MovieChat Forums > Kojak (1973) Discussion > Five reasons Why I Like This Show

Five reasons Why I Like This Show

posted 12 years ago by kokopop-3
16 replies | jump to latest

#1
The writing is excellent (much better than a lot of current TV). The plots are distinctive but not too gimmicky and I love the dialogue.
#2
Everything about this show, from the clothes, the cars and the gritty atmosphere are a time capsule of, and an homage to, 1970's New York.
#3
Telly Savalas
He looks great in the Botany 500 suits, has some of the best lines and more than anything, is just so REAL. He makes the viewer believe that he isn't acting, he's just being himself. He IS Kojak.
#4
The guest stars include every name actor who was working at that time. I didn't even know Harvey Keitel ever did TV until I saw the first episode.
#5
The onscreen relationships. I love it when Kojak and Captain MacNeil bicker like an old married couple, Kojak is like an older brother to Crocker acting like a mentor to the younger cop.

[–] nlfan-1 10 years ago

Everything about this show, from the clothes, the cars and the gritty atmosphere are a time capsule of, and an homage to, 1970's New York.

I think this is the main reason I like this show-it shows New York exactly as it was in the 1970's, warts and all. Telly Savalas pushed the producers to do more filming on the streets of the city and I'm glad they listened to him-had the whole show been shot on the Universal back lot it would have detracted from the gritty realism of the show. The only other cop show I can think of that matched up well with Kojak on this score is the forgotten series N.Y.P.D. from 1967-69.

And the writing and use of guest stars was excellent as well. The character interactions are also great in that dingy police station-you can tell New York was having financial trouble by just looking at the grimy walls in that station!