T. J. Hooker
Encyclopedia
T.J. Hooker is an American police drama
television program starring William Shatner
in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982 on ABC
and ran on the network until May 4, 1985. The show was then picked up for a further single season by CBS
.
The supporting cast includes Adrian Zmed as rookie Officer Vince Romano, Heather Locklear
as rookie Officer Stacy Sheridan (season 2 onwards), and Richard Herd
as Captain Dennis Sheridan as personnel in the fictional "LCPD" Police Department Academy Precinct. Towards the end of the show's second season, James Darren
became a regular cast member as Officer Jim Corrigan.
The series was created by Rick Husky, who later went on to serve as executive producer of Walker Texas Ranger, and produced by Aaron Spelling
and Leonard Goldberg
.
for Aaron Spelling
and Leonard Goldberg
. The series was originally to be a reworking of that former cop show, this time called The Protectors. After the pilot, it was decided to focus the series on William Shatner's character and retitle it T. J. Hooker. The series initially set out to give a more "hands on", procedure-based view of police work than some of the more stylized cop shows of the 1970s and 1980s, evident in the very early episodes.
(All My Children
), Brian Patrick Clarke
(The Bold and the Beautiful
), Kelly Harmon (The Bay City Blues), and Adrian Zmed (Dance Fever
). Hal Williams
played a senior officer, and Richard Herd
made a brief appearance as Captain Dennis Sheridan, Hooker's tough but understanding superior. Back in uniform, Hooker was assigned to train the academy recruits. During most of the series, Hooker was partnered with brash, sometimes hot-headed young rookie Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed). With Romano much his junior, Hooker acted as his mentor both professionally and socially. The age difference generally being the key hook of the partnership, the pair quickly became fast friends and a good team.
Outside of his work, Hooker was divorced as a result of his work putting a strain on his marriage, but was still friendly with his ex-wife, nurse Fran. Hooker was a ladies' man, but was still trying to adjust to being single once again. Lee Bryant
was the original actress to portray Fran; the part was later reprised by a different actress.
Hooker's tough, no-nonsense demeanor saw him often clashing with station Captain
Sheridan (Richard Herd
), but he always got the job done and was highly respected as a result. Working behind the desk at the police precinct, Vicki Taylor (April Clough) was a female officer who usually spent time dodging pick-up comments from Vince Romano. Introduced at the start of the second season was attractive Officer Stacy Sheridan (Heather Locklear
), the daughter of Captain Sheridan and Hooker's younger partner-in-command, who attended the police academy and replaced Vicki. Initially brought in to fill Officer Vicky Taylor's shoes, by the end of the season she had progressed to patrolling with Jim Corrigan (James Darren
), another veteran cop much in the mold of Hooker.
From the third season onward, Hooker and Romano (Unit 4-Adam-30), and Stacy and Corrigan (4-Adam-16), usually worked closely together to tackle cases. The addition of Corrigan and Sheridan's partnership added an extra dimension to the show, sometimes with whole plots revolving around one or both of them.
For the final season, the series moved from ABC to a late-night slot on CBS
. Along with the move, Adrian Zmed chose to leave the series to pursue other projects, leaving Hooker to patrol alone or to generally work as more of a trio with Stacy and Jim, often on undercover work.
With its blend of humor mixed with "on the streets" grittiness, the show proved popular. The first season ranked 28th in the Nielsen ratings, but subsequent seasons failed to repeat the same level of success.
The third season saw a slight revamp (including the theme music being rearranged into a more pop-driven version), with Corrigan set into place as Stacy's partner, Captain Sheridan being dropped into the background (appearing as 'Special Guest Star' in just a few third and fourth season episodes), and stories drifting towards a more straight forward cops-and-robbers fare.
re-broadcast the entire series, running one episode per weekday at 4 a.m. It is also available in a shortened format on The Minisode Network
and full length episodes are available on Crackle
. Me-TV also airs reruns of the series. The Universal HD Channel started airing episodes in September, 2010. On October 9, 2010, the Sleuth network began a 24 hour T.J. Hooker marathon.
