The Spenser Thread

[NeverWanderer]

So, one of the fictional characters that pretty much raised me as I was growing up was Robert B. Parker's private eye, Spenser.

My father read most if not all of the novels, and watched the show "Spenser: For Hire" religiously, which meant *I* watched the show religiously, and the first grown up novel I ever picked up to read was the book "Primised Land" which was the basis for the series pilot.

Spenser (the show, at least) is in my blood.

Listeneing to old WB episodes, I just caught the conversation with Jay Faerber where he and John digress into speaking about their love of the character and I decided this would be the perfect time and place to create a Spencer appreciation thread.

So... anyone else read the books or watch the show? Anyone watch the spin-off series, "A Man Called Hawk"?

Let's geek-out, people!

[ashwin]

Never heard of him. I was more into Agatha Christie growing up. It was weird. My mom was a Christie and my Dad was a Holmes. So they'd keep buying me alternating books... one week I got What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw, the next week The Hound of the Baskervilles, after that Death on The Nile, the next week The Sign of The Four and so on.

Eventually Christie won simply because I found Poirot more interesting than Holmes. Poirot studied people and their behavior while Holmes studied facts and evidence a lot more than he did people.

I also read a lot of Perry Mason novels and a bunch of James Hadley Chase novels.

The last ones mostly because of the covers though :heybaby:

[sonnylarue]

the spenser love among comic book creators includes rucka, brubaker, and kurt busiek , of the ones i've spoken to.

[NeverWanderer]

Never heard of him. I was more into Agatha Christie growing up. It was weird. My mom was a Christie and my Dad was a Holmes. So they'd keep buying me alternating books... one week I got What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw, the next week The Hound of the Baskervilles, after that Death on The Nile, the next week The Sign of The Four and so on.

Eventually Christie won simply because I found Poirot more interesting than Holmes. Poirot studied people and their behavior while Holmes studied facts and evidence a lot more than he did people.

I also read a lot of Perry Mason novels and a bunch of James Hadley Chase novels.

The last ones mostly because of the covers though :heybaby:

I actually haven't read a whole lot of detective fiction!

I read the Encyclopedia Brown stuff and one REALLY good book called the Mystery of the Red Carnations when I was a kid. Read Lehane's Shutter Island, which was fantastic.

Other than that, it's a lot of thriller/mystery stuff. Most of the early Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child books.

I did just start reading Rucka's first Atticus Kodiak book, Keeper. THAT I'm enjoying immensely, and it was part of the inspiration to start this thread, since it reminds me a lot of the Spenser stuff.

[NeverWanderer]

the spenser love among comic book creators includes rucka, brubaker, and kurt busiek , of the ones i've spoken to.

Rucka does not surprise me at all. :)

Let me ask you, though: do the Spenser books still hold up over time?

I know that they started to lose their shimmer for my father after a while, and I'm worried that trying to actually read them now might ruin some of that golden nostalgia I have for the character.

Also, what'd you think of Joe Mantegna (sp?) in the new A&E movies?

[ashwin]

I actually haven't read a whole lot of detective fiction!

I read the Encyclopedia Brown stuff and one REALLY good book called the Mystery of the Red Carnations when I was a kid. Read Lehane's Shutter Island, which was fantastic.

Other than that, it's a lot of thriller/mystery stuff. Most of the early Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child books.

I did just start reading Rucka's first Atticus Kodiak book, Keeper. THAT I'm enjoying immensely, and it was part of the inspiration to start this thread, since it reminds me a lot of the Spenser stuff.

I used to read a LOT as a kid. Used to go through like a novel a day. I've read probably 90% of Christie's Poirot books and probably 60%-65% of her entire output. Christie's always been my favorite mystery writer. I even read a bunch of the Tommy & Tuppence books which rarely get a mention from anyone.

After I discovered cable tv my reading habit went down the toilet. I'm very sad about that. If I could go back the one thing I'd do would be to tell my dad to never install cable tv.

I guess I didn't read the American mystery authors much. I guess Erle Stanley Gardner was the only American mystery author I read at the time.

