Spenser: For Hire
an Episode Guide
by Scott Klobas
Last updated:
Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:00
Spenser: For Hirean Episode Guide
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| aired from: Sep 1985 to: May 1988 | 66 eps, 4 TVMs | ABC | 60 min | stereo | closed captioned |
regulars:
Spenser: For Hire is based on a series of novels by Robert B. Parker, starring his fictional hero Spenser (no last name given). Spenser is a former Boston cop who retired (for reasons unknown to me) and started his own PI business. Spenser often has help from his erstwhile friend Hawk and Boston PD detective Frank Belson.
Spenser's girlfriend Susan Silverman left during the series second season because as she explained, she loved Spenser too much to accept the deadly situations he gets into. Series producers introduced Rita Fiori, a new D.A. who initially clashed with Spenser, but soon grew close to him.
Spenser was filmed in the Boston area, lending it an authenticity absent in far too many LA based programs. The Spenser casting directors did an excellent job, packing the episodes with future movie and television stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Patricia Richardson, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Morrow, J.T. Walsh, Giancarlo Esposito, Charles Kimbrough..and on and on.
Spenser lived on after its cancellation with a series of four television movies shot in Canada, all airing on the Lifetime cable network. A new Spenser movie is scheduled to shoot in 2000, this time without Robert Urich in the title role. After Spenser died in Spring 1988, a spin-off starring Avery Brooks in his Hawk character, A Man Called Hawk aired as a short-lived mid-season series.
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Spenser is hired to find the runaway wife of a wealthy businessman.
b: 20 Sep 85 pc: _________ w: ______________ d: ______________ NOTE: Based on a story by Spenser novelist Robert B. Parker.Spenser is hired to find the runaway wife of a wealthy businessman.
b: 20 Sep 85 pc: _________ w: ______________ d: ______________Spenser is hired by the police department to protect a witness who may not be who she claims. The Fire Department gives Spenser an old station to show their gratitude for the help he gave them in a fire.
b: 27 Sep 85 pc: 185851 w: John Wilder d: John WilderA pair of young thrill-killers target Spenser, accidentally shooting a bystander. Susan's ex-husband visits.
b: 4 Oct 85 pc: 185852 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Richard CollaSpenser kills a would-be thief in the course of thwarting a robbery. He and Susan take in the man's two children while investigating his past. Susan discovers she's pregnant.
b: 11 Oct 85 pc: 185855 w: Robert Hamilton d: William WiardSpenser investigates the apparent suicide of a young nun, and stumbles onto a corrupt landlord.
b: 18 Oct 85 pc: 185854 w: Robert Hamilton d: Harvey HartSpenser is fired from a bodyguard job after his young charge is kidnapped. Spenser suspects the girl he was to protect, arranged the 'kidnapping' to escape her father, a famous conductor, who may have been molesting his daughter.
b: 25 Oct 85 pc: 185853 w: Janet Kapsin s: David Abramowitz d: Harvey HartSpenser is hired to protect a woman's identical twin sister from assassins, only to discover his employer suffers from a split personality.
b: 12 Nov 85 pc: 185856 w: Robert Malcolm Young d: Don ChaffeySpenser stumbles onto a ring of thieves while investigating a relic stolen from a museum.
b: 19 Nov 85 pc: 185857 w: Jerry Ziegman d: William WiardThe wife of a kidnapped oil tycoon hires Spenser to deliver $1 million in ransom money to a ring of terrorists while police have the drop-off area surrounded.
b: 26 Nov 85 pc: 185858 w: ______________ d: ______________Spenser investigates a crooked vice cop involved in the mugging of one of Susan's friends.
b: 3 Dec 85 pc: 185859 w: Richard Collins d: Virgil VogelMarital infidelity and suspected involvement in a gambling ring lead to Lt. Quirk's suspension. Belson is shot during a raid. Spenser works to clear Quirk's name and catch Belson's would-be killer.
b: 17 Dec 85 pc: 185860 w: Bruce Murkoff d: Richard CollaSpenser walks into a death trap when a beautiful university scientistwho makes so-called 'designer drugs' hires him to track down her gigolo boyfriend and recover $50,000.
