Any Spenser: For Hire Fans?

[eagle]

I wonder if the casting or Mark Wahlberg has to do with him being a native Bostonian. I personally like Wahlberg (and his brother Donnie, in Blue Bloods) and look forward to seeing him in this new adaptation.

[NotthatRick]

It sounds like they have changed the story and the characters. I will not be watching.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I just discovered all 3 seasons of original Spenser can be streamed free on IMDBtv.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I wonder if the casting or Mark Wahlberg has to do with him being a native Bostonian. I personally like Wahlberg (and his brother Donnie, in Blue Bloods) and look forward to seeing him in this new adaptation.

Hi Eagle,
I haven't seen it but yesterday the reviewer on the radio said it was terrible, at least for fans of the books. That the producer has no understanding of the characters, what
makes them tick, failing to draw at all on the gold mine of the original source.
Hmm, did Lenkov get hold of this remake as well?

[jno]

I love Spenser For Hire and recently watched the entire three seasons over a period of a few months. It's a great show and Robert Urich was born to play Spenser I think (I could never really take to Vega$). For me the stand out season is the final one, way more action and bar two episodes I loved every one of them. There are a far more turkeys in seasons 1 and 2, but nevertheless still loved it.

I saw the recent Spenser Confidential Netflix effort and it was OK for what it was - if you're expecting Robert Urich's Spenser, you can forget it. For me, no one will ever replace Robert Urich in that role. Avery Brooks as Hawk is also untouchable for me.

I just have the 90s Spenser TV Movies to watch now, but I am spacing those out. Today I saw Robert Urich in 'Killing At Hell's Gate' - a TV movie from 1981 - this was pretty good too. Long live Robert Urich. Let's not forget Urich also starred alongside Selleck in 'Bunco' which I also have tucked away - this is OK to kill an hour.

[eagle]

Where did you watch those shows? I'd love to watch that show.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I love Spenser For Hire and recently watched the entire three seasons over a period of a few months. It's a great show and Robert Urich was born to play Spenser I think (I could never really take to Vega$). For me the stand out season is the final one, way more action and bar two episodes I loved every one of them. There are a far more turkeys in seasons 1 and 2, but nevertheless still loved it.
I saw the recent Spenser Confidential Netflix effort and it was OK for what it was - if you're expecting Robert Urich's Spenser, you can forget it. For me, no one will ever replace Robert Urich in that role. Avery Brooks as Hawk is also untouchable for me.
I just have the 90s Spenser TV Movies to watch now, but I am spacing those out. Today I saw Robert Urich in 'Killing At Hell's Gate' - a TV movie from 1981 - this was pretty good too. Long live Robert Urich. Let's not forget Urich also starred alongside Selleck in 'Bunco' which I also have tucked away - this is OK to kill an hour.

Hi jno,
Excellent post! I happened to be in Boston when Spenser was filming and watched from across the street. Back at the Copley that night where I was staying with my crew, the bartender mentioned Spenser
had previously filmed scenes in the bar. Sure enough later on that year the Copley bar appeared in a episode. My "six degrees of separation" brush with Urich.
Have you ever seen Urich on Cheers, lots of Spenser references.
A "Minder" fan! They are few and far between in America, I don't think the PBS stations ever ran Minder but it's their loss. Starring Dennis Waterman, best known here for New Tricks. Waterman is also a
talented singer and sang Minder's - as well as New Tricks - theme song which became a big hit, it is quite infectious.
Unlike many "tough guy" actors he is the real deal, which many a drunk in a pub trying to test him found out the hard way.

[jno]

In the UK Spenser was shown at various places late night mid-week right up till 1993. I never saw it on original transmission, and only got into it recently after watching 70s SWAT which I also like and thought "why have I never watched this? SWAT's Steve Forrest is better known as ITC's 'The Baron' which is great.

In the UK Urich is probably best known as Dan Tanna in Vega$.

Urich is an interesting actor for me, he's arguably as wooden as a wardrobe in some things but the presence he emits seems to counteract that 100 fold. He really is very much a hero type character and I always find him extremely good value for money. Off screen he also seemed an incredibly nice person, and what happened to him is in itself a sickening tragedy - he was a good guy.

What's nice about Spenser for Hire is the Boston backdrop - so many US shows are either from LA, the country (Dukes/Westerns) and occasionally Hawaii. Its nice to see Boston with its narrow streets, (dare I say European style architecture on here?) and dirty snowy roads - a real change to the over glam of LA. To the average British viewer, there's very little difference between say the locations in say for example The Streets of San Francisco and CHiPs, but Boston is noticeably different, at least to me anyway.

I've got a few more Urich TV movies to watch here. As for where I watched these Spenser eps, I bought the region 1 DVDs from the US including the movies boxset. They were NOT cheap and cost me the proverbial arm and a leg, and of course ye olde customs man had his cut en route. However, I must confess, Spenser was worth every penny (or cent!). Highly recommend. Even Mrs jno loves Hawk saying 'SpenSaaaa'.



I'll check out the Cheers references at some point. I take it this was only in the ep Urich appeared in ... 'Woody for Hire'?. Thanks for the tip off!

At some point I'd like to track down some of the Spenser locations in Boston, as my knowledge of Boston is zero (other than Cheers and Banacek are set there and Boston are a great rock band).

I knocked this now/then up the other day, all nr Park Street station, courtesy of Google Maps - I'd love to do more at some point, but like anything this takes time.



