Customer Reviews

TJ Hooker - The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To me this is one of the best cop shows I have ever seen. The star is William Shatner as Sergeant Thomas John Hooker (you only hear his name in one episode which guest stars Vic Tayback so watch for it, it should be in THIS set) a former detective who decided (before the series started) to turn in his gold shield and put his uniform back on to train some raw academy recruits. At the end of the 90 minute pilot, those who remain in the class get assigned veteran officers as partners and hit the streets. One of these rookies (ironically the best in the class) Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed) lucks out and gets partnered with Hooker, and thus begins our series. Throughout the 4 or 5 episodes of Season 1 and all of Season 2 (the first FULL season), stories revolve around Romano learning there is more to learn on the streets than what you learn in training, Hooker spending time with his family (ex wife Fran, a nurse, younguns Chrissy and Tommy and high school age Cathy, who works part time as a candy striper at the same hospital as her mom), Romano making goo goo eyes at the girl dispatcher (Vicki Taylor played by April Clough in the VERY SHORT first season or Stacy Sheridan (Heather Locklear) who happens to be the precinct Captain Dennis Sheridan (Richard Herd)'s daughter), Hooker training more rookies (with Romano as his aide), and more. After the contents of this set (perhaps the Season 2 finale), Stacy graduates and gets partnered with another veteran Jim Corrigan (played by James Darren). After a rocky start (ala the Adam 12 series premiere) Stacy and Jim become a partnership, and the remainder of the series (which will hit dvd soon I hope) they run tag team with Hooker and Romano. Although, James Darren appears on the cover of this set, he does not become a regular til Season 3 (that's why you don't see his name on the box), by then also Captain Sheridan becomes occasional. Watch in this set for an episode directed by Leonard Nimoy and another one co-starring Nimoy as a lieutenant friend of Hooker who goes off the beam when his daughter is raped. This was a fixture on the Saturday night ABC lineup from 1982 to 1985 when it mysteriously got cancelled. It then surfaced on CBS late night in mostly reruns, but a handful of new episodes (minus Adrian Zmed for reasons unknown) were produced. The show stayed on CBS late night for another year, but by then was pretty much all reruns (from the original ABC run and their (CBS)'s run as well). Hopefully Columbia will release all the other episodes soon (considering they've stalled on the second and final season of S.W.A.T. who knows). Truly one of my favorite series of all time.

I just got this DVD collection and I have to tell you how awesome it was to watch a show I grew up with 20+ years ago. The picture and sound quality look great and shows the producers of this set took their time to clean up the video/audio for its release.

The only small complaint that I have, and it is small but has to be acknowledged is the episode listings on the cases for each disc. I just got finished with Disc 1 & 2. Each case holds 2 discs and list the episodes on the discs, but it is inaccurate. Disc 1 and Disc 2 show that there are 4-5 episodes on each of the discs and the case shows only 9 episode titles, but when you go into the DVD Episode Menu it shows a total of 11 or 12 episodes. The sad thing is that you have to look to the case holding Disc 3 & 4 to get the episode listing for the unlisted episodes on the DVD case for Discs 1 & 2. Assumably, I think the problem will be the same with the other cases and DVDs in the set. A minor setback, but coming from Sony I am surprised this got past quality control...

Still an awesome addition to my collection.

What can I say about this show which hasn't already been said. This is the ultimate fun cop show I've ever seen. The characters are entertaining with William Shattner as the father figure T.J. Hooker, Adrian Zmed as Vincent Romano the big brother, and Heather Locklear as Stacey Sheridan the kid sister.

When this show came out in 82/83 I was too young to see it. I watched it over summer reruns years later with my sister. We both immediately fell in love with the dramatic stories which didn't take themselves too dramatically.

And just recently I purchased this boxset and have found it one of the best series for the price. I actually enjoy watching this show again. It's fantastic and not old, dated, and boring like other shows of that time. I've even gotten my roomate hooked on this show that he has never seen before. It's that entertaining.

Aaron Spelling is a television genius and with Hooker he shows us why.

My only complaint is over the boxset (not the series) is that the episodes listed on the sheet sleeves do not match the episode content on discs.

You're not going to get "reality" with this show. It's simple ENTERTAINMENT... 80's style. There's something very enjoyable about watching William Shatner chase a bus on foot (while running on top of a wall beside the street) and then leaping on top of the bus! There are a LOT of scenes like that in this series, and it's downright FUN.

The acting can sometimes be WAY over the top and the plots are simple and sometimes full of holes, but that's JUST the way we like it! We ALL have guilty pleasures, and after watching (and enjoying) "T.J. Hooker" you'll probably feel very GUILTY.

Shatner is fantastic. The theme song is GREAT. The Nostalgia factor is HIGH!


* It will soon be THREE YEARS since the release of this DVD set. We're all STILL waiting for season three!

JM

This collection consists of the first and second seasons of the well-known 1980s police drama. The first consisted of a mere six episodes; the second ran for a full year. Set in Los Angeles, this show was originally developed as a vehicle for William Shatner, playing an experienced officer who mentors the younger generation. The scriptwriting was very uneven at first, although it would improve markedly during the third and fourth seasons. There were several problems, ranging from poorly-conceived plots to shallow, simplistic characters. Shatner plays the proverbial tough guy with a heart of gold who spouts anti-crime rhetoric. His new partner (Adrian Zmed) is portrayed as a frustrated entrepreneur. The female roles (first April Clough, later Heather Locklear) were completely undeveloped. Toward the end of the second season, the show would change for the better. The right-wing rhetoric was abandoned, Heather Locklear's role was expanded, Adrian Zmed's role became more professional, and veteran actor James Darren came on board, creating more of an ensemble cast. By the third season, T.J. Hooker had become one of the better crime dramas on television, but unfortunately, only the first two seasons have been released on DVD.

