This week, ABC announced the cancellation of "Life On Mars," a police show whose yellowish tint and fake sideburns were supposed to take the characters and viewers back to New York in 1973.
There was a show actually made in New York in 1973 (by CBS) that did it much better, which viewers can catch on DVD or online: Kojak.
A television movie, "The Marcus Nelson Murders," launched the saga of New York Police Lieutenant Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas. Most of the cast that would join him for the series, including Kevin Dobson as Detective Bobby Crocker, were not in the movie.
Available on DVD, that movie cannot as yet be seen on Hulu.com, but the first season, from "Siege of Terror" forward, as well as Seasons 2 and 3 are available there. You can feel the dirt of the New York streets of the early 1970s as you watch those episodes. They are as gritty as the best the original "Law & Order" has to offer:
http://www.hulu.com/kojak
Eventually, the show would get somewhat campy, with the lollipop (taken when both Savalas and his alter ego quit smoking) and with Kojak's catchphrase "Who Loves Ya, Baby?" But it's high quality, nonetheless.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
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