As for Minder, I have broadcast dates for Canada but nothing for the US (yet anyway). I really wonder how Minder would have gone down in the US, but that's wandering way off topic.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

In the UK Spenser was shown at various places late night mid-week right up till 1993. I never saw it on original transmission, and only got into it recently after watching 70s SWAT which I also like and thought "why have I never watched this? SWAT's Steve Forrest is better known as ITC's 'The Baron' which is great.
In the UK Urich is probably best known as Dan Tanna in Vega$.
Urich is an interesting actor for me, he's arguably as wooden as a wardrobe in some things but the presence he emits seems to counteract that 100 fold. He really is very much a hero type character and I always find him extremely good value for money. Off screen he also seemed an incredibly nice person, and what happened to him is in itself a sickening tragedy - he was a good guy.
What's nice about Spenser for Hire is the Boston backdrop - so many US shows are either from LA, the country (Dukes/Westerns) and occasionally Hawaii. Its nice to see Boston with its narrow streets, (dare I say European style architecture on here?) and dirty snowy roads - a real change to the over glam of LA. To the average British viewer, there's very little difference between say the locations in say for example The Streets of San Francisco and CHiPs, but Boston is noticeably different, at least to me anyway.
I've got a few more Urich TV movies to watch here. As for where I watched these Spenser eps, I bought the region 1 DVDs from the US including the movies boxset. They were NOT cheap and cost me the proverbial arm and a leg, and of course ye olde customs man had his cut en route. However, I must confess, Spenser was worth every penny (or cent!). Highly recommend. Even Mrs jno loves Hawk saying 'SpenSaaaa'.

I'll check out the Cheers references at some point. I take it this was only in the ep Urich appeared in ... 'Woody for Hire'?. Thanks for the tip off!
At some point I'd like to track down some of the Spenser locations in Boston, as my knowledge of Boston is zero (other than Cheers and Banacek are set there and Boston are a great rock band).
I knocked this now/then up the other day, all nr Park Street station, courtesy of Google Maps - I'd love to do more at some point, but like anything this takes time.



As for Minder, I have broadcast dates for Canada but nothing for the US (yet anyway). I really wonder how Minder would have gone down in the US, but that's wandering way off topic.

Hi jno,
You summed up Urich as an actor perfectly. He found his niche as an actor and rocked those type of roles. Just as John Wayne couldn't do Shakespeare, Olivier couldn't do Rooster Cogburn, they
were good in their own particular areas.
Boston is indeed a beautiful city with much to offer from great food to the USS Constitution, aka the frigate "Old Ironsides". The only better preserved warship from the age of sail that I have seen is
the HMS Victory. The only drawback to Beantown is that the natives have a odd attachment to the benighted Boston Red Sox instead of the regal and stylish NY Yankees.
Yes, "Woody for Hire" is the Urich episode of Cheers. Banacek is another Boston set gem, it's remarkable how much staying power it has had with only 17 episodes.
Avery "Hawk" Brooks is a tenured professor at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ and lives in Princeton. I imagine if you wanted his autographed photo you could contact him care of Rutgers.

There's an old Polish proverb that says, 'When a wolf is chasing your sleigh, throw him a raisin cookie, but don't stop to bake a cake'...Banacek

[eagle]

Seeing these pics and the renewed interest in this thread is reminding me of the comment I made 6 years ago in this thread about the letter I wrote to RBP after I moved to Cambridge. It also makes me miss living there.

Dobie, you're right on -- the food was awesome. I remember exploring the North End -- I would think to myself "where should I go?" and then I realized: it didn't matter! It was all good!

I need to get back to Beantown. And, speaking of Beantown, I've met two Boston Terriers lately whose names were Boston-related: Beans, and Bean.

[MagnumILWU]

https://www.amazon.com/Spensers-Boston- ... 1883402506

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

https://www.amazon.com/Spensers-Boston- ... 1883402506

MagnumILWU,
That sounds like a very cool book. And what a nice guy you are to point it out, as that is no doubt what jno is looking for. Magnum should send you a case of Old Dusseldorf.

[MagnumILWU]

https://www.amazon.com/Spensers-Boston- ... 1883402506

Thanks! I've had my copy since the the 90's, having discovered the books in the early 90's. I even found a map of Boston at that time, at our used library book store, "Title Wave", to check out locations!
MagnumILWU,
That sounds like a very cool book. And what a nice guy you are to point it out, as that is no doubt what jno is looking for. Magnum should send you a case of Old Dusseldorf.

[jno]

I'm still holding off on the Spenser movies and keeping them for a rainy day. I am currently ODing on Urich's fine array of good, bad and ugly TV movies, none of which have really ever materialised on UK screens. I think Spenser was a bit of an afterthought for ye old BBC too.

In the last week, I've managed to watch Killing At Hell's Gate (1981), Murder By Night (1989) and And Then She Was Gone/A Stranger's Hand (1991). To be honest it is VERY hard for me to watch anything post Spenser For Hire without thinking of Urich as Spenser and it's a crying shame there are only 3 seasons out there as for me season 3 is the best by a country mile. Imho, he was made for the role of Spenser For Hire.

[MagnumILWU]

I'm still holding off on the Spenser movies and keeping them for a rainy day. I am currently ODing on Urich's fine array of good, bad and ugly TV movies, none of which have really ever materialised on UK screens. I think Spenser was a bit of an afterthought for ye old BBC too.

In the last week, I've managed to watch Killing At Hell's Gate (1981), Murder By Night (1989) and And Then She Was Gone/A Stranger's Hand (1991). To be honest it is VERY hard for me to watch anything post Spenser For Hire without thinking of Urich as Spenser and it's a crying shame there are only 3 seasons out there as for me season 3 is the best by a country mile. Imho, he was made for the role of Spenser For Hire.

Have you seen the Spenser,made for tv movies, with Robert Urich? 'Ceremony' 1993, 'Pale Kings and Princes' 1994, 'The Judas Goat' 1994, and 'A Savage Place' 1995.