Customer Reviews

Spenser: Ceremony

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Robert Urich played a smart and just Boston PI in the series Spenser for Hire. From 1985-88, His brand of intelligent and wit detection was canceled too soon after three TV seasons. spenser is aided by his friend Hawk (Avery Brooks), a cool lethal enforcer with a heart of Gold and Susan (Barbara Williams), a shrink and Spenser's Girlfriend.

After the series was canceled there were four TV movies made in the style of the series for Lifestyle Television. This was the first one.

Spenser is hired to locate April Kyle, the missing daughter of Harry Kyle, millionaire and candidate for Governor. With the assistance of Hawk, Spenser travels from Boston's "Combat Zone" to Providence and the heart of child pornography in search of one seemingly unimportant runaway

This screenplay was written by Spenser's creator Robert B Parker (based upon his original novel)with his wife Joan. They also wrote the BL Stryker episode Blues for Buder (see my Stryker Review). This grit of the original novel is slightly toned down for TV. However Urich brings Spenser's witty style to life from Parker's pen to screen

This ninety minute movie is great piece of TV on DVD. It has the impact of the show, just slightly longer format. It does makes me long for the otiginal series. However if all I can get is the four TV movies of Spenser, It is worth a small prize of credit for someone with smarts to release these Spenser movies on DVD ...until someone is smart enough at Warner Brothers to release the show on DVD. (NOTE I am NOT holding my breath until that may happen)

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

The '85-'88 Spenser: For Hire TV show was noted for Robert Urich's excellent portrayal of the hard-nosed, gentle-hearted private detective created by Robert Parker. Aided by the incomparable Avery Brooks as Spenser's friend and tough guy Hawk (who can forget that killer smile?), the show had solid story lines underscored by an excellent cast. The show was classic 80's TV and deserves to find a spot among "classic" TV series available on DVD (sadly, there are no DVD's currently on the market of the TV series).

Spenser: For Hire was cancelled after 3 seasons. Four Made-for-TV Spenser films were released in the 90's. "Ceremony" is the only watchable one of the group. Not quite on a par with the original TV series, but "Ceremony" stays true to many of the qualities of the original. Sadly, from there it's all down hill - the 3 additional Made-for-TV Spenser movies are not worth watching.

Bottom line? "Ceremony" is a nice Spenser-fix for those looking to talk a trip down memory lane, but limit your purchase to this individual Made-for-TV movie rather than wasting your cash and time buying the 4-movie package offered on Amazon and elsewhere.

Worth the money but not quite as good as "Judas Goat". I will watch it again.

I am a long-time fan of the Robert B. Parker SPENSER books, but was disappointed in the movie's presentation of CEREMONY. It just seemed too clean and slick: a tv movie, where I was expecting film noir.