POST-Bernie Goetz Take-The-Power-Back Have A Go Hero fol-de-rol starring Edward Woodward as titular score-settler Robert McCall, a former Special Ops type atoning for past misdemeanours by offering himself as thug-trouncing Hero For Hire. See, that’s where Sgt. Howie went wrong.
Opening titles promised grimy urban action (and, erm, people getting trapped in phone boxes) with a shadowy Woodward in hot pursuit, and the show more than delivered, with moral guardians queueing up to froth at the mouth about copycat vigilantes and schoolkids the world over rush-finishing geography homework in the hope of being allowed to ‘stay up late’ to watch. Presence of Brit headliner ensured a stready stream of sore thumb-esque ‘pals from home’ guest stars, notably Jenny Agutter, Jim Dale, Michele Dotrice, Frances Ruffelle and, most notoriously, Adam Ant as a sort of futuristic ‘super-pimp’ who called everyone ‘chief’.
Clocked up somewhere in the region of eight hundred and forty three million episodes during its short lifespan, despite early unfortunate shark-jumpage after Woodward’s health buckled under the production schedule and younger sidekicks were brought in. Plus the theme music – by Stewart Copeland of Police/Klark Kent fame – was more or less identical to that of The Magic Roundabout.
JJ
April 29, 2014 at 11:53 am
And not forgetting the sore thumb-esque Jag.
Lee James Turnock
June 11, 2014 at 8:21 pm
It was Death Wish – the Series, with your man Woodward standing in for the mighty man of stew Charles Bronson. As such, what’s not to like?
Scott McPhee
February 16, 2021 at 1:09 am
The name of the lead actor, Edward Woodward sounds like a tongue twister.
Andrew Barton
May 27, 2022 at 6:24 pm
It nearly got a fifth season, but Angela Lansbury’s 5 year contract for Murder She Wrote was up for renewal, and CBS and Universal had a spat over the cost of MSW.
There was Over My Dead Body later for Edward, but sadly that failed to repeat the same success.