I WANT to read Rucka's books but I have NEVER seen them on sale here. At all. I've seen Meltzer's books on the stands but never Rucka's. When I ask at bookstores they've either never heard of him or they take me to where they've kept a copy of a Gotham Central trade.

[sonnylarue]

Rucka does not surprise me at all. :)

Let me ask you, though: do the Spenser books still hold up over time?

I know that they started to lose their shimmer for my father after a while, and I'm worried that trying to actually read them now might ruin some of that golden nostalgia I have for the character.

Also, what'd you think of Joe Mantegna (sp?) in the new A&E movies?

i still read them every year when they come out

POTSHOT was the only semi ridiculous book to me.

i would say everything up through walking shadow was great.

mantegna (and I'm truly a massive fan) was a decent, but odd ethnic choice to play spenser for my taste. he did fine, but he can't pass for a bostonian irish dude (who was born in montana)

spenser isn't italian , sorry.

in his mike hammer days, stacy keach should've been spenser.

urich was a vey credible spenser in the series and most of the tv movies , but avery brooks WAS hawk to a t . same goes for richard jaeckle as lt marty quirk.

today, alec baldwin in his current beefy state would make a good spenser

[sonnylarue]

all you want to know about spenser is here

http://bullets-and-beer.com/

[J. Wilson]

I'm a huge fan of the Spenser books and TV show.

My favorite individual novel is a toss up between "A Catskill Eagle" or "Looking For Rachel Wallace".

I love reading them each year when they come out.

I loved the TV series endlessly. I know Parker didn't think so but I thought Robert Urich was superb as Spenser.

I thought the A&E movies were okay. But they didn't have the rhythm I came to love between Spenser and Hawk.

Oh and the ones they had play Hawk after Avery Brooks were so bad.

AVERY BROOKS is THE FUCKING MAN as Hawk.

If you go back and look at the Deep Space Nine season, you'll notice that he really didn't get into the swing of things until they let him shave his head.

And yes, I watched A Man Called Hawk too.

I wish they'd release both the Spenser series and A Man Called Hawk on DVD.

[NeverWanderer]

I used to read a LOT as a kid. Used to go through like a novel a day. I've read probably 90% of Christie's Poirot books and probably 60%-65% of her entire output. Christie's always been my favorite mystery writer. I even read a bunch of the Tommy & Tuppence books which rarely get a mention from anyone.

After I discovered cable tv my reading habit went down the toilet. I'm very sad about that. If I could go back the one thing I'd do would be to tell my dad to never install cable tv.

I guess I didn't read the American mystery authors much. I guess Erle Stanley Gardner was the only American mystery author I read at the time.

I WANT to read Rucka's books but I have NEVER seen them on sale here. At all. I've seen Meltzer's books on the stands but never Rucka's. When I ask at bookstores they've either never heard of him or they take me to where they've kept a copy of a Gotham Central trade.

Do you have access to online services like Amazon out there? I really can't recommend Rucka's stuff enough. It's the first book I've read since probly the last Harry Potter that grabbed me by the throat and said, "No, fuck you, you're not going to bed until you finish the next chapter."

[NeverWanderer]

i still read them every year when they come out

POTSHOT was the only semi ridiculous book to me.

i would say everything up through walking shadow was great.

mantegna (and I'm truly a massive fan) was a decent, but odd ethnic choice to play spenser for my taste. he did fine, but he can't pass for a bostonian irish dude (who was born in montana)

spenser isn't italian , sorry.

in his mike hammer days, stacy keach should've been spenser.

urich was a vey credible spenser in the series and most of the tv movies , but avery brooks WAS hawk to a t . same goes for richard jaeckle as lt marty quirk.

today, alec baldwin in his current beefy state would make a good spenser

See, I agree with you on Mantegna! But I remember hearing that Parker wholeheartedly endorsed him when the first movie dropped. Said that THAT was who should have played Spenser all along. I just couldn't see it.

Mind you, all Spenser ever was to me was Robert Urich (broke my heart when he died).

But I dunno... Mantegna just didn't have the presence. Didn't have the wit. He made it more of an old-fashioned Bogart/Chinatown detective rather than the street-level guy Urich portrayed. That could have just been the direction the producers wanted it to take, though.