b: 7 Jan 86 pc: 185861 w: ______________ d: ______________Spenser and Hawk blame themselves for failing to protect their respective clients from the clutches of the underworld, and vow to settle the score with a big-time racketeer and his henchmen.
b: 14 Jan 86 pc: 185862 w: ______________ d: ____________Spenser is dazzled by the beauty and grace of a former Bolshoi ballerina who appeals for his help and tempts him with her love.
b: 21 Jan 86 pc: 185863 w: Robert Hamilton d: Ray AustinSpenser goes undercover at a private high school to investigate heroin use on campus, but discovers something far more serious.
b: 4 Feb 86 pc: 185864 w: Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa d: Sutton RoleySpenser is retained to locate a missing scientist who'd just discovered a major breakthrough in laser techniques by a deaf newspaper columnist with whom the scientist had been corresponding.
b: 11 Feb 86 pc: 185865 w: Robert Hamilton d: Ray Austin NOTE: According to a TV Guide article, the role of Joan was not written with a deaf woman in mind. Kudos to the producers for awarding the role on merit rather than a disability.Spenser and Susan look for a Mexican labor organizer who has suspiciously disappeared. ('On the Waterfront' redux.)
b: 14 Feb 86 pc: 185866 w: William Robert Yates d: Virgil VogelWhile working for a wealthy woman, Spenser is caught up in a deadly murder mystery complete with an illicit love story.
b: 4 Mar 86 pc: 185867 w: ______________ d: ______________Sgt. Frank falls in love with a white supremicist.
b: 11 Mar 86 pc: 185868 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Virgil VogelSpenser is hired by a 12-year-old to investigate the murder of her older sister. The brutal slaying of an ex-convict, and the machinations of a popular preacher with political ambitions factor into the investigation.
b: 25 Mar 86 pc: 185869 w: Robert Hamilton d: David M. WhorfA teenage girl's agitated condition following a rape gets her into deeper trouble when she's kidnapped by an ex-con bent on shooting Spenser.
b: 1 Apr 86 pc: 185870 w: Bruce Murkoff d: None Creditedb: 8 Apr 86 pc: 185871 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Virgil Vogel
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New D.A. Rita Fiori tries to prosecute Spenser for blackmail.
b: 27 Sep 86 pc: 1866031 w: Stephen Hattman d: William WiardA small fishing family hires Spenser to investigate the death of their father. Spenser suspects a rival fishing family, the Almeidas.
b: 4 Oct 86 pc: 1866033 w: Juanita Bartlett s: Joe Smoke d: William WiardWhile Spenser and Hawk are in a small town to view a boxing match, Hawk is arrested, ostensibly for carrying a concealed weapon, but Spenser suspects racism may be involved.
b: 18 Oct 86 pc: 1866032 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Virgil VogelA mobster's pregnant teenage girlfriend tries to keep her unborn son from his father.
b: 25 Oct 86 pc: 186034 w: David Abramowitz d: Virgil VogelSpenser protects a man suffering from amnesia.
b: 1 Nov 86 pc: 186035 w: Robert Bielak d: William WiardA young criminal's father attacks a bus transporting convicts to the state prison.
b: 8 Nov 86 pc: 186036 w: David Bennett Carren d: Virgil VogelRita hires Spenser to investigate a troubled teenager, yet another 'Spenser helps a misguided youth' episode.
b: 22 Nov 86 pc: 186037 w: Shel Willens d: William WiardA friend of Spenser's is shot and killed while portraying Paul Revere during a Revolutionary War re-enactment.
b: 29 Nov 86 pc: 186038 w: William Robert Yates d: Virgil VogelA girl who apparently has the unique ability to 'see' through both space and time, enlists Spenser's help to solve a rash of arsons.
b: 13 Dec 86 pc: 186039 w: Gerry Day d: Cliff BoleWith the help of Hawk, a disgusted Spenser is determined to get rid of thugs who are terrorizing his Boston neighborhood.
