Hawk (TV series)

Reynolds stars as police lieutenant John Hawk, a full-blooded Iroquois working the streets of New York City as a special detective for the city's District Attorney's office. Hawk is assisted by his African American[http://www.ebay.com/itm/HAWK-1984-8-X-10-STILL-FN-TV-BURT-REYNOLDS-WAYNE-GRICE-CRIME-/330759946402?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d02d440a2 eBay: "HAWK-1984-8 X 10 STILL-FN-TV-BURT REYNOLDS-WAYNE GRICE-CRIME"] partner, Dan Carter (played by Wayne Grice). Hawk and Carter deal with various common cases such as murder, organized crime and arson. While facing the brutal daily life of being a detective, Hawk's native heritage and ancestry also cause him to be subjected to discrimination and racism, both on the streets and in the office.

Many of the scenes were filmed on location in New York City, with some interior scenes filmed at the Filmways Studios in East Harlem.

The series co-stars Bruce Glover as Assistant D.A. Murray Slaken, and Leon Janney as Assistant D.A. Ed Gorton.

Notable guest stars who appeared in this series include Gene Hackman, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Diana Muldaur, Scott Glenn, Diane Baker, James Best, Bert Convy, Elizabeth Ashley, Kim Hunter and Lou Antonio.

His character is a full-blooded Native American, but Reynolds had some Cherokee blood from his father's side.{{cite episode|title = Burt Reynolds|episode-link = Inside the Actors Studio|series = Inside the Actors Studio|series-link = Inside the Actors Studio|network = Bravo}}; can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY3cuILM698

The show was announced in June 1966. ABC made a commitment for 17 episodes. The lead role was given to Reynolds who had some Native American ancestry himself and played Native Americans in Gunsmoke and in Navajo Joe.Cloak and Dagger Shows Still Strong. Gowran, Clay. Chicago Tribune. June 5, 1966: pg. n8.

"I wanted the Indian thing to come naturally", said Reynolds.

"The emphasis will be on how cops function at night", said producer Paul Bogart. "The people who come out at night would astonish you. They're the weirdos of all time."Television: Honest Injun. By JOAN BARTHEL. The New York Times. July 24, 1966: p. 77.

A representative of ABC said "it won't be another Naked City where they want to know why the killer pulled the trigger. Hawk won't answer that question."

"We're not going for the psychological approach", said Reynolds. "We're an action adventure show. It's fast paced the music is all brass there's a lot of cutting."

"Hawk is quite a character", said Reynolds. "He's very hostile. I'm hostile too. I don't know why."

Reynolds says his performance was inspired by Kirk Douglas in Detective Story and John Garfield. "Tough and hard... I play Hawk as a catalyst. And how things affect me."

"We're placing no special emphasis on the fact that Hawk is an Indian", said Reynolds. "I'm not running around in moccasins or anything like that."{{cite news|title=CAMERA ANGLES: Hawk: flying high|author=Dutton, Walt|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 18, 1966A|page=L4}}

Reynolds added,"Having been in two TV series... where I hold the horse for someone else this feels great. But I'm not going to fall into the trap of thinking this is my one big chance and if I blow it I’m finished. I've had so many disappointments over the years that I've made up my mind: if it doesn't go it's the audience's fault, not mine."

Reynolds says Hawk was originally meant to wear knives on his sleeves but he got that changed feeling it was too gimmicky.

The show was shot on location in New York.{{cite news|title=Filming Street Scene Draws Bad 'Actors'|author=Gowran, Clay|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 10, 1966|page=25}}

"I do all the stunts because I can do them better than anyone else", said Reynolds.{{cite news|title=Hawk 'Murdered' by TV Movies; Burt Reynolds Looks to the Future|author=Lowry, Cynthia|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 6, 1966|page=j13}}

Despite being a short-lived series, repeats of Hawk have resurfaced at least three times, as a way to present Reynolds' early work before he became a successful movie celebrity:

• Repeats of Hawk aired on NBC in the Spring of 1976, to capitalize on Reynolds' success in the same manner as CBS did with his later series, Dan August, in 1973 and 1975.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22Hawk+Police+Drama%22&pg=PA592 |first1=Tim |last1=Brooks |author-link1=Tim Brooks (historian) |first2=Earle |last2=Marsh |year=2007 |edition=9 |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present |page=592 |publisher=Random House Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |via=Google Books |access-date=2024-06-03 }}
• Hawk would later be syndicated to local stations in 1984 through Colex Enterprises.
• Episodes of the series have also appeared on the digital multicast network GetTV.{{cite web|last1=Pena|first1=Jessica|title=Hawk: getTV to Air Burt Reynolds Series from 1966|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/hawk-gettv-air-burt-reynolds-series-1966/|website=TV Series Finale|access-date=April 10, 2017|date=April 6, 2017}}

{{Episode table

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 1

| Title= Do Not Mutilate or Spindle

| WrittenBy=Allan Sloane

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|9|8}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk is on a case of a murdered office worker, with its possible link being a religious fanatic named Houston Worth (Gene Hackman).