Thanks for that link! I just faved it! :D

[NeverWanderer]

I'm a huge fan of the Spenser books and TV show.

My favorite individual novel is a toss up between "A Catskill Eagle" or "Looking For Rachel Wallace".

I love reading them each year when they come out.

I loved the TV series endlessly. I know Parker didn't think so but I thought Robert Urich was superb as Spenser.

I thought the A&E movies were okay. But they didn't have the rhythm I came to love between Spenser and Hawk.

Oh and the ones they had play Hawk after Avery Brooks were so bad.

AVERY BROOKS is THE FUCKING MAN as Hawk.

If you go back and look at the Deep Space Nine season, you'll notice that he really didn't get into the swing of things until they let him shave his head.

And yes, I watched A Man Called Hawk too.

I wish they'd release both the Spenser series and A Man Called Hawk on DVD.

Hah! Yeah!

I always thought that when Brooks went bald and goateed again, he seemed to get some of that old fire back. Always liked him on that series, though, either way. I was glad to see him getting work.

It kills me that they haven't released the show on DVD yet. Maybe there's someone we can write to...

[NeverWanderer]

Checking out the old show openings on YouTube, and... shit, John, you're right.

Stacy Keech would have been perfect... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDqA3b3nXcE&feature=related

(I think Alec Baldwin's a little past his prime for Spenser, though. Plus, he never really struck me as a believable tough guy.)

For a bit more nostalgia, here's the opening credits sequence for Promised Land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j41_sCAuQiE

Annnd the first opening for the series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY3xEJ4RxcA

The opening for A Man Called Hawk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zge345LB5ZM

And an interview with Avery Brooks and Robert Urich: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUxR_144Zhk

The one thing I'm not finding is the softer opening when the series suddenly looked like a Lifetime movie... (still good episodes, though!)

[NeverWanderer]

A bunch of Spenser clips ending with a showdown between Hawk and Morpheus! (8:58)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U82V_NjhOs&NR=1

[J. Wilson]

all you want to know about spenser is here

http://bullets-and-beer.com/

That's a great site. I've had it bookmarked for years.

[ryfun]

I'm a huge fan of the Spenser books and TV show.

My favorite individual novel is a toss up between "A Catskill Eagle" or "Looking For Rachel Wallace".

....

AVERY BROOKS is THE FUCKING MAN as Hawk.



I never watched the series much when it was originally on, because I just didn't care about Spenser at the time. But about five years ago, my dad recommended Spenser to me. He reads an ass-pile of books and had just gotten around to Parker. I picked up Thin Air and loved it. Then I went back and read them all in order. Funny thing is there have only been two that I just didn't care for. One of them was A Catskill Eagle. I thought it overlong and full of Spenser doing things that just, to me seemed to violate his strange code of ethics, like him and Hawk gunning down a pimp and robbing him for very little reason. And the plot with the secret basein the mountain was too James Bondian to me. I also was not a fan of Hundred Dollar Baby, which just seemed a pointlessly depressing exercise.

But I do agree with you that Avery Brooks IS Hawk, all day long. I've watched the movies on Hallmark and the TV series when AOL was had their little downloadable TV service (can't remember the name of it). But believe it or not, my dad completely disagrees. He thought Avery Brooks was totally wrong for Hawk. I don't get that at all, and I have trouble getting him to articulate what's wrong.

THe other question I have is has anyone traveled to any other corners of the Parkerverse? I've been reading all teh Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone books, too, but not the westerns.

SR

[J. Wilson]

I never watched the series much when it was originally on, because I just didn't care about Spenser at the time. But about five years ago, my dad recommended Spenser to me. He reads an ass-pile of books and had just gotten around to Parker. I picked up Thin Air and loved it. Then I went back and read them all in order. Funny thing is there have only been two that I just didn't care for. One of them was A Catskill Eagle. I thought it overlong and full of Spenser doing things that just, to me seemed to violate his strange code of ethics, like him and Hawk gunning down a pimp and robbing him for very little reason. And the plot with the secret basein the mountain was too James Bondian to me. I also was not a fan of Hundred Dollar Baby, which just seemed a pointlessly depressing exercise.