b: 20 Dec 86 pc: 186040 w: __________ d: ______________Hawk is the main suspect when Lt. Quirk is shot, due to a recent fracas between the two. Spenser suspects a new man in town, trying to take Hawk down to make a name for himself.
b: 10 Jan 87 pc: 186041 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Cliff BoleA wealthy man is murdererd and, surprise, an innocent man is arrested. If you've seen one Spenser, you've seen them all.
b: 17 Jan 87 pc: 186043 w: Robert Malcolm Young s: Rudolph Berecht d: Winrich KolbeSpenser investigates the apparent suicide of a philandering financier about to turn state's evidence to bring down insider trading. Rita has problems of her own when an old boyfriend shows up. Belson hires Spenser to find his missing wallet containing a winning lottery ticket.
b: 24 Jan 87 pc: 186042 w: Alex Gansa & Howard Gordon d: Harry HarrisSpenser and Rita go after a corrupt African.
b: 7 Feb 87 pc: 186044 w: Cynthia Darnell d: Cliff BoleA girl comes to Boston looking for her estranged father. Spenser decides to help her.
b: 14 Feb 87 pc: 186045 w: David Bennet Carren s: Norma Safford Vela d: Winrich KolbeA pimp is wrongfully arrested for the murder of one of his girls. Spenser agonizes between pursuing the real murderer or letting the pimp take the rap.
b: 21 Feb 87 pc: 186046 w: Robert Bielak & Nelson Costello s: Nelson Costello d: David M. WhorfSpenser and Hawk protect a man who owes money to men of dubious ethics. When their client, Bo Braxton tries to blackmail his creditors, he and his alcoholic teenage daughter go on the run.
b: 7 Mar 87 pc: 186047 w: Robert B. Parker s: Joan H. Parker d: Winrich KolbeSpenser becomes embroiled in the seamy Vietnamese organized crime racket after a Vietnamese crime boss uses Spenser to track down a former soldier.
b: 14 Mar 87 pc: 186048 w: Alex Gansa & Howard Gordon d: Michael Vejar NOTE: Actor Jordan Clarke played a character, Gordon Ganza, named after the writers of this episode in ep #18 of The Cosby Mysteries.Spenser loses all feeling in his right arm after he's shot while guarding a politician.
b: 21 Mar 87 pc: 186049 w: Stephen Hattman d: Winrich KolbeNRA poster-boy Sammy Backlin breezes into town for a book signing, unwittingly involving Spenser in a shoot out. Spenser agrees to protect Sammy from gangland thugs.
b: 4 Apr 87 pc: 186050 w: Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin d: Bruce Bilson NOTE: Sammy Backlin shows up again in ep #59. Character name Duke Fallon turns up in Diagnosis Murder ep #96, which is written by the same duo that wrote this episode.Rita and her old college friends are reunited when a fictional person they created 20 years ago is found dead in his apartment.
b: 2 May 87 pc: 186051 w: Michael Petryni d: Charles Picerni NOTE: Actor David Pierce now goes by David Hyde Pierce and stars on Frasier.A prison inmate with a grudge against Hawk hires outside muscle to rub him out.
b: 9 May 87 pc: 186052 w: Daniel Freudenberger d: Winrich Kolbe| Back to TOP of Page |
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Spenser tries to settle a feud between a mobster and a judge. Susan returns from California.
b: 27 Sep 87 pc: 186231 w: Robert B. Parker s: Joan H. Parker d: Winrich KolbeA streetwise young kid gets involved over his head in the underworld. Spenser and Hawk try to protect him from would-be killers.
b: 4 Oct 87 pc: 186232 w: Alex Gansa & Howard Gordon d: Virgil VogelLt. Quirk faces his mortality when he suffers a heart attack. Spenser and Hawk protect him from revenge-minded villains as he recovers.
b: 11 Oct 87 pc: 186233 w: Norma Safford Vela d: Winrich KolbeSpenser helps an old friend, an alcoholic priest who tries to help homeless teenagers, when he gets involved over his head.
b: 1 Nov 87 pc: 186236 w: Michael Fisher d: David M. WhorfSpenser becomes obsessed with an apparently suicidal woman after a chance encounter on the street.