In the United Kingdom
, the show was originally broadcast by ITV
in the 1980s. Most regions broadcast episodes at 7:45pm on Saturday evenings, later in a similar Friday evening slot; some regions gave it a slot of a different day, and not all regions broadcast the entire series. Some regions also broadcast the later episodes during the night-time during the advent of 24-hour broadcasting. In 2002, Five ran the whole series through, in a weekday 11 a.m. slot. In 2009, digital channel Quest
aired the series on a daily basis, although they only hold the rights to show the first three seasons. In Italy
the series started to air in 1983 on Canale 5
. After his first run, it was often repeated through the years: first on Italia Uno (late afternoon or in the morning ) and then on Rete4 (in the morning) and Fox Retrò
(in the evening). Recently, METOO a Sister station of WCIU-TV in Chicago began airing the show in a 2:00pm timeslot.
Hooker and Romano's radio call sign for their "black and white
" was "4-Adam-30", and radio calls were very similar to those of Los Angeles Police Department
, using three bursts of a 900 Hz tone, using LAPD-type radio codes, and the officers acknowledging with roger. The series itself was produced in the Los Angeles area, and the call sign denoted a two-officer unit ("Adam") based in the LAPD's Hollenbeck division ("4"), with "30" as a supervisor unit.
Shatner's Star Trek
co-star Leonard Nimoy
guested in the second season episode "Vengeance is Mine", as well as directing "The Decoy", also in the second season. In addition, both Sharon Stone
and Tori Spelling
guest-starred in episodes before they were well-known actresses (in Stone's case, it was the fourth season episode "Hollywood Starr", a backdoor pilot for a series that would have starred her, but which never sold ). T.J. Hooker featured many notable character actors in recurring roles throughout the series, including:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
has released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1 and 2. No plans have been announced for DVDs of further seasons after the first volume only had moderate sales.
NOTE: The last two episodes (episodes 27 & 28) of this boxset (region 2) are in fact the first two episodes of Season 3.
was said to be in talks to direct, and writing team Brent Maddock
and S.S. Wilson would script.
. The original film elements were mastered for high definition, but the program was cropped to a 1.78 aspect ratio to fill the screens of modern televisions.
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...
television program starring William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982 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...
and ran on the network until May 4, 1985. The show was then picked up for a further single season by CBS
CBS
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...
.
The supporting cast includes Adrian Zmed as rookie Officer Vince Romano, Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
as rookie Officer Stacy Sheridan (season 2 onwards), and Richard Herd
Richard Herd
Richard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
as Captain Dennis Sheridan as personnel in the fictional "LCPD" Police Department Academy Precinct. Towards the end of the show's second season, James Darren
James Darren
James William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
became a regular cast member as Officer Jim Corrigan.
The series was created by Rick Husky, who later went on to serve as executive producer of Walker Texas Ranger, and produced by Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
and Leonard Goldberg
Leonard Goldberg
Leonard J. Goldberg is an American film producer and television producer. He has his own production company, Mandy Films. He served as head of programming for ABC, and was president of 20th Century Fox...
.
Background
The series was created by Rick Husky who had also worked on The RookiesThe Rookies
The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It followed the exploits of three rookie police officers in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department .-History:...
for Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
and Leonard Goldberg
Leonard Goldberg
Leonard J. Goldberg is an American film producer and television producer. He has his own production company, Mandy Films. He served as head of programming for ABC, and was president of 20th Century Fox...
. The series was originally to be a reworking of that former cop show, this time called The Protectors. After the pilot, it was decided to focus the series on William Shatner's character and retitle it T. J. Hooker. The series initially set out to give a more "hands on", procedure-based view of police work than some of the more stylized cop shows of the 1970s and 1980s, evident in the very early episodes.
Synopsis
Veteran LCPD detective Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Hooker (William Shatner) saw his partner murdered. The longtime plainclothes officer then returned to the beat as a uniformed sergeant to try and rid the streets of the same type of criminals that were responsible for crimes including his partner's death. In "The Protectors," the series' pilot TV movie, Hooker trained a group of new police academy recruits, including those played by Richard LawsonRichard Lawson
Richard Lawson is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is perhaps best-known for his roles in science fiction—he portrayed Ryan in the 1982 hit movie Poltergeist, and Dr...
