Pop Culture Movies and More: Starsky & Hutch (TV Series 1975-1979)

Two streetwise cops, Dave Starsky and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson, bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Gran Torino, with the help of police snitch, Huggy Bear and police Captain, Harold Dobey. Starsky & Hutch is an American buddy-cop series from the 1970s that is full of thrilling and suspenseful action, mysteries to solve, high-speed pursuites and hilarious banter, which is very in-keeping with the duo cop subgenre. This show takes that subgenre to its full and unlike a movie, it is able to spread out this formula over a plethora of lengthy episodes varying a vast style of stories and settings. The stars of the show, of course, are Starsky (played by Paul Michael Glaser) and Hutch (played by David Soul) who equally shine in their respective roles, most especially in their on-screen moments together. Their witty dialogue continuously delights thanks to their believable friendship and loyalty towards one another as partners. They both work efficiently as a team during the more dangerous assignments, most definitely with the shootouts. I love the way they coordinate during these difficult moments when they are pinned down and manage to alternate their firing whilst coming up with a clever way out. As well as being friends at work, the two get on tremendously off duty where they frequently visit one another and we get to see their homes and hobbies. One of my favourite inclusions was for the characteristics of Hutch, who has a fondness for singing and guitar playing, which was a nice acknowledgement to David Soul, the actor, who was a singer and he got to perform some of his well-known songs on the show. Another iconic aspect of the series and duo was the red and white Ford Gran Torino (or as Hutch, who didn't much like the car, called it a Striped Tomato), which belonged and was heavily cared for by Starsky. It has become quite a famed vehicle in pop culture and I have to say it is a truly beautiful and memorable car. Throughout the show, it certainly takes a beating and worse like on occasions where it was blown up, but at the end of the day, it was always a huge part of the team, almost like a character itself, despite Hutch's disapproval. The duo receives help in their daily duty from loveable snitch, Huggy Bear, who is a great confidant to the guys, always looking out for them as he sees them as true friends. Huggy isn't like your typical snitch who looks out for only themselves and sells off their intel and runs for it, he cares for his pals and keeps an eye out for them and vice versa. He runs a bar called 'The Pits' where the two regularly go to hang out even when they do not require his other services. Back on the police side, Captain Dobey, Starsky and Hutch's boss, send his top two cops out on their missions, looking out for them when trouble eventually goes down. He can be strict but when his boys need him most, he will protect them and defend them at any cost. Dobey rarely smiles as he takes the job extremely seriously, however, when he lets his guard down and has a chuckle, he instantly sets me off, it is so contagious. One of the highlights of the program for me, and my whole family, was the groovy theme song matched with the energetic intro that was full of exerts from the pilot and later episodes of the season. Each rendition was equally and individually phenomenal for their own reasons but one thing we could all agree on was that season 2 had the best one. We aren't the only ones, as the song became so heavily associated with the show by viewers that it was even brought back in a new rendition for season 4 and even used in the video game. The episodes of each season varied from its more gritty realistic tellings to more light-hearted, humourous and bizarre stories. My absolute favourite episode of the show was very early on during its first season called 'Death Ride'. It had all the elements from the action, suspense, car chases and humour. Overall, I adore this '70s buddy cop show. It features a well-rounded cast who share a great deal of banter and emotional storytelling. There's action galore and plenty of drama to keep you engaged, particularly for fans of the cop genre. Also, check out the film Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Starsky & Hutch (Video Game 2003) for more.