Kojak
Encyclopedia
Kojak is an American
television series starring Telly Savalas
as the title character, bald New York City Police Department
Detective
Lieutenant
Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon
series, which was moved one hour earlier. Kojak's Greek American
heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was prominently featured in the series.
In 1999 TV Guide
ranked Theo Kojak number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.
, 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 Girls 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 crimes in the Wylie-Hoffert case were pinned on a young African American
male, George Whitmore, Jr., who had been arrested on a separate 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, a white junkie
.
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. The opening and closing titles of the film emphasized the point that it was a fictional account of the events that led to the creation of Miranda rights by the US Supreme Court in 1966.
Telly Savalas starred in The Marcus-Nelson Murders as a police detective whose last name was spelled "Kojack." The film would serve as a pilot
for the Kojak television series. Kojak himself was a composite character
, based on a number of detectives, lawyers, and reporters who were involved in the Wylie-Hoffert murder case.
's Thirteenth Precinct
(the building shown was actually Ninth Precinct
), Manhattan South Patrol Borough.
The show revolved around the efforts of the tough and incorruptible Lieutenant Theodopolous ("Theo") Kojak (Telly Savalas
), a bald
, dapper, New York City
policeman, who was fond of lollipops and using the catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes - and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice. Savalas described Kojak as a "basically honest character, tough but with feelings -- the kind of guy who might kick a hooker
in the tail if he had to, but they'd understand each other because maybe they grew up on the same kind of block."
In the early episodes of the series, Kojak smoked heavily; in order to reflect the anti-smoking
sentiment gaining momentum on American TV, the writers decided that Kojak had quit smoking. He began sucking on lollipops as a substitute, which became a trademark of the character (although Kojak is frequently seen smoking a cigarillo when he winds up a case by interrogation of the main suspect(s)). The lollipop made its debut in the Season 1 episode "Dark Sunday", broadcast on December 12, 1973: Kojak lights a cigarillo as he begins questioning a witness, but thinks better of it and sticks a lollipop (specifically, a Tootsie Pop) in his mouth instead. Later in the episode, Kevin Dobson's character asks about the lollipop and Kojak replies, "I'm trying to bridge the generation gap."
His longtime supervisor was Capt.
Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer
). Later in the series, McNeil was promoted to Chief of Detectives in Manhattan
. Kojak is the commander of the Manhattan South Precinct
's detective squad. His squad includes one of his favorite employees: young plainclothes officer, Det. Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson
). Detectives Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savalas
, who originally used the name "Demosthenes" as his screen credit; under his real name, Savalas also received a Production Associate credit during the early seasons), Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Rizzo (Vince Conti), all gave Kojak support.
Although the show primarily focused on Kojak's police work, it occasionally veered into other areas of the character's lives, such as the first season episode "Knockover" which included a subplot involving Kojak romancing a (much younger) female police officer.
In 1976, acclaimed crime 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 five seasons, due to low ratings. Reruns of Kojak became successful in syndication
and TV Land
. Years after the series ended, Savalas reprised the role in two TV movies, The Belarus File (1985), an adaptation of the John Loftus
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 in five two-hour episodes that aired on ABC
, rotating with three other series as part of the ABC Mystery Movie. No longer a lieutenant commanding a precinct detective squad, Kojak had been promoted to inspector
and put in charge of the NYPD's city-wide Major Crimes Squad. Andre Braugher
was cast as a young detective assigned to Kojak's command.
Series stars The Savalas Brothers (Telly & George), Frazer and Dobson are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the original series, and stayed throughout its entire run.
, who scored the early episodes. John Cacavas
composed the second main title theme used throughout the show's 5th and final season. In addition, Cacavas composed the music score for most of the series.
, from 1973 to 1978. In the mid-eighties, Kojak returned in two made-for-TV movies. In 1989, eleven years after the series ended, Telly Savalas returned to play Kojak in 5 TV movies that aired on ABC
as part of their ABC Mystery Movie theme block which aired on Saturday nights. Kojak can currently be seen on the Me-TV classic television network.
cable
channel and on ITV4
in the UK. In this re-imagined version, African-American actor Ving Rhames
portrays the character. The series only lasted one season.
