Spenser: For Hire
Encyclopedia
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery
television series
based on Robert B. Parker
's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail.
Like many TV detective series, the show is voiced over in first person, just as the novels are written.
from 1985
to 1988
. The show garnered decent ratings, despite frequent time slot changes and occasional preemptions. In the end, all of the location shooting contributed to the show's demise, with cost being cited as one of the reasons why ABC canceled it. The location shooting, mostly Boston, was one of the show's strong points, showing all around town, even showing the harsh winters there (notably in the pilot). Music was by Steve Dorff and Larry Herbstritt.
, a famous 16th century poet, so that may be where the name originated as the spelling is the same. When introducing himself, he often said "Spenser with a 'S', like the poet." Spenser was surprisingly sophisticated for a private eye and former boxer. In "The Choice", we find that he did badly 12 years ago in a professional fight, which probably contributed to his leaving the profession. However, he still works out, boxing and such at Henry Cimoli's Gym (which Hawk also uses). He is well-read, often quoting poetry in everyday conversation. He is also an excellent cook, often cooking recipes as he watched Julia Child
on his kitchen counter television.
Spenser lived in Boston and, like many detectives on TV, drove a distinctive cars; at first a mildly-worn ivy green '66 Ford Mustang (possibly a nod to Steve McQueen's
Mustang in Bullitt
which gets destroyed a few episodes into the second season), then a brand new 1987 Mustang 5.0 GT, then after 5 or so episodes trades it for a beautifially restored 1966 Mustang GT. Spenser used to be on the police force and occasionally goes to them for help, as they sometimes rely on him for help. Hardnose Lt. Quirk seems to view him as a necessary evil while Sgt Belson (portrayed as a bit of a slob) takes Spenser as he comes. Ms Silverman reveals she is pregnant with Spenser's child in "Children of the Tempest Storm". The word abortion comes up when talking with her doctor, and is discussed throughout the episode, though often not using the word. Susan and Spenser discuss the issue, and are at odds over the moral dilemma before them. Spenser, a Catholic, doesn't know if he can stay with Susan, though he loves her deeply, if she aborts the child. He believes it's only for her convenience that she would kill the baby. In the end, she has the abortion, and he brings her flowers. They silently affirm that the relationship will continue, even though she has taken away his chance to take responsibility for the baby. After Susan leaves the show, ADA Rita Fiore becomes Spenser's love interest during the second season, but they do not seem to develope the personal bond that was apparent with Silverman.
After his first place of business goes up in flames, Spenser moves into a "firehouse", given him by grateful local firefighters for saving the life of a firefighter (at his first place of business). It is situated on the corner of River Street, near Mt. Vernon Square and Beacon Hill
. In the second season, we find that the Fire Department took the station back as they needed it and Spenser finds himself in a small top floor apartment in Charlestown
, near the old Boston Navy Yard
which he now uses as his office.
Hawk is the street-wise black kid who grew up to become a smartly dressed enforcer. Though he is for hire, he has a code of ethics and generally works on the side of good. In the pilot show ("Promised Land"), he and Spenser obviously have respect for each other, and he switches over from King Powers' (Chuck Connors
) side to Spenser's side when he doesn't like the way Powers is doing things. Hawk carries a nickel plated .357 Magnum Colt Python
8" barrel revolver as his weapon of choice.
Lt Quirk and Spenser had an uneasy relationship but often did work together. In the episode "Heart of the Matter", Quirk suffers an angina
attack and reluctantly accepts the fact that he must retire after 35 years on the force. Belson, having passed the lieutenant's exam 3 years previously, had expected to move up, especially after being recommended by Quirk for the job. But it was said there was no money for a promotion so they drafted in a Lieutenant from Lincoln Heights.
Lt. Nick Webster is a hard nose from day one and the first thing he does is order Spenser out of the station.
Robert Urich
played Spenser. The other major characters were Hawk, played by Avery Brooks
, and Susan Silverman, played by Barbara Stock
. Stock was replaced in the show's second season by Carolyn McCormick
as ADA Rita Fiore, whom at first abhores Spenser, but eventually falls for his charms. Stock then returned for the final season, her character having been in San Francisco for a year to try and get over Spenser. The character Rita Fiore just vanished without explanation (the show could not afford both characters; financially or story-wise) as her predecessor, Susan Silverman, nearly had at the end of the previous season (though in the novels both characters co-exist in all) though, Spenser alludes to Susan's disappearance in the opening VO to episode 2 of season 2, and covers it completely—in almost the same terms as in the novel Valediction—in the final scene of the episode. The role of the "leading lady" declined after season 1—season 2 has 3 episodes without Rita, and season 3 has 2 episodes without Susan—as the show focused more on Spenser as detective.
