was always attired in stereotypical Texas "cowboy" clothes (which are not, in fact, common attire in urban Texas).
, but the series has never been released.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The show ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1987 to 1988 and had 31 episodes. The core of the show was the partnership between two very different cops from two different cultures. Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
cop Joey LaFiamma, played by Michael Paré
Michael Paré
- Early life :Paré was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joan, a homemaker, and Francis Paré, who owned print shops. He had six sisters and three brothers. Paré's father was of French-Canadian ancestry and his mother of Irish ancestry....
, is transferred to Houston after he kills a mobster from a powerful Mafia family and a contract is put out on him. Once there, he is partnered with Levon Lundy, played by Michael Beck
Michael Beck
John Michael Beck Taylor , commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Swan in the 1979 film, The Warriors.-Life and career:...
, the grandson of a Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
.
Although as different as night and day, and after a rocky beginning (the two engage in a fist-fight) they form a successful partnership and become friends. This is aided to a certain extent by an event where a hitman from Chicago who holds the contract to shoot La Fiamma arrives in Houston and is ultimately killed by Lundy.
During the series, it is revealed that both La Fiamma and Lundy have their own personal demons; La Fiamma's Chicago police partner had been killed when he went ahead while La Fiamma had waited for backup to arrive. Lundy's wife had been killed by an explosion that was intended to kill him.
Music
The theme music for the series was Texan blues-rockBlues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
style, opening with a steamy saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
then featuring slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
work and a heavy bass line. Dennis McCarthy & George Doering composed the music for the series. Lee Ritenour
Lee Ritenour
Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
is also credited as a major contributor to the music featured in the series.
Features
One of the key features of the show was the car driven by La Fiamma, an ice-blue 289 AC CobraAC Cobra
The AC Cobra, also known colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in North America, is an Anglo-American sports car that was produced during the 1960s.-History and development:...
"replicar", credited as being provided by "North American Fibreglass". The car was yet another way to demonstrate that La Fiamma didn't "fit" in Texas, as most other characters on the show drove pickup trucks (including Lundy).
The wardrobe for La Fiamma consisted of well-cut and stylish Italian label clothing, another contrast to Lundy, who was always attired in stereotypical Texas "cowboy" clothes (which are not, in fact, common attire in urban Texas).
Episodes
The titles of the 31 episodes are listed below, along with their original TV air dates. Although they are listed separately, the first two episodes were originally screened as a movie-length pilot. The first 9 episodes comprised the first season, the remaining 22 episodes formed season two. The first season ranked 34th out of 79 shows with a 15.1/26 rating/share.- 1. Mirrors (1) 3/11/1987
- 2. Mirrors (2) 3/11/1987
- 3. North of the Border 3/18/1987
- 4. Houston's Hero 3/25/1987
- 5. Single in Heaven 4/1/1987
- 6. Yesterday's Gone 4/8/1987
- 7. Bad Girl 4/15/1987
- 8. Scarecrow 4/22/1987
- 9. Colt 4/29/1987
- 10. Moving Violation 9/15/1987
- 11. Heads, I Win - Tails, You Lose 9/22/1987
- 12. Desperado 10/6/1987
- 13. Gun Shy 10/13/1987
- 14. Lady Smoke 10/20/1987
- 15. God's Will 11/3/1987
- 16. Diminished Capacity 11/10/1987
- 17. Home Is Where the Heart Is 11/17/1987
- 18. Secrets 12/8/1987
- 19. Somebody to Love 12/22/1987
- 20. There's One Born Every Minute 1/2/1988
- 21. Vigilante 1/9/1988
- 22. The White Hand 1/16/1988
- 23. Sins of the Father 1/30/1988
- 24. Crime Spree 2/6/1988
- 25. Cajun Spice 2/13/1988
- 26. The Stone 2/20/1988
- 27. Burnout 2/27/1988
- 28. Love Hurts 4/26/1988
- 29. Bad Paper 5/3/1988
- 30. For Caroline 5/10/1988
- 31. The Jungle Fighter 6/7/1988
Home video/DVD
The DVD rights to Houston Knights are owned/licensed by Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
, but the series has never been released.