Sony seems more interested in preventing you from copying their DVDs, than they are creating a menu / case art that actually matches the content of the set. Nearly every menu and liner note is incorrect. It is quite annoying if you are attempting to find a certain episode. One of the reasons I purchased this set was because others said that there were a couple of season three episodes included... Particularly, "Carnal Knowledge," which was one of my all time favorites (as a fan of Heather Locklear." Well if that episode was included in this set (by mistake or otherwise), it has been removed, now. I don't blame Sony for that - the joke is on me!
I will rent instead of buying in the future...

William Shatner has had a very long and successful acting career in movies and television. Just when you think his career is done he always seems makes a triumphant return in one way or another. T.J. Hooker was just that for Shatner, it resurrected his career in the 1980's and he hasn't stopped since. I've always felt that William Shatner had a sense of arrogance about him in the way he presented himself on screen, but somehow he always managed to make his characters likeable in the end. T.J. Hooker is great 80's television and it's a treat to finally have this show on DVD so I can watch it whenever I want. This set contains the original pilot and all the remaining episodes from seasons 1 & 2 spread out over 6 single sided discs with slim case packaging. The picture and sound are well done and the show is still very entertaining even if it is a little dated. I hope that the remaining seasons are on the way and the Studio doesn't pull another stunt like they did with season one of S.W.A.T. the final season still hasn't been released.

The Cast:
William Shatner ...Sgt. T.J. Hooker
Heather Locklear ...Officer Stacy Sheridan
Adrian Zmed ...Officer Vince Romano
James Darren ...Officer Jim Corrigan

DVD Episodes:
Episode 1: The Streets
Episode 2: God Bless the Child
Episode 3: Hooker's War
Episode 4: The Witness
Episode 5: Second Chance
Episode 6: King of the Hill
Episode 7: The Empty Gun
Episode 8: Blind Justice
Episode 10: Terror at the Academy
Episode 11: The Survival Syndrome
Episode 12: Deadly Ambition
Episode 13: A Cry for Help
Episode 14: Thieves' Highway
Episode 15: The Connection
Episode 16: The Fast Lane
Episode 17: Too Late for Love
Episode 18: The Decoy
Episode 19: The Mumbler
Episode 21: Sweet Sixteen... And Dead
Episode 22: Raw Deal
Episode 23: Requiem for a Cop
Episode 24: The Hostages
Episode 25: Payday Pirates
Episode 26: Lady in Blue

Some shows you watched as a kid seemed so fantastic back then and when you see them again 20 years later only disapoint you. This is certainly not the case with T.J. Hooker. Once you get used to William Shatners hair style again you find a program that just got better with age. This is the ultimate cop show. Tough and gritty (and sometimes a litle corny) but you can't watch just one episode at a time. The DVD is well put together, with picture and sound quality being excellent. If you used to like this show, this DVD won't let you down.

I recently got "back into" TJ Hooker...I was 10-14 when the show originally aired. I gave it 5 stars because of my love for the show. However, I am dissapointed to learn that this season 1,2 dvd was released in 2005 (as of this writing its 2011), and there are no future plans to release the other 3 seasons on dvd. As mentioned before, the episode listings and actual dvds do not match. I was also dissapointed to see no real bonus features...namely commentaries, behind the scenes, and bloopers.
As far as the show goes, it's basically your typical 80's television unrealistic cop show. As a police officer myself, I find it humourous at how everything works out so nicely...and how Hooker kills someone on almost every episode with no follow ups involved. No paperwork, no lawsuits, no questions or interigations by the admin, ect. I also find it..."odd", that even though in Southern California (presumably Los Angeles, even though the patches have a fictious "LCPD" logo), that their department apparently has no short sleeve policy. All officers (well, all 4 of them who actually patrol) are always in Class A uniforms (long sleeves and tie).
With all that said, if you're looking for nastalgia and simpler times, this show is for you. Heather Locklear is a goddess too, I might add! 3 stars for the the dvd setup, 5 stars for the show.

Okay, I hopped onto the TJ Hooker bandwagon later than most people (as in, a month ago) when I found a well-reviewed cop drama on iTunes. I watched one episode and was hooked (no pun intended). I love the fact it's all about the characters, not the action. You really become a part of the professional and private lives of a handful of police officers as they go about their business.

And I love William Shatner's tough-yet-human portrayal of a veteran cop on the beat. I didn't think it'd be as good as it is. He has his moments, but that's all a part of the charm. The episodes follow a formula, but the writers were never afraid to take risks with story or character.

I ordered seasons 1 & 2 so I could enjoy more episodes. The combined DVD collection had been out since 2005, and (having waited about 4 years before I could have every season of The Rockford Files) I thought at least seasons 3 and 4 would be available to the general public by now. I missed this show on TV due to being born about the time of the last season. It pains me that I have only scratched the surface of a show I would certainly have followed through all 5 seasons.