, Cledus Snow (Jerry Reed
) referred to a police officer with a radar gun as a "Kojak with a Kodak", reflecting contemporary CB slang.
In the film Foul Play
, characters belonging to Chevy Chase
and Goldie Hawn
commandeer a livery vehicle with two Asian tourists in the backseat. When the tourists become agitated at his high speed driving, Chase informs them that he is a policeman like Kojak. Even though the tourists know very little English, the name Kojak turns their chagrin to enthusiasm and they enjoy the high-speed pursuit. When the car stops and they are left in the backseat, the male tourist cracks a smile and yells "Kojak! BANG! BANG!"
In Canada, some Canadians were concerned that the show left an impression in Canadian youth that they had rights, such as to be informed of an offense, and that it depicted American police reading people their rights in accordance with the Miranda ruling. In his 1980 book Deference to Authority: the Case of Canada, American sociologist Edgar Fredenberg who came to Canada in the early 1970s to avoid the draft was concerned that Canadians were more upset over depictions of Americans practicing their civil rights on a TV show dealing with civil rights issues than that they did not have those rights. In 1982, the right to be informed of a criminal offense and of one's rights was enumerated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
.
In Brazil, the show was so successful that in the 1970s and ;80s the term "Kojak" became Brazilian slang for "bald man". Like a tribute, Kojak was a theme of Brazilian carnival-time music, a very rare honour. Telly Savalas visited the country to do promotional work. In Rio de Janeiro, the expression: "I won't give a chance to Kojak" became popular among criminals — as in, the speaker would avoid leaving any clue that would lead the police to him or her. Later, this expression became popular among lay people. Nowadays, it means "I won't let anyone see my mistakes".
released Season One of Kojak on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4 in 2005-2006, but chose not to release any further seasons in Region 1.
On May 25, 2011, it was announced that Shout! Factory
had acquired the Region 1 DVD rights to the series. It subsequently announced that it will release season 2 on September 27, 2011. This will be followed by box set in January 2012 collecting the original pilot TV movie and the later movies made between 1985 and 1990. Shout Factory is expected to release the remaining seasons at a later date; it is not yet known if the company will make Season 1 available again.
In Region 2, Mediumrare Entertainment has released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD in the UK.
In Region 4, Shock Entertainment
has released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD in Australia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series starring Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
as the title character, bald New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon
Cannon (TV series)
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
series, which was moved one hour earlier. Kojak's Greek American
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was prominently featured in the series.
In 1999 TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked Theo Kojak number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.
Production
The show was created by Abby MannAbby Mann
Abby Mann was an American film writer and producer.-Life and career:Born as Abraham Goodman in Philadelphia, he grew up in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was best known for his work on controversial subjects and social drama...
, an Academy Award-winning film writer best known for his work on drama anthologies such as Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
and Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
. Universal Television
Universal Television
Universal Television is the television production arm of the NBCUniversal Television Group, and by extension, the NBC television network...
approached him to do a story based on the 1963 Wylie-Hoffert "Career Girls Murders
Career Girls Murders
The "Career Girls Murders" was the name given by the media to the killings of Emily Hoffert and Janice Wylie in their apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, USA on August 28, 1963...
". The crime involved the brutal rape and murder of two young professional women in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Due to poor police work and the prevailing casual attitude toward suspects' civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, the crimes in the Wylie-Hoffert case were pinned on a young African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
male, George Whitmore, Jr., who had been arrested on a separate 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, a white junkie
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
.