Character actors Richard Jaeckel
and Ron McLarty
also co-starred as Spenser's police contacts, Boston homicide detectives Lt. Martin Quirk and Sgt. Frank Belson, respectively. Spenser was a cop himself 8 years previously (mentioned in the first season).
released the four TV movies that were made following the cancellation of the weekly series, on DVD for the first time on June 28, 2005. It is unknown if the series will ever be released on DVD.
, after the show ended, Brooks received his own spin-off series, A Man Called Hawk
.
In an April 23, 2009, entry of his blog, the author stated he was in talks with TNT to produce a remake of the series. Parker died before that could happen, but an administrator, posting on an "official" Facebook
fanpage (who is either Joan Parker or a family friend) notes that the project is in fact still in development.
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
based on Robert B. Parker
Robert B. Parker
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also...
's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail.
Like many TV detective series, the show is voiced over in first person, just as the novels are written.
Production
The series ran on ABCAmerican 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...
from 1985
1985 in television
The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
to 1988
1988 in television
The year 1988 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1988.For the American TV schedule, see: 1988-89 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
. The show garnered decent ratings, despite frequent time slot changes and occasional preemptions. In the end, all of the location shooting contributed to the show's demise, with cost being cited as one of the reasons why ABC canceled it. The location shooting, mostly Boston, was one of the show's strong points, showing all around town, even showing the harsh winters there (notably in the pilot). Music was by Steve Dorff and Larry Herbstritt.
Characters
Just the name Spenser is used. There is no indication whether this is a first or last name, though in the novels, it's clear that this is the character's last name. In "An Eye For An Eye", Spenser quotes something from Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
, a famous 16th century poet, so that may be where the name originated as the spelling is the same. When introducing himself, he often said "Spenser with a 'S', like the poet." Spenser was surprisingly sophisticated for a private eye and former boxer. In "The Choice", we find that he did badly 12 years ago in a professional fight, which probably contributed to his leaving the profession. However, he still works out, boxing and such at Henry Cimoli's Gym (which Hawk also uses). He is well-read, often quoting poetry in everyday conversation. He is also an excellent cook, often cooking recipes as he watched Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
on his kitchen counter television.
Spenser lived in Boston and, like many detectives on TV, drove a distinctive cars; at first a mildly-worn ivy green '66 Ford Mustang (possibly a nod to Steve McQueen's
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
Mustang in Bullitt
Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 American police procedural film starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. It was directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. The story was adapted for the screen by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness by Robert L....
which gets destroyed a few episodes into the second season), then a brand new 1987 Mustang 5.0 GT, then after 5 or so episodes trades it for a beautifially restored 1966 Mustang GT. Spenser used to be on the police force and occasionally goes to them for help, as they sometimes rely on him for help. Hardnose Lt. Quirk seems to view him as a necessary evil while Sgt Belson (portrayed as a bit of a slob) takes Spenser as he comes. Ms Silverman reveals she is pregnant with Spenser's child in "Children of the Tempest Storm". The word abortion comes up when talking with her doctor, and is discussed throughout the episode, though often not using the word. Susan and Spenser discuss the issue, and are at odds over the moral dilemma before them. Spenser, a Catholic, doesn't know if he can stay with Susan, though he loves her deeply, if she aborts the child. He believes it's only for her convenience that she would kill the baby. In the end, she has the abortion, and he brings her flowers. They silently affirm that the relationship will continue, even though she has taken away his chance to take responsibility for the baby. After Susan leaves the show, ADA Rita Fiore becomes Spenser's love interest during the second season, but they do not seem to develope the personal bond that was apparent with Silverman.
After his first place of business goes up in flames, Spenser moves into a "firehouse", given him by grateful local firefighters for saving the life of a firefighter (at his first place of business). It is situated on the corner of River Street, near Mt. Vernon Square and Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is a name shared by many hills, suburbs, villages and other places around the world. Many are so called because they were historically the site of a warning beacon. Others are named after other places of the same name.-In the United Kingdom:...
. In the second season, we find that the Fire Department took the station back as they needed it and Spenser finds himself in a small top floor apartment in Charlestown
Charlestown
-Australia:*Charlestown, New South Wales** Electoral district of Charlestown, an electoral district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly including the area-United Kingdom:*Charlestown, Black Isle, in the Highland council area*Charlestown, Cornwall...
, near the old Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
which he now uses as his office.