b: 8 Nov 87 pc: 186234 w: William Rabkin & Lee Goldberg d: David M. Whorf NOTE: According to co-writer Goldberg, the Kincaid family were all named after characters from the show The Partridge Family. Actor Kenneth Welsh also appeared in ep #48, both times playing Belson's boss, but with a different character name.Spenser is arrested when he intervenes in a fight. Susan enlists Hawk's aid after she's harrassed by her college counselor, who contracts a hit man to silence her claims of sexual harrassment.
b: 15 Nov 87 pc: 186235 w: Stephen Hattman d: Winrich Kolbe NOTE: This episode was originally scheduled to air on 25 Oct 87 but was pre-empted for Game 7 of the World Series.Spenser runs into an old friend while visiting a recreation of a Puritan village. Spenser does everything in his power to exonerate said friend when he's accused of a brutal slaying. As he uncovers more and more, Spenser begins to think it might be hard to clear the name of a guilty man.
b: 29 Nov 87 pc: 186240 w: Walter Brough d: Richard CollaSpenser's fishing trip is interrupted when he has to protect a young man who's not allowed to marry the girl he loves.
b: 6 Dec 87 pc: 186237 w: Tom Chehak d: Bruce BilsonA sniper takes some shots at Spenser and Susan, and a young boy ends up dead in the crossfire. Spenser sets out to determine why such a tragedy happened and track down the shooter.
b: 20 Dec 87 pc: 186238 w: William Robert Yates d: Richard CollaSpenser and Hawk find themselves on opposite sides of the same case. Spenser is hired to retrieve a stolen journal containing information damaging to a judge's career. Hawk is hired by the thief to extort money from the judge.
b: 3 Jan 88 pc: 186243 w: Don Nardo & Peter Jones & Robert B. Verduccio d: Winrich KolbeSusan and an injured Hawk are trapped inside a post office when a disgruntled postal worker (clearly the scriptwriter was ahead of his time) takes hostages. Spenser works from the outside to free the hostages.
b: 10 Jan 88 pc: 186244 w: Andrew Sipes d: Bill DukeSpenser protects an old friend, Arthur, after he's assaulted and robbed. In the course of his investigation, Spenser comes across disturbing information connecting Arthur with racketeering.
b: 16 Jan 88 pc: 186239 w: Jerome Coopersmith d: Winrich KolbeWhen Frank's niece dies of a drug overdose, Spenser and Frank go after the men responsible.
b: 23 Jan 88 pc: 186242 w: Nelson Costello d: Harry HarrisSammy Backlin calls Spenser for protection when he's being hunted by a 'vicious horde of bloodthirsty assassins'.
b: 30 Jan 88 pc: 186245 w: Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin d: Bruce BilsonOne of Spenser's old trainers lures Spenser to a deserted warehouse where Spenser is supposed to be killed, to get out from under a gambling debt. Spenser survives, then turns around and protects his trainer from the goons now after him.
b: 6 Feb 88 pc: 186241 w: Jonathan Day d: Winrich KolbeSpenser protects a theater owner from gangsters, but begins to suspect she's not as innocent as she appears.
b: 5 Mar 88 pc: 186247 w: John Jay Osborn Jr. d: David M. WhorfSpenser suspects insurance fraud when a building blows up. Susan has a possibly cancerous mass removed.
b: 12 Mar 88 pc: 186246 w: Norma Safford Vela d: Winrich KolbeSpenser protects a child artist after the child witnesses a mob execution while painting in the forest.
b: 19 Mar 88 pc: 186248 w: Ronald D. Brown d: Winrich Kolbe NOTE: NHL great Bobby Orr appears as himself.Spenser investigates the death of a friend apparently involved with white supremicists. Hawk is rendered blind by an explosion.
b: 26 Mar 88 pc: 186249 w: Tom Chehak d: David M. WhorfSpenser assists a lawyer in proving the innocence of his client, a Navy seaman accused of murdering the captain's daughter. The only witness is a missing Polish sailor.
b: 30 Apr 88 pc: 186250 w: William Robert Yates & Steven