Mann developed the project as a gritty police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
, but with a subtext
Subtext
Subtext or undertone is content of a book, play, musical work, film, video game, or television series which is not announced explicitly by the characters but is implicit or becomes something understood by the observer of the work as the production unfolds. Subtext can also refer to the thoughts...
focusing on institutionalized prejudice
Institutional racism
Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...
and the civil rights of suspects and witnesses. The result was the 1973 made-for-TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, The Marcus-Nelson Murders. The opening and closing titles of the film emphasized the point that it was a fictional account of the events that led to the creation of Miranda rights by the US Supreme Court in 1966.
Telly Savalas starred in The Marcus-Nelson Murders as a police detective whose last name was spelled "Kojack." The film would serve as a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for the Kojak television series. Kojak himself was a composite character
Composite character
A composite character is a character composed of two or more individuals, appearing in a fictional or non-fictional work. Two fictional characters are often combined into one upon adaptation of a work from one medium to another, as in the film adaptation of a novel...
, based on a number of detectives, lawyers, and reporters who were involved in the Wylie-Hoffert murder case.
Plot
The series was set in the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
's Thirteenth Precinct
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
(the building shown was actually Ninth Precinct
Ninth Precinct
The Ninth Precinct is a police precinct in New York City. It is one of the 76 New York City Police Department patrol areas. Its boundaries are East 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the west, East Houston Street to the south and the East River to the east....
), Manhattan South Patrol Borough.
The show revolved around the efforts of the tough and incorruptible Lieutenant Theodopolous ("Theo") Kojak (Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
), a bald
Baldness
Baldness implies partial or complete lack of hair and can be understood as part of the wider topic of "hair thinning". The degree and pattern of baldness can vary greatly, but its most common cause is male and female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, alopecia androgenetica or...
, dapper, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
policeman, who was fond of lollipops and using the catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes - and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice. Savalas described Kojak as a "basically honest character, tough but with feelings -- the kind of guy who might kick a hooker
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in the tail if he had to, but they'd understand each other because maybe they grew up on the same kind of block."
In the early episodes of the series, Kojak smoked heavily; in order to reflect the anti-smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
sentiment gaining momentum on American TV, the writers decided that Kojak had quit smoking. He began sucking on lollipops as a substitute, which became a trademark of the character (although Kojak is frequently seen smoking a cigarillo when he winds up a case by interrogation of the main suspect(s)). The lollipop made its debut in the Season 1 episode "Dark Sunday", broadcast on December 12, 1973: Kojak lights a cigarillo as he begins questioning a witness, but thinks better of it and sticks a lollipop (specifically, a Tootsie Pop) in his mouth instead. Later in the episode, Kevin Dobson's character asks about the lollipop and Kojak replies, "I'm trying to bridge the generation gap."
Police captain
- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer
Dan Frazer
Dan Frazer, is an American actor best known for his role as Capt. Frank McNeil, the supervisor of Telly Savalas's character, in the 1970s TV cop show Kojak. Frazer has been playing character roles in various TV series and films since the 1950s...
). Later in the series, McNeil was promoted to Chief of Detectives in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Kojak is the commander of the Manhattan South Precinct
Precinct
A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
's detective squad. His squad includes one of his favorite employees: young plainclothes officer, Det. Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson
Kevin Dobson
Kevin Patrick Dobson is an American film and television actor of Irish descent, who is primarily known for his roles on television. His most prominent roles were as Lt. Theo Kojak's trusted partner, Det. Bobby Crocker on the popular 1970s TV crime drama Kojak, and as Karen MacKenzie's second...
). Detectives Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savalas
George Savalas
George Demosthenes Savalas was an American actor.Born in New York City to immigrants from Greece, he served in the Pacific War as a United States Navy gunner. After studying drama at Columbia University, Savalas embarked on a successful career as a stage actor and acting instructor...
, who originally used the name "Demosthenes" as his screen credit; under his real name, Savalas also received a Production Associate credit during the early seasons), Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Rizzo (Vince Conti), all gave Kojak support.
Although the show primarily focused on Kojak's police work, it occasionally veered into other areas of the character's lives, such as the first season episode "Knockover" which included a subplot involving Kojak romancing a (much younger) female police officer.
