If I’m working at home I tend to stick the TV on as the white noise of daytime programming helps me concentrate on what I’m doing. That’s until something good comes on of course then it’s cuppa and couch time.
Kojak is being rerun on ITV4 and now that I know that, I’m recording it on a daily basis. I’d forgotten how good it was, stories based in subjects we often think are edgy on TV today, like drug or sex related crimes. There’s often no happy ending either, Kojak is left with no resolution and nothing but frustration. Brave for its time maybe? Starsky and Hutch started out the same and ended up stuck in a block of cheese, it’ll interesting to see where Kojak goes.
Telly Savalas has the lollipops and he has the genius catchphrases, but he also has ability. There’s a lot of subtlety in his portrayal of Kojak, believable fire at times as well. His eyes give it away, when Brad Pitt’s on screen his eyes look like he’s remembering the script or spending his fee, Savalas is in his character’s moment. Status is not a real indicator of ability.
Aye, it looks rushed at times, cheap at moments too, but New York looks real, the grime and the faces of the surprised passers-by make it so. It’s a car spotters dream too, American Muscle on every street corner or drifting around corners as Kojak’s Buick chases them down with his wee light flashing away and sidekick Crocker hanging on for dear life.
I do like new TV, really I do, Perception and Grimm would you believe are popular in our house once the reruns of Spongebob are finished. But it’s nice to see that childhood memories haven’t been torn down like era matching woodchip wallpaper when you revisit old favourites. Who loves ya indeed.
