Wednesday 11 May 2011

TV Theme Retrospective: Ex Libris…

Novels have always been popular for conversion to film and TV, and especially popular detective fiction, beginning with ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Miss Marple’ and continuing with John D MacDonald’s ‘Travis MacGee’ series.

And from Robert B Parker’s ‘Spenser’ novels came ‘Spenser: For Hire’.

Unusual for its setting – Boston; not a common setting amongst the plethora of NY/LA-dominated drama series (though in recent years 'Boston Legal' and 'Fringe' have resolved that), and its title character, an educated, philosophical, gourmet cook ex-cop turned PI - it was very successful, and one of my favourites of Eighties TV.

The theme was written by Larry Herbstritt and Stephen Dorff:



The theme above is the original series - in later series, the theme was slowed down and given a more 'jazz-age' feel to season 2:




And in the last season, it returned to it's more up-tempo beat, although with a slightly different arrangement:



I love them all, and make no excuse for running all three. I thought the series was perfectly cast (though others disagree) and as well adapted as possible, given the necessary sacrifices needed to make a successful US TV show.

Sadly, the TV series is one of those not yet released on DVD (though you can pick up the vastly-inferior TV movies, though they lack the theme and were shot in Toronto, due to the cost of on-location shooting in Boston), and with the show’s star and the author both no longer with us, perhaps it never will be?

That’ll be a real shame.

Next month's theme: The Odd Couple.

6 comments:

Shinar's Basket Case said...

I loved the books but didn't even know there had been a TV series. Time to power up fileserve methinks.

Anonymous said...

Spenser For Hire was perfectly cast as you say. The late Robert Urich brought Spencer to life and it is Robert that I see in my mind's eye whenever I read the books. Avery Brooks made Hawk the absolute coolest dude on the planet.

I believe that a few made-for-TV Spenser movies featured Joe Montegna as Spenser - definitely a miscast there.

I also love Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone series, the latter being made into 7 TV movies featuring Tom Selleck. He also wrote Westerns - Appaloosa is a cracking read.

Parker was a great writer of dialogue who, sadly, is no longer with us.

Mr Ecks said...

Have a compilation book with the first three Spenser books in and they are very good indeed. Remember the TV series also.

Lerxst said...

Well, this a first for your retrospectives - you've come up with something I have absolutely no recollection of whatsoever! And I've never read the books.

What I do remember is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDqA3b3nXcE

Though I suspect its links to the actual books was tenuous. And he was never as good as his cousin Sledge...

JuliaM said...

"I loved the books but didn't even know there had been a TV series. "

It's a public service I provide, sometimes... ;)

"I believe that a few made-for-TV Spenser movies featured Joe Montegna as Spenser - definitely a miscast there."

Yes, I came across them the other day, when I was looking to see if they'd released the other series yet. Not the best casting .. :/

"He also wrote Westerns - Appaloosa is a cracking read."

Well, damn! I saw the movie (with Ed Harris) just a few months ago on DVD, and must have missed the credits. I'd no idea he'd written that!

"What I do remember is this..."

Ahh, now that I remember. Had a great theme - 'Harlem Nocturne'. :)

JuliaM said...

"I believe that a few made-for-TV Spenser movies featured Joe Montegna as Spenser - definitely a miscast there."

I saw that as I checked Play.com to see if this series had been released yet. I like him in 'Criminal Minds' but I'd NEVER have cast him as Spenser...

I did catch the film 'Appaloosa' (with Ed Harris) just the other day, and totally missed that it was written by Parker!