(All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
), Brian Patrick Clarke
Brian Patrick Clarke
Brian Patrick Clarke is an American actor.Clarke was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from Yale University in 1974...
(The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
), Kelly Harmon (The Bay City Blues), and Adrian Zmed (Dance Fever
Dance Fever
Dance Fever is an American musical variety series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was created and produced by Merv Griffin and written by Tony Garofalo....
). Hal Williams
Hal Williams
Harold "Hal" Williams is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as the black cop Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on 227....
played a senior officer, and Richard Herd
Richard Herd
Richard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
made a brief appearance as Captain Dennis Sheridan, Hooker's tough but understanding superior. Back in uniform, Hooker was assigned to train the academy recruits. During most of the series, Hooker was partnered with brash, sometimes hot-headed young rookie Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed). With Romano much his junior, Hooker acted as his mentor both professionally and socially. The age difference generally being the key hook of the partnership, the pair quickly became fast friends and a good team.
Outside of his work, Hooker was divorced as a result of his work putting a strain on his marriage, but was still friendly with his ex-wife, nurse Fran. Hooker was a ladies' man, but was still trying to adjust to being single once again. Lee Bryant
Lee Bryant
Lee Bryant is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for the role as Mrs. Hammen in the 1980 film Airplane! and appearing the 1982 sequel....
was the original actress to portray Fran; the part was later reprised by a different actress.
Hooker's tough, no-nonsense demeanor saw him often clashing with station Captain
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....
Sheridan (Richard Herd
Richard Herd
Richard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
), but he always got the job done and was highly respected as a result. Working behind the desk at the police precinct, Vicki Taylor (April Clough) was a female officer who usually spent time dodging pick-up comments from Vince Romano. Introduced at the start of the second season was attractive Officer Stacy Sheridan (Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
), the daughter of Captain Sheridan and Hooker's younger partner-in-command, who attended the police academy and replaced Vicki. Initially brought in to fill Officer Vicky Taylor's shoes, by the end of the season she had progressed to patrolling with Jim Corrigan (James Darren
James Darren
James William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
), another veteran cop much in the mold of Hooker.
From the third season onward, Hooker and Romano (Unit 4-Adam-30), and Stacy and Corrigan (4-Adam-16), usually worked closely together to tackle cases. The addition of Corrigan and Sheridan's partnership added an extra dimension to the show, sometimes with whole plots revolving around one or both of them.
For the final season, the series moved from ABC to a late-night slot on CBS
CBS
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...
. Along with the move, Adrian Zmed chose to leave the series to pursue other projects, leaving Hooker to patrol alone or to generally work as more of a trio with Stacy and Jim, often on undercover work.
With its blend of humor mixed with "on the streets" grittiness, the show proved popular. The first season ranked 28th in the Nielsen ratings, but subsequent seasons failed to repeat the same level of success.
The third season saw a slight revamp (including the theme music being rearranged into a more pop-driven version), with Corrigan set into place as Stacy's partner, Captain Sheridan being dropped into the background (appearing as 'Special Guest Star' in just a few third and fourth season episodes), and stories drifting towards a more straight forward cops-and-robbers fare.
Cancellation and revival
Hooker was canceled by ABC in the summer of 1985, but the series survived when CBS picked up the show and produced new, longer episodes: 17 ninety-minute episodes and 1 two-hour TV movie titled "Blood Sport". The ninety-minute episodes were shown later at night as part of the CBS "Crime Time After Prime-Time" showcase during the late 1980s/early 1990s. In reruns and international broadcasts the ninety-minute episodes are usually cut to one-hour, and "Blood Sport" is shown in two parts. The TV movie and the penultimate episode were both aired by CBS on May 21, 1986, with the finale one week later on May 28, 1986.US and International Syndication
Starting in 2005, the A&E NetworkA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
re-broadcast the entire series, running one episode per weekday at 4 a.m. It is also available in a shortened format on The Minisode Network
The Minisode Network
The Minisode Network is a Sony Pictures Television internet television network launched in June 2007. The term minisode is a portmanteau of "mini" and "episode." Unlike webisodes, which are initially broadcast on the internet, minisodes are condensed versions of previously broadcast, full length,...