Hawk is the street-wise black kid who grew up to become a smartly dressed enforcer. Though he is for hire, he has a code of ethics and generally works on the side of good. In the pilot show ("Promised Land"), he and Spenser obviously have respect for each other, and he switches over from King Powers' (Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
) side to Spenser's side when he doesn't like the way Powers is doing things. Hawk carries a nickel plated .357 Magnum Colt Python
Colt Python
The Colt Python is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver formerly manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. It is sometimes referred to as a "Combat Magnum". It was first introduced in 1955, the same year as Smith & Wesson's M29 .44 Magnum. The now discontinued Colt Python...
8" barrel revolver as his weapon of choice.
Lt Quirk and Spenser had an uneasy relationship but often did work together. In the episode "Heart of the Matter", Quirk suffers an angina
Angina
Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is chest pain due to ischemia of the heart muscle, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary arteries . Coronary artery disease, the main cause of angina, is due to atherosclerosis of the cardiac arteries...
attack and reluctantly accepts the fact that he must retire after 35 years on the force. Belson, having passed the lieutenant's exam 3 years previously, had expected to move up, especially after being recommended by Quirk for the job. But it was said there was no money for a promotion so they drafted in a Lieutenant from Lincoln Heights.
Lt. Nick Webster is a hard nose from day one and the first thing he does is order Spenser out of the station.
Cast
Robert Urich
Robert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire...
played Spenser. The other major characters were Hawk, played by Avery Brooks
Avery Brooks
Avery Franklin Brooks is an American actor, television director, jazz musician, opera singer and college professor. Brooks is perhaps best known for his television roles as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and as Hawk on Spenser: For Hire and its spinoff A Man Called Hawk, and in the...
, and Susan Silverman, played by Barbara Stock
Barbara Stock
Barbara Stock is an American actress, who appeared in the prime-time drama Spenser: For Hire for two non-consecutive seasons as "Susan Silverman", the love interest of "Spenser"...
. Stock was replaced in the show's second season by Carolyn McCormick
Carolyn McCormick
Carolyn Inez McCormick is an American actress best known for her role as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet on Law & Order franchise.-Life and career:McCormick was born in Midland, Texas to a father who owned an oil drilling company...
as ADA Rita Fiore, whom at first abhores Spenser, but eventually falls for his charms. Stock then returned for the final season, her character having been in San Francisco for a year to try and get over Spenser. The character Rita Fiore just vanished without explanation (the show could not afford both characters; financially or story-wise) as her predecessor, Susan Silverman, nearly had at the end of the previous season (though in the novels both characters co-exist in all) though, Spenser alludes to Susan's disappearance in the opening VO to episode 2 of season 2, and covers it completely—in almost the same terms as in the novel Valediction—in the final scene of the episode. The role of the "leading lady" declined after season 1—season 2 has 3 episodes without Rita, and season 3 has 2 episodes without Susan—as the show focused more on Spenser as detective.
Character actors Richard Jaeckel
Richard Jaeckel
Richard Hanley Jaeckel was an American actor of film and television.-Life and career:Jaeckel was born in Long Beach, New York. A short, but tough guy, he played a variety of characters during his fifty years in movies & television and became one of Hollywood's best known character actors...
and Ron McLarty
Ron McLarty
Ron McLarty is an American actor, playwright and author. He began his career in theatre during the early 1970s with one his earliest professional performances being the role of Lucky in Michael Weller's Moonchildren for the play's American premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in November...
also co-starred as Spenser's police contacts, Boston homicide detectives Lt. Martin Quirk and Sgt. Frank Belson, respectively. Spenser was a cop himself 8 years previously (mentioned in the first season).
Episodes
The series had three seasons (1985–1988) with a total of 66 episodes, and was followed by four made-for-TV movies (1993–1995).DVD Release
RykodiscRykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
released the four TV movies that were made following the cancellation of the weekly series, on DVD for the first time on June 28, 2005. It is unknown if the series will ever be released on DVD.
| Cover Art | DVD Name | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Spenser: The Movie Collection | 4 | Features the four TV movies: Spenser: Ceremony Spenser: Pale Kings And Princes Spenser: The Judas Goat Spenser: A Savage Place
|
Spin-offs and remakes
In 19891989 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:...
, after the show ended, Brooks received his own spin-off series, A Man Called Hawk
A Man Called Hawk
A Man Called Hawk is a prime time television series that ran on the ABC television network between January 1989 and May 1989. The series was a spin-off of the crime drama series Spenser: For Hire, and features the character Hawk, who first appeared in the 1976 novel Promised Land, the fourth in...
.
In an April 23, 2009, entry of his blog, the author stated he was in talks with TNT to produce a remake of the series. Parker died before that could happen, but an administrator, posting on an "official" Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fanpage (who is either Joan Parker or a family friend) notes that the project is in fact still in development.
External links
- Spenser: For Hire at The Internet Movie Database
- Spenser: For Hire, 55 episodes streamed for free from AOL's SlashControl