Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson, George Savalas | Created by Abby Mann
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £34.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 1153 minutes | Directed by Various
As one of the most iconic TV cops in television history, Lieutenant Theo Kojak will always be remembered for his shiny bald head, natty dress sense, lollipops and catchphrase 'Who loves ya baby?' Telly Savalas plays the charismatic New York cop battling the city's lowlifes – from petty criminals to drug dealers as well as large scale corruption – with the help of Detectives Crocker (Dobson) and Stavros (Telly's brother George).
For all the hoopla surrounding Kojak, it's slightly disappointing to discover that on the whole, the stories are fairly workaday and lack much in the way of dramatic tension. Without any great mysteries to solve (such as in Columbo) or frentic action (Starsky and Hutch) it's left to the characters to drive the plots. Savalas himself is charisma personified and it's no wonder he won an Emmy and two Golden Globes – every time he's on screen his presence is magnetic.
Unfortunately, in some episodes he's not involved nearly enough and the show suffers from his absence. But more than that, too often it's a slow-going and melodramatic police procedural with more grit than wit. Perhaps it was The Wire of its day but while it's well constructed, by today's high standards it lacks spark or even originality.
The transfer to DVD is not of the highest quality and at times looks a bit ropey. On the other hand, it does lend the shows an authentically '70s feel, which is added to by the fashions of the day. Kojak's trademark black fedora almost always gets an outing and some of his shirt collars look fit for hang-gliding. But overall Kojak hasn't stood up to the test of time all that well. Potentially a must for nostalgia-hungry fans of the series, it passes the time satisfactorily but is unlikely to enthrall the casual viewer, especially given the fame of the character.
EXTRAS None