Spenser: For Hire Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

When I first heard that Robert Urich was cast to play another P.I. in yet another television series I began to have mixed feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I loved “Vegas” and I was excited and couldn’t wait to see what “Spenser: For Hire” was going to be like, but at the same time I also felt like
“been there, done that!”. This new series I felt was just going to have to show me that it was worthy of my viewership. It didn’t take long! I fell in love with the show after just a few episodes. Mostly because of the cast and the chemistry they soon developed, and the locations around Boston that I recognized. Robert Urich and Avery Brooks were born to play opposite each other as were Urich and Barbara Stock. As Spenser and Hawk — and Spenser and Susan, along with Sgt, Belson and Lt. Quirk, after a few episodes, I knew I was going to like this show. I loved how they used locations around the Boston area, and was amused when they (for example) were supposed to be in Boston’s North End yet they actually were filming in Central Square in Lynn. Most wouldn’t know that unless they were from the area. Central Square and it’s surroundings look a lot like the North End, and it was probably logistically better because of traffic and also because some streets in old Boston are very tiny. No particular episode stands out as my favorite during the first season, but I love all of them. “No room at the inn”, Discord in a minor (a dark episode about a troubled musical child prodigy and her equally talented father who without a doubt was ten times as troubled. “DISCORD in ‘A’ MINOR” as in the musical note “A-minor” — I got it! “The killer with” is an intriguing psychological thriller intertwined with international spies. Spenser and Susan surreptitiously dropped a reference to Urich’s first series (from 1969?) “Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice” a rather peculiar sitcom featuring a pair of “swingers” which I remember more for the title. “At the river’s edge” co-starred a friend of Urich’s, John Davidson (who also guest starred an an episode of “Vegas”), “Resurrection”, and “A day’s wages” just to name several. Spenser (with and ‘S’ instead of a ‘C’): For Hire’s first season was very loyal to the literary series, which featured several of Spenser’s infamous underworld adversaries such as KING POWERS (played by the Rifleman’s Chuck Conners) in the pilot and the episode “Children of a tempest storm”; JOE BROZ (Ray Serra), and TOM FLAHERTY (David O’Brien). The series also co-starred some memorable actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura San Giacomo, Debra Jo Rupp, David Hyde Pierce, Kadeem Hardison, Paul Guilfoyle, Cleavant Derricks, Trini Alvarado, Marg Helgenberger, Steve Inwood, Spalding Gray, Nancy Marchand, Gerry Cooney, Dan Lauria, Jay Thomas, D.B. Sweeny, Ving Rhames, Rob Morrow, Gail Strickland, Josh Mostel, Lauren Holly, George Grizzard, Jimmy Smits, Ron Parady, Eriq La Salle, Seth Green, Angela Bassett, E.G. Marshall, Tony Shalhoub, Patricia Richardson, John C. McGinley, Andie MacDowell, Laurence Fishburne, Nancy Travis, John Spencer, John Pankow, Stephen McHattie, Brad Dourif, Jay O. Sanders, Paul Dooley, Patricia Clarkson, Andrea Thompson, Boyd Gaines, Geoffrey Lewis, Kate Burton, Shirley Knight, Earl Hindman, William H. Macy, Tom Urich, Heather Menzies-Urich, and Bobby Orr, and list goes on… Spenser: For Hire is one of the all-time greats. I wish they would bring it back because it was way too short, and I always felt there were tons more episodes to be made and seen. I also just found out Robert B. Parker was in negotiations to return the series to TNT in 2010 with a whole new cast — and then he died and it looks like any plans for a re-boot as they say is on hold for now. Cross your fingers!

-John J.

Born and raised in Boston, I lived in Florida when ‘Spenser’ was running, working a job and raising my kids, which left me very little time for tv shows. My son introduced me to the show, when it was in reruns in the afternoons, when he was home from school eating before leaving for work. He loved Spenser’s mustang, and was very upset when it got totaled on one of the episodes, enough that he kept going on and on about it later. Had to find out what he was talking about, so, when I was home one day, I watched – and got hooked.
Season One is a look into my own past – remembering Boston as it was then, seeing the old Boston Garden, the streets, the area.
We moved back here in 1997, live a bit west of Boston, like to go in just to walk around the city, which is a very walkable, historic place, easy to get around.
I started reading the Spenser novels after seeing the show and have been hooked ever since. This show captures Robert Parker’s characters to a T. Can’t wait for Season Two!

-Barbara G

I was another of those who waited for what seemed like an eternity for this to be released. When it was on TV we never missed an episode. When it was syndicated we never missed a re-run and ad infinitum! Now we can start the process all over again whenever we want. Robert Urich was an underrated actor,as was Avery Brooks, Barbara Stock, Richard Jaeckel and Ron McLarty. This was an ensemble cast and they performed splendidly. I heard it mentioned (rumored) once that Robert Urich was not the first choice of Robert B. Parker to play the role of Spenser but after reading the books I’m convinced the choice was good. Who can ever forget Hawk and his BIG piece!

– Prove It To Me

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Richard Jaeckel, Barbara Stock, Ron McLarty
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR-Not Rated
Studio: Warner Archive Collection
DVD Release Date: September 12, 2014
Run Time: 1106 minutes
ASIN: B00N83X2JC