Grit, Loyalty, and Justice in 1980s Boston

Read Time:5 Minute, 29 Second

TV SERIES REVIEW
Spenser: For Hire: The Complete Series
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Genre: Drama, Crime, Mystery
Year Released: 1985–1988, Complete Series on DVD 2025
Runtime: 65 x 60m episdoes
Creator: John Wilder
Cast: Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Ron McLarty, Richard Jaeckel, Barbara Stock, Carolyn McCormick
Where to Watch: coming to DVD on September 9, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: The 1980s were a fertile ground for detective shows on television. Yet amid the sea of trench coats and car chases, SPENSER: FOR HIRE distinguished itself with a mix of toughness and refinement. Based on Robert B. Parker’s novels, the series followed private investigator Spenser (Robert Urich), a former cop whose fists were as quick as his wit, and who navigated Boston’s underworld with intelligence, honor, and a surprising dose of introspection.

The series ran from 1985 to 1988, producing 65 episodes across three seasons. While it never reached the cultural standing of MAGNUM, P.I. or MIAMI VICE, it carved out its own niche by presenting a protagonist who wasn’t just brawn. Spenser was a man who quoted poetry and cooked gourmet meals, yet never shied away from danger. This balance gave the show a distinct personality that set it apart from its contemporaries and ensured its impact in the memories of those who watched.

Urich brought charisma and morality to the role, embodying a detective who was far from cynical. Unlike the hard-boiled loners who often defined the genre, Spenser lived by a personal code rooted in loyalty, compassion, and a sharp moral compass. Urich’s charm made this code believable; audiences could accept that a man so at ease quoting verse could also square off with a hired thug in a Boston alley. His performance anchored the series and remains the reason it’s fondly remembered this many years later.

Equally vital was Avery Brooks as Hawk, Spenser’s ally and occasional counterweight. Hawk quickly became one of television’s most unforgettable supporting characters—a sharply dressed, streetwise enforcer who balanced menace with humor. Brooks’ screen presence was magnetic, elevating every scene he appeared in and providing the show with a coolness that has aged remarkably well. Many fans would argue Hawk became as essential to the show’s appeal as Spenser himself. Brooks would later headline the spin-off A MAN CALLED HAWK, but it was here that his legend began.

Boston played a starring role as well. Rather than hiding behind studio backlots, the show leaned heavily on real locations. From city streets to landmarks, the setting wasn’t just window dressing—it shaped the texture of the series. The cold, lived-in authenticity of Boston gave the stories more grit than shows set in sun-drenched California or stylized Miami. This focus on atmosphere made SPENSER: FOR HIRE stand apart visually, grounding its mysteries in a tangible world.

Ron McLarty as Sgt. Belson and Richard Jaeckel, as Lt. Quirk, provided believable law enforcement allies, while Barbara Stock and later Carolyn McCormick brought romantic complications that, although underwritten, further humanized Spenser. Their roles sometimes suffered from the era’s tendency to sideline female characters, but they nonetheless contributed important aspects to the series.

Not every aspect of the show held up equally well. The first season offered some of the strongest writing, leaning into morally complex mysteries with sharper dialogue and tighter plotting. By the third season, however, signs of fatigue began to appear. Storylines sometimes leaned on formula—too many chase sequences or standard-issue villains—and the balance of intellectual Spenser versus action hero Spenser tilted toward the latter. The show never collapsed under these pressures, but it did lose some of its initial pizazz.

SPENSER: FOR HIRE had qualities that kept viewers returning. Its tone was intelligent without pretension, and its characters displayed integrity rarely seen in TV detectives of the time. Spenser was never a man who just solved cases—he solved them his way, with a respect for justice and people’s humanity. That gave the series a warmth beneath the grit, something that helped it stand out in an era dominated by slicker, flashier fare.

The 40th anniversary release of the complete series on DVD arrives at a fitting time. Nostalgia for 1980s television is strong, and this collection allows both longtime fans and newcomers to appreciate a show that blended intellect with entertainment. For those who are familiar with detective series only through today’s prestige television, SPENSER: FOR HIRE serves as a reminder of how network TV can still deliver memorable characters and stories, even within the constraints of episodic structures.

Some episodes feel dated, and the lack of serialized storytelling makes it less immersive compared to contemporary crime dramas. Still, its best qualities—Urich’s charisma, Brooks’ electric presence, and Boston’s authenticity—carry it further than many shows of its era. It’s not perfect, but it’s worthy of recognition. SPENSER: FOR HIRE was a detective show with brains, brawn, and a beating heart, and it remains an enduring example of how style, substance, and character can elevate familiar genre trappings. For fans of crime drama, this is a series worth revisiting, not just for nostalgia, but for the timeless partnership of Spenser and Hawk.

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[photo courtesy of WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY HOME ENTERTAINMENT (WBDHE)]

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