Spenser for Hire is an ’80s TV staple that I remember fondly, if not well. It seems like it was always on, but can I recall a single plot line? Heck no. The release of the complete series on DVD is a delightful opportunity to revisit this classic show and to forgive yourself if you were never quite sure what it was about.
As it turns out, Spenser (Robert Urich) may have misread his own job description. He’s presented as a private investigator, but does precious little of his investigating privately. Most episodes find him shooting someone (which he hates), winding up in a fist fight or car chase, and bringing a distressed lady home for dinner and impromptu counseling from his infinitely tolerant girlfriend, Susan (Barbara Stock), a social worker with an extensive collection of jaunty berets. The back of the DVD box calls him a Renaissance man, but it’s possible he just has really poor boundaries.
In addition to all of his cases spilling dramatically into his personal life, Spenser also works closely, but not officially with the police department? It never quite seems like he’s invited and he usually creates a circus of problems, but he often helps them catch the bad guy and/or solve the case. The cops regard him with an eyerolly punch in the arm, “oh, you!”
Even more obtuse is Spenser’s relationship to the other Renaissance man in Boston, Hawk (Avery Brooks). They run into each other on every job they do, and could best be described as frenemies. Think Seinfeld and Newman or Wile E. Coyote and that sheepdog. They exchange a lot of side eye and occasionally save each other’s lives.
All of this sounds more absurd than it is, though there are moments where you can hear Robert B. Parker’s writing cringily dripping from Spenser’s narration. It’s easy to imagine Spenser as an unlikable character, but Robert Urich doesn’t allow him to come across as mansplainer with a hero complex. Instead he generally seems quiet and thoughtful, charming and funny, even though he’s all the time standing up his girlfriend and stepping into trouble. He imparts humanity in what is essentially a comic book character, making for a viewing experience that is as cozy and comforting as it is fast-paced and gritty.
Spenser for Hire: The Complete Series includes all three seasons of the show, but omits the four made for TV movies that followed its cancellation. The Spenser for Hire Movie Collection was released on DVD in 2005.
