I was watching Kojak (with Telly Savalas, not Ving Rhames), and the first thing that struck me was just how many shots of Kojak driving down a street are in one hour of a Kojak episode. The NYPD apparently couldn't afford to paint Kojack's office, but he could drive his land yacht around greater New York all day without batting an eye. That's why we watch old tv, I guess: the nostalgia of the good old days of heroes who smoked, monochromatic cities, and 75¢ gallons of gasoline.

Then I noticed that Kojak was investigating a crime in a very familiar location. I'd seen the street that Kojak was cruising in about a dozen episodes of The Incredible Hulk. (If you've ever seen David thrown through a stack of empty boxes before being mysteriously replaced with Lou Ferrigno, you've probably seen these streets, too.) Apparently, this episode of Kojak was filmed on the back lot of Universal Studios in LA and not in New York City where the story was set. Imagine my surprise when Kojak's informant turns out to be Jack Colvin, better known as that pesky National Register reporter Jack McGee. Clearly, this is David's town, Kojak, you're just driving through it.

Comments (0) | Leave a Comment | Tags: hulk kojak television