Starsky y Hutch

As with most cop/buddy shows of the 70s, the plots were pretty generic, and this was no exception. What made the show for most people was the characters. The chemistry between Starsky, and Hutch was people liked, not to mention the flaming red Ford Torino! Where I lived, Starsky, and Hutch became another word for best friends, if you were a guy, (or Laverne, and Shirley for women.) So the writers worked the friendship angle into the plot, as opposed to being just another shootem'up cop show, and unlike the people involved with 'The Dukes of Hazzard', they knew the people were the real stars of the show, not the car.

This was another tv show that had an influence on our culture. Ford sold thousands of copies of the Starsky, and Hutch Torinos (Forgetting the fact the Torino was Starsky's. Hutch drove a beat up 73 Ford custom!), and they redefined cool. If you have a Starsky, and Hutch Torino, HANG ON TO IT! Not only is it worth some major bucks, but it is an icon of our culture.

This has to be one of my all time favorite cop shows. David Soul & Paul Michael Glasser were both great working together. All of the 88 episodes were fun to watch. There Grand Torino is a trademark in television history & I hope that they will show reruns of this classic in Canada soon...

And thank goodness for that. Starsky and Hutch could've been like every other cop show out there, all about fists and bad guys, tough street talk and that car, but it wasn't. What makes Starsky and Hutch unique among cop shows, even today, was the relationship between the two partners. I know that isn't and wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and there are a lot of people who malign the show for the alleged homosexual overtones, but it was the friendship that has drawn me back over all these years. What Starsky and Hutch had was a relationship that spanned all situations...from the crises (The Fix, Shootout, A Coffin for Starsky, et al.) to the everyday humor and good-natured bantering that showed how their closeness and enjoyment of one another. Call me sentimental, but the clothes, the car, the talk, all are somewhat laughable today...but a friendship like that is rare, as well as special, and never goes out of style.

Watching archived episodes of Starsky and Hutch on hulutv has been a real treat lately, especially since I was a regular viewer when the original series started in 1975.

I noticed that producer/director/writer Michael Mann, ala Miami Vice, wrote the first 4 episodes on Season 1.

The episodes had good plots, a variety of fine character actors that played some of the bad guys, foxy girls, funky music background, an original opening theme written by Lalo Schifrin and many other elements that contributed it the show's success.

Fans of the show will always remember Starsky's leather jacket that must have been worn by an ace WW11 fighter pilot and passed down from generation until he probably found it cheap at the local thrift store and Hutch's plaid shirts, khaki pants, the shoulder holsters that held those 6 shooter cannon revolvers, the 2 cars and of course their sometimes pimp but harmless snitch Huggy Bear.

I miss shows in today's TV cable world that's sporting almost 500 channels like the old days of dramatic, sometimes comedic cop shows like S&H. I really had no desire to see the recent movie.

Watching episodes through the online link is really bringing back some memories of decades past.

Along with "All in the Family" and "Seinfeld", "Starsky & Hutch" was among the best shows ever on the air. From 1975-1979 I had only missed the last episode because it had been moved from 9 to 10 pm, one hour past my curfew. I did however throw a tantrum and in the morning was given my first lesson on repairing drywall. Unfortunately in my anger, I had thrown the Gran Torino model I had made through the wall. Now 29 years later, I find myself forgetting phone numbers and names...but for some strange reason, I never forgot the S&H plate number, 537-ONN...SCARY. I was so happy to hear about the movie, but when I found out that they were replaced by Wilson and Stiller, I was sick. That is moronic. However, nothing was as moronic as the film. I read that Glaser & Soul had a 5 minute cameo...but I suppose for those who liked the movie and thought it was funny, they may be too young to tell time. The cameo didn't last more than a minute and it was all unlaughable comedy. The original TV show was a mixture with actors who actually have talent and chemistry. Stick to the original and don't waste a dime on renting the movie. Get the DVD collection. I have it and it is amazing. There is also a Starsky and Hutch game for 9.99-19.99. It is so much fun, and it has the original huggy's voice for the narrator, Antonio Fargas. I hope that one day before long, I will turn on the TV and David Soul will get his wish, Starsky & Hutch will once again ride the TV airwaves for a final tribute.