and full length episodes are available on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
. Me-TV also airs reruns of the series. The Universal HD Channel started airing episodes in September, 2010. On October 9, 2010, the Sleuth network began a 24 hour T.J. Hooker marathon.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the show was originally broadcast by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the 1980s. Most regions broadcast episodes at 7:45pm on Saturday evenings, later in a similar Friday evening slot; some regions gave it a slot of a different day, and not all regions broadcast the entire series. Some regions also broadcast the later episodes during the night-time during the advent of 24-hour broadcasting. In 2002, Five ran the whole series through, in a weekday 11 a.m. slot. In 2009, digital channel Quest
Quest (TV channel)
Quest is a TV channel in the United Kingdom. Quest provides factual, lifestyle, entertainment programmes and other imported material. The channel is operated by Discovery Networks Western Europe.-History:...
aired the series on a daily basis, although they only hold the rights to show the first three seasons. In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
the series started to air in 1983 on Canale 5
Canale 5
Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
. After his first run, it was often repeated through the years: first on Italia Uno (late afternoon or in the morning ) and then on Rete4 (in the morning) and Fox Retrò
Fox Retro
Fox Retro is an Italian television channel owned by Fox International Channels Italy. It feature older American television series from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It is available with a Sky Italia subscription...
(in the evening). Recently, METOO a Sister station of WCIU-TV in Chicago began airing the show in a 2:00pm timeslot.
Main cast
- William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
as Sergeant Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Hooker - Adrian Zmed as Officer Vince Romano (seasons 1–4)
- April Clough as Officer Vicki Taylor (season 1)
- Heather LocklearHeather LocklearHeather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
as Officer Stacy Sheridan (seasons 2–5) - Richard HerdRichard HerdRichard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
as Captain Dennis Sheridan (main cast seasons 1-2, occasional special guest star seasons 3-4) - James DarrenJames DarrenJames William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
as Officer Jim Corrigan (seasons 2–5)
Hooker and Romano's radio call sign for their "black and white
Black and white (slang)
Black and white is an American slang term for a police car that is painted in large panels of black and white or generally any "marked" police car. Historically, this scheme was much favored by North American police forces because it allowed the unambiguous recognition of patrol units from a...
" was "4-Adam-30", and radio calls were very similar to those of Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
, using three bursts of a 900 Hz tone, using LAPD-type radio codes, and the officers acknowledging with roger. The series itself was produced in the Los Angeles area, and the call sign denoted a two-officer unit ("Adam") based in the LAPD's Hollenbeck division ("4"), with "30" as a supervisor unit.
Recurring cast members and notable guest stars
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
co-star Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
guested in the second season episode "Vengeance is Mine", as well as directing "The Decoy", also in the second season. In addition, both Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
and Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
guest-starred in episodes before they were well-known actresses (in Stone's case, it was the fourth season episode "Hollywood Starr", a backdoor pilot for a series that would have starred her, but which never sold ). T.J. Hooker featured many notable character actors in recurring roles throughout the series, including:
- Hugh Farrington as Det. Pete O'Brien (18 episodes, 1984–1986)
- Paul Kent as Corter (6 episodes, 1982–1985)
- Nicole EggertNicole EggertNicole Elizabeth Eggert is an American actress. Notable roles include Jamie Powell in the television series Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn in the TV Series Baywatch. She was most recently a contestant on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.-Early life:Eggert was born in Glendale,...
as Christine "Chrissie" Hooker (T. J.'s daughter) (5 episodes, 1982–1983) - Lee BryantLee BryantLee Bryant is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for the role as Mrs. Hammen in the 1980 film Airplane! and appearing the 1982 sequel....
as Fran Hooker (4 episodes, 1982–1983) - Robert MianoRobert Miano-Early life:Robert Miano was born in New York City and raised in the Southeast Bronx area.At the age of 15, he started a fledgling singing career when a talent agent heard him singing with a doo-wop group on a Bronx street corner...