But I do agree with you that Avery Brooks IS Hawk, all day long. I've watched the movies on Hallmark and the TV series when AOL was had their little downloadable TV service (can't remember the name of it). But believe it or not, my dad completely disagrees. He thought Avery Brooks was totally wrong for Hawk. I don't get that at all, and I have trouble getting him to articulate what's wrong.

THe other question I have is has anyone traveled to any other corners of the Parkerverse? I've been reading all teh Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone books, too, but not the westerns.

SR


Your dad is totally wrong about Avery Brooks as Hawk.

I read the first Sunny Randall book. It was Spenser as a female with a white gay Hawk. Not very good.

I read a couple of the Jesse Stone books and while they were okay, they didn't really strike my fancy.

[sonnylarue]

yaphet koto would've been a great hawk, so would woody strode, ken norton (obviously) , tiny lister, an early 70's james earl jones, jim kelly...

avery brooks in the 80's would've been a great luke cage, as he's depicted today.

( i shudder to think of him with the tiarra)

[ryfun]

yaphet koto would've been a great hawk, so would woody strode, ken norton (obviously) , tiny lister, an early 70's james earl jones, jim kelly...

avery brooks in the 80's would've been a great luke cage, as he's depicted today.

( i shudder to think of him with the tiarra)

ANd you're talking about beefier guys than I think Brooks was. Maybe that's what my dad had in mind. After all, we're talking about someone who was a boxer, so maybe he should be a little thicker.

I shudder to think of anyone with a tiara...except maybe the Miss Georgia Forestry pageant winner.

[sonnylarue]

ANd you're talking about beefier guys than I think Brooks was. Maybe that's what my dad had in mind. After all, we're talking about someone who was a boxer, so maybe he should be a little thicker.

I shudder to think of anyone with a tiara...except maybe the Miss Georgia Forestry pageant winner.

that's what i figured.

however, covering boxing for over 15 years i can think of many light hvys with brooks build.

[NeverWanderer]

Watching a few of those clips, it seems to me that Brooks's Hawk sort of took on a life of his own. (as evidenced by getting his own series!)

When I watched the first A&E movie, I remember being most interested in who they got for Hawk, and it didn't seem like the guy was doing a bad job or anything, but it just wasn't the character to me at all.

(Funny aside... Ernie Hudson apparently played Hawk in the later A&E movies. THAT's weird to imagine.)

[J. Wilson]

I can't see how you would want a beefier guy for the role of Hawk.

The guy is a hitman/enforcer/chief badass of Boston. You'd think that you'd need someone with agility and quickness, not stand toe to toe with the Hulk.

[mec]

Jumping in late, but...

I went through a period of reading the Spenser books, watching the show, basically through high school. They sort of lost their luster for me after Crimson Death (?). I think I got the next couple and maybe finished one and then not the next. A few years back, though, I bought a handful of the old books and Pastime and reread them. The ones I read hold up, but the ones I read I also consider the peak, where Spenser really became a character and plot a vehicle to explore that character:

Early Autumn (barely a mystery at all but one of the best)
A Savage Place (Spenser goes down a deep, dark hole called L.A.)
Ceremony
The Widening Gyre
Valediction
maybe A Catskill Eagle because it sort of ends this arc, but in retrospect, it does seem kind of silly.

[sonnylarue]

anyone read parkers other detectives? sunny randall or jesse stone?

i wasn't a sunny fan, and jesse seems like a spenser clone in a different locale.

although i do like the tom selleck tv flicks

[mec]

I've only seen one of the Selleck flicks and enjoyed it, though I think serious Selleck can get a little wearying when not balanced with some humor -- those dark episodes of Magnum almost worked better because of the lighter ones.

[J. Wilson]

anyone read parkers other detectives? sunny randall or jesse stone?

i wasn't a sunny fan, and jesse seems like a spenser clone in a different locale.

although i do like the tom selleck tv flicks


The Jesse Stone novels that I read were okay but didn't really keep my attention. I thought the Sunny Randall books were the Spenser clone books.