In 1976, acclaimed crime writer Joe Gores
Joe Gores
Joe Gores was an American mystery writer...
received an Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
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 five seasons, due to low ratings. Reruns of Kojak became successful in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
and TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
. Years after the series ended, Savalas reprised the role in two TV movies, The Belarus File (1985), an adaptation of the John Loftus
John Loftus
John Joseph Loftus is an American author, former US government prosecutor and former Army intelligence officer. He is a president of The Intelligence Summit and, although he is not Jewish, a president of the Florida Holocaust Museum. Loftus also serves on the Board of Advisers to Public...
book The Belarus Secret, and The Price of Justice (1987), based on Dorothy Uhnak
Dorothy Uhnak
Dorothy Uhnak was an American novelist.-Biography:Uhnak was born in New York City. She attended City College of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice....
's novel, The Investigation. Kojak is not a character in either book.
In 1989
1989 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1989–90 United States network television schedule.The year 1989 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1989.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
–1990
1990 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, Kojak returned to television in five two-hour episodes that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, rotating with three other series as part of the ABC Mystery Movie. No longer a lieutenant commanding a precinct detective squad, Kojak had been promoted to inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
and put in charge of the NYPD's city-wide Major Crimes Squad. Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
was cast as a young detective assigned to Kojak's command.
Series stars The Savalas Brothers (Telly & George), Frazer and Dobson are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the original series, and stayed throughout its entire run.
Police slang
Lt. Kojak, when responding to an emergency in his unmarked police sedan, would take a red domed emergency strobe light with magnets attached to the bottom of it, and put the red light on the roof of his car -- a brown 1974 Buick Century Regal 455, later a copper 1975 version of the same car -- and turn it on as well as his vehicle's police siren. This type of police emergency light has come to be referred to as a "Kojak Light" by police officers. Lt. Kojak carried a snub nosed .38 Special Caliber Smith and Wesson revolver as his duty weapon. This type of revolver was the kind typically carried by New York City Police Department Detectives of that era. Kojak usually carried it in the front right pocket of his overcoat or suit jacket, or he carried it in his hand as he approached a scene where was expecting danger. This became known as carrying a weapon "Kojak Style" or as the "Kojak Carry" by police.Characters
- Telly SavalasTelly SavalasAristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
- Lieutenant Theo Kojak - A bald detective - Dan FrazerDan FrazerDan Frazer, is an American actor best known for his role as Capt. Frank McNeil, the supervisor of Telly Savalas's character, in the 1970s TV cop show Kojak. Frazer has been playing character roles in various TV series and films since the 1950s...
- Capt. Frank McNeil - Kojak's boss - Kevin DobsonKevin DobsonKevin Patrick Dobson is an American film and television actor of Irish descent, who is primarily known for his roles on television. His most prominent roles were as Lt. Theo Kojak's trusted partner, Det. Bobby Crocker on the popular 1970s TV crime drama Kojak, and as Karen MacKenzie's second...
- Det. Bobby Crocker - Kojak's partner - George SavalasGeorge SavalasGeorge Demosthenes Savalas was an American actor.Born in New York City to immigrants from Greece, he served in the Pacific War as a United States Navy gunner. After studying drama at Columbia University, Savalas embarked on a successful career as a stage actor and acting instructor...
(Demosthenes) - Det. Stavros - Kojak's supporting co-worker - Mark Russell - Det. Saperstein
- Vince Conti - Det. Rizzo
- Andre BraugherAndre BraugherAndre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
- Det. Winston Blake (1989-90 ABC revival)
Music
The somewhat more well-known first Kojak theme, in two distinct arrangements is the work of Billy GoldenbergBilly Goldenberg
William Leon "Billy" Goldenberg is an American composer most known for his work on television and film....