as Alex Lucas (4 episodes, 1982–1985) - James O'Sullivan as Det. Conrad (4 episodes, 1982–1985)
- Shawn Weatherly as Claudia Cole (4 episodes, 1983)
- Robert DaviRobert DaviRobert John Davi is an American actor and singer. He has played such roles as Vietnam veteran and Special Agent Johnson in Die Hard, the villainous Jake Fratelli in The Goonies, and Al Torres in Showgirls...
as Joseph Picartus (2 episodes, 1982–1984) - Mickey JonesMickey JonesMickey Jones is an American musician and actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Frances Marie and Fred Edward Jones...
as Dave Bowman (2 episodes, 1982–1984) - Jim BrownJim BrownJames Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
as Detective Jim Cody (2 episodes, 1983–1984) - George CheungGeorge CheungGeorge Kee Cheung is a Chinese actor, stunt man, and singer with an extensive career in American television and film dating back to the mid-1970s, often playing Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian parts...
as Dr. Coe (2 episodes, 1983–1984) - Mike Genovese as Lucky Robinson (2 episodes, 1983–1984)
- Peter BrownPeter Brown (actor)Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
as Lt. Drummer (2 episodes, 1983) - James HongJames HongJames Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
as Dr. Hong (2 episodes, 1983) - Phil Shea as Himself (1 episode, "Requiem for a Cop", 1983)
- Alex RoccoAlex RoccoAlex Rocco is an American actor. His roles have ranged from comedy to playing gangsters in Mafia movies.-Early life:...
as Capt. C. Danza (2 episodes, 1984–1986) - Tina Lifford as Lorraine Barr (2 episodes, 1984–1985)
- Al White as Freddie (2 episodes, 1984–1985)
- Scott MarloweScott MarloweScott Gregory Marlowe was a versatile American actor of film, television, and stage, who was born and died in Los Angeles, California.-Early film career:...
as Marty Lathon (1 episode, "The Ransom", 1985) - Savannah Smith BoucherSavannah Smith BoucherSavannah Smith Boucher is an American actress originally from Springhill in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Her younger sister, Sherry Boucher, is a former actress who was the third wife of the late actor George Peppard....
as Eadie Morgan (1 episode, "The Two Faces of Betsy Morgan", 1984) - Mary-Margaret HumesMary-Margaret HumesMary-Margaret Humes is an American actress best known in recent years for playing Gail Leery, the title character's mother on the WB television drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003.- Biography :...
as Lisa Temple (2 episodes, 1985–1986) - Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
as himself (1 episode, "Deadly Ambition", 1982) - David CarusoDavid CarusoDavid Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
as Jennings (1 episode, "Requiem for a Cop", 1983) - Trisha NobleTrisha NoblePatricia Ann Ruth "Trisha" Noble is an Australian singer and actress.-Biography:Noble was born in Sydney, Australia. Her father was comedian and singer Buster Noble and her mother was the entertainer Helen De Paul....
as Lorraine Daggert (1 episode, "Carnal Express", 1983) - Joel Syvrud as Grady Dinsdale ( Pimp/drug dealer, "Carnal Express", 1983)
Episodes
William Shatner is the only actor to appear in every episode of the series. Heather Locklear appeared in the second highest number of episode, appearing in 84 of the 90 episodes, after joining the cast's second season.DVD releases
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
has released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1 and 2. No plans have been announced for DVDs of further seasons after the first volume only had moderate sales.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasons 1 and 2 | 27 | August 9, 2005 | September 26, 2005 |
NOTE: The last two episodes (episodes 27 & 28) of this boxset (region 2) are in fact the first two episodes of Season 3.
Film
In July 2009, it was announced that T. J. Hooker was set to be adapted into a film. Chuck RussellChuck Russell
Charles "Chuck" Russell is an American motion picture director, producer and actor.-Filmography:*The Hearse *Hell Night *The Seduction...
was said to be in talks to direct, and writing team Brent Maddock
Brent Maddock
Brent Maddock is a screenwriter, producer and film director who has worked on several high profile projects like Short Circuit, Tremors, and Wild Wild West. Maddock's writing partner is S.S...
and S.S. Wilson would script.
High Definition
Beginning on October 1, 2010 The series was rebroadcast on Universal HDUniversal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
. The original film elements were mastered for high definition, but the program was cropped to a 1.78 aspect ratio to fill the screens of modern televisions.