Series synopsis
Kojak is an American crime action & adventure drama mystery television series that premiered on ABC on October 24, 1973. It ended on March 18, 1978. It was created by Abby Mann. It stars Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson and George Savalas.
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
Premise
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
Premise: Who loves ya, baby?
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Telly Savalas as Theo Kojak
- Dan Frazer as Frank McNeill
- Kevin Dobson as Bobby Crocker
- George Savalas as Curly Stavors
- Kene Holliday as Assistant D.A. Dunn
- Kitty Winn as Carla Magid
- Maria Schell as Sister Lepar Angelica / Princess Viva Dushan
- Priscilla Barnes as Sally Addison / Vicki Addison
Supporting cast
- Diana Hyland as Cleo Donatello
- Larry Haines as Michaels
- Harvey Keitel as Jerry Talaba
- James Keach as Ted Strong
- Ben Masters as Oliver
- Leslie Nielsen as Michael Hagar
- Lisa Pelikan as Jennifer Campbell
- Meeno Peluce as Christopher
- Judith Lowry as Lily Weed
- Verna Bloom as Carrie Zachary
- Dimitra Arliss as Sherry Kaufman
- Paul Shenar as Arthur Harris
Guest cast
- George Savalas as Curly Stavors
- Kene Holliday as Assistant D.A. Dunn
- Kitty Winn as Carla Magid
- Maria Schell as Sister Lepar Angelica / Princess Viva Dushan
- Priscilla Barnes as Sally Addison / Vicki Addison
- Diana Hyland as Cleo Donatello
- Larry Haines as Michaels
- Harvey Keitel as Jerry Talaba
- James Keach as Ted Strong
- Ben Masters as Oliver
- Leslie Nielsen as Michael Hagar
- Lisa Pelikan as Jennifer Campbell
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 126 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 8 | March 8, 1973 | April 7, 1990 |
| Season 1 | 22 | October 24, 1973 | May 8, 1974 |
| Season 2 | 25 | September 15, 1974 | March 9, 1975 |
| Season 3 | 24 | September 14, 1975 | March 7, 1976 |
| Season 4 | 25 | September 26, 1976 | March 22, 1977 |
| Season 5 | 22 | October 2, 1977 | March 18, 1978 |
| Season 6 | 0 | February 16, 1985 | March 16, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Marcus-Nelson Murders A homicide detective begins to suspect that the black teenager accused of murdering two white girls is being framed by his fellow detectives. |
March 8, 1973 |
| 2 |
The Belarus File Lieutenant Theo Kojak teams up with Dana Sutton, a comely federal agent, to uncover a conspiracy reaching back to the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union. |
February 16, 1985 |
| 3 |
The Price of Justice Top New York cop Theo Kojak finds himself trapped in a tangled web of false trials, jealousies and murderous scheming as he investigates the death of two young boys. Their bodies are discovered in a Harlem river, the boys mother is the major suspect. But what appears to be an open shut case soon becomes something much more sinister. |
February 21, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Siege of Terror Kojak has two hours to free the hostages from three robbers in an Army surplus store. |
October 24, 1973 |
| 2 |
Web of Death A fellow detective, Nick Ferro, kills his wife's lover and tries to cover it up. |
October 31, 1973 |
| 3 |
One for the Morgue Kojak is suspicious of anonymous tips suggesting that an underworld boss is attempting assassination of his rival which would lead to a mafia war. |
November 7, 1973 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Chinatown Murders (1) To head off a bloody war between rival crime families, Kojak must find out who committed a series of murders in Chinatown and bring them to justice. |
September 15, 1974 |
| 2 |
The Chinatown Murders (2) To head off a bloody war between rival crime families, Kojak must find out who committed a series of murders in Chinatown and bring them to justice. |
September 15, 1974 |
| 3 |
Hush Now, Don't You Die Kojak tracks down a college student that he suspects has been raped, but is too afraid to come forward after she witnesses one of the assailants murdered by the other. |
September 22, 1974 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Question of Answers (1) An unjustly imprisoned man hopes to clear his name by helping Kojak trap the load shark who framed him. |
September 14, 1975 |
| 2 |
A Question of Answers (2) To clear his name, a man helps Kojak take down a loan shark. |
September 14, 1975 |
| 3 |
My Brother, My Enemy Kojak must overcome outside influences in order to protect a detective (Sylvester Stallone)who accidentally shot a boy. |
September 21, 1975 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Birthday Party On her birthday, Kojak's niece is kidnapped by criminals who want to exchange her for an incarcerated cop killer. |
September 26, 1976 |
| 2 |
A Summer Madness Already confronted with problems at home, Detective Jeff Braddock must face the inquiry of the murder of his mistress, while Kojak investigates the bombing of a restaurant. |
October 3, 1976 |
| 3 |
Law Dance Kojak searches for the killer of a key witness in a prominent murder trial. |
October 10, 1976 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Queen of Hearts Is Wild The girlfriend of a local gangster who hates Kojak is the only witness in the murder of a police officer. |
October 2, 1977 |
| 2 |
A Strange Kind of Love A psychotic murderer thinks that a television talk show host is subliminally brainwashing him to murder. |
October 9, 1977 |
| 3 |
Laid Off A laid off police officer with two jobs and a sick wife takes a bribe under pressure from a loan shark. |
October 16, 1977 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Belarus File With his gruff charm intact and his lollipop habit almost licked, maverick NYPD lieutenant Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) returns in this 1985 TV movie. He's investigating the murders of several émigrés to the U.S. from Russia following World War II. Leads about possible links between the victims might be found in their immigration records, but the Government is balking at releasing the files. A State Department official (Suzanne Pleshette) tries to help, but cutting through the red tape isn't easy. And it takes on a personal urgency for Kojak when his friend Peter Barak (Max von Sydow) goes into hiding. Barak, who seems to have known the murdered men, left behind no explanation, but he did leave a possible clue: an old photograph of his former concentration-camp commandant. |
February 16, 1985 |
| 2 | The Price of Justice | February 21, 1987 |
| 3 | Ariana | November 2, 1989 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 24, 1973 |
| Last aired | March 18, 1978 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | at 22:00:00 |