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 2

| Title= The Longleat Chronicles

| WrittenBy=Albert Ruben

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|9|15}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk falls in love with a girl involved in a murder (Diane Baker).

| LineColor=000000

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 3

| Title= Thanks for the Honeymoon

| WrittenBy=David Ellis (story)
Don M. Mankiewicz (teleplay)

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|9|22}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk tries to prove that a man is innocent of murder.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 4

| Title= Game with a Dead End

| WrittenBy=George Bellak

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|9|29}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk searches for a missing girl. Guest stars include Bert Convy.

| LineColor=000000

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 5

| Title= Death Comes Full Circle

| WrittenBy=Lou Shaw (story)
Edward Adler and Lou Shaw (teleplay)

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|10|6}}

| ShortSummary= With the help of his shrewd lawyer, a hit and run killer avoids prosecution. Guest stars include Martin Sheen.

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}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 6

| Title= The Theory of the Innocent Bystander

| WrittenBy=Edward Adler

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|10|13}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk is in search of a stolen limousine. But its contents are even more valuable -- $1 million in securities. Guest stars include Robert Duvall.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 7

| Title= The Man Who Owned Everyone

| WrittenBy=Andy Lewis

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|10|20}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk catches a crook, known to have friends in the political arena. Diana Muldaur guest stars.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 8

| Title= How Close Can You Get?

| WrittenBy=Lewis Reed (story)
Don M. Mankiewicz (teleplay)

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|10|27}}

| ShortSummary= A Shakespearean actor receives anonymous letters from a murderer, telling him of his heinous crimes.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 9

| Title= The Living End of Sisterbaby

| WrittenBy=Ellen M. Violett

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|11|3}}

| ShortSummary= A model gets murdered, and Hawk suspects that the murderer works in the upper ranks of the business. Guest-starring Vincent Gardenia.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 10

| Title= The Shivering Pigeon

| WrittenBy=Leon Tokatyan

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|11|10}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk is in search of a stool pigeon (Lou Antonio), hoping that he finds him before the mob does.

| LineColor=000000

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 11

| Title= Ulysses and the Republic

| WrittenBy=Edward Adler

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|11|17}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk's old friend, Ulysses, was murdered in his apartment building; it is up to him to find out who was responsible.

| LineColor=000000

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 12

| Title= Legacy for a Lousy Future

| WrittenBy=Albert Ruben

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|11|24}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk tries to recover $250,000 that a crook has hidden before he was sent to prison.

| LineColor=000000

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 13

| Title= "H" is a Dirty Letter

| WrittenBy=Philip S. Goodman (story)
Robert Hamner (teleplay)

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|12|1}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk searches for the ringleader in New York City's heroin trade. Guest stars include Frank Converse.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 14

| Title= Some Devil Whispered in His Ear

| WrittenBy=Mann Rubin

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|12|8}}

| ShortSummary= A killer threatens customers at an East Side bar.

| LineColor=000000

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 15

| Title= The Hands of Corbin Claybrooke

| WrittenBy=Robert Van Scoyk

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|12|15}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk looks for answers when an artist is framed for murder.

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 16

| Title= Wall of Silence

| WrittenBy=Robert Crean

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|12|22}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk reaches out to a mentally disabled girl (Emily Prager), who was an only witness to a murder. Guest stars include Kim Hunter.

| LineColor=000000

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber= 17

| Title= Blind Man's Bluff

| WrittenBy=Edward Adler

| OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1966|12|29}}

| ShortSummary= Hawk is on a hunt for a murderer with an unusual motive -- all his victims were cab drivers with 7-year-old daughters. Guests include James Best.

| LineColor=000000

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}}

Reviewing the pilot the New York Times said it was "too shrill and intense to be entirely winning but it did have enough virtues to suggest the series may find a niche for itself."{{cite news|title=TV: N.B.C. Tarzan, He Urbane and Sophisticated: Ron Ely Takes to Vine for New Series A.B.C.'s 'Hawk' Among Shows in Debut|author=JACK GOULD|work=The New York Times|date=September 9, 1966|page=91}}

Ratings were poor and ABC announced the show's cancellation in October, when 12 episodes had been filmed.{{cite news|title=2 TV PROGRAMS DROPPED BY A.B.C.: 'Shane' and 'Hawk' Going Off at End of December|author=VAL ADAMS|work=The New York Times|date=October 21, 1966|page=68}}

Reynolds later called it "a good show but it went off quickly."{{cite news|author=BURT PRELUTSKY|title=Two Centerfolds.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 24, 1972|page=K14}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|id=0059992|title=Hawk}}
• [http://ctva.biz/US/Crime/Hawk.htm Hawk at Classic TV Archive]
• [https://archive.today/20130105042129/http://www.shop.thomasfilmclassics.com/product.sc?productId=1952 Thomas Film Classics: "Hawk"]

Category:1966 American television series debuts

Category:1966 American television series endings

Category:1960s American crime drama television series

Category:American detective television series

Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television

Category:Television shows set in New York City

Category:Fictional police lieutenants

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Television series by Screen Gems

Category:Television shows about Native Americans

Category:Television series about prosecutors

Category:American Broadcasting Company crime dramas