, who scored the early episodes. John Cacavas
John Cacavas
John Cacavas is a composer and conductor probably best known for his television scores, notably Kojak, for which he was the chief composer, and for which he composed the second main title theme, used throughout the show's 5th and final season...
composed the second main title theme used throughout the show's 5th and final season. In addition, Cacavas composed the music score for most of the series.
Episodes
Kojak aired for 5 seasons on CBSCBS
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 1973 to 1978. In the mid-eighties, Kojak returned in two made-for-TV movies. In 1989, eleven years after the series ended, Telly Savalas returned to play Kojak in 5 TV movies that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
as part of their ABC Mystery Movie theme block which aired on Saturday nights. Kojak can currently be seen on the Me-TV classic television network.
Revival
In March 2005, a new Kojak series debuted on the USA NetworkUSA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
channel and on ITV4
ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
in the UK. In this re-imagined version, African-American actor Ving Rhames
Ving Rhames
Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
portrays the character. The series only lasted one season.
Cultural impact
In the hit 1977 movie Smokey and the BanditSmokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
, Cledus Snow (Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
) referred to a police officer with a radar gun as a "Kojak with a Kodak", reflecting contemporary CB slang.
In the film Foul Play
Foul Play
Foul Play is a 1978 American comic mystery/thriller film written and directed by Colin Higgins. In it, a recently divorced librarian is drawn into a mystery when a stranger hides a roll of film in a pack of cigarettes and gives it to her for safekeeping....
, characters belonging to Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
and Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
commandeer a livery vehicle with two Asian tourists in the backseat. When the tourists become agitated at his high speed driving, Chase informs them that he is a policeman like Kojak. Even though the tourists know very little English, the name Kojak turns their chagrin to enthusiasm and they enjoy the high-speed pursuit. When the car stops and they are left in the backseat, the male tourist cracks a smile and yells "Kojak! BANG! BANG!"
In Canada, some Canadians were concerned that the show left an impression in Canadian youth that they had rights, such as to be informed of an offense, and that it depicted American police reading people their rights in accordance with the Miranda ruling. In his 1980 book Deference to Authority: the Case of Canada, American sociologist Edgar Fredenberg who came to Canada in the early 1970s to avoid the draft was concerned that Canadians were more upset over depictions of Americans practicing their civil rights on a TV show dealing with civil rights issues than that they did not have those rights. In 1982, the right to be informed of a criminal offense and of one's rights was enumerated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
.
In Brazil, the show was so successful that in the 1970s and ;80s the term "Kojak" became Brazilian slang for "bald man". Like a tribute, Kojak was a theme of Brazilian carnival-time music, a very rare honour. Telly Savalas visited the country to do promotional work. In Rio de Janeiro, the expression: "I won't give a chance to Kojak" became popular among criminals — as in, the speaker would avoid leaving any clue that would lead the police to him or her. Later, this expression became popular among lay people. Nowadays, it means "I won't let anyone see my mistakes".
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released Season One of Kojak on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4 in 2005-2006, but chose not to release any further seasons in Region 1.
On May 25, 2011, it was announced that Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
had acquired the Region 1 DVD rights to the series. It subsequently announced that it will release season 2 on September 27, 2011. This will be followed by box set in January 2012 collecting the original pilot TV movie and the later movies made between 1985 and 1990. Shout Factory is expected to release the remaining seasons at a later date; it is not yet known if the company will make Season 1 available again.
In Region 2, Mediumrare Entertainment has released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD in the UK.
In Region 4, Shock Entertainment
Shock Records
Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
has released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD in Australia.
| DVD Name | |Release dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| Season One | 22 | March 22, 2005 | July 18, 2005 | June 1, 2006 |
| Season Two | 25 | September 27, 2011 | April 26, 2010 | August 11, 2010 |
| Season Three | 24 | N/A | April 26, 2010 | August 11, 2010 |
| Season Four | 25 | N/A | August 22, 2011 | N/A |
| Season Five | 22 | N/A | August 22, 2011 | N/A |
| The Complete Movie Collection | 8 | January 24, 2012 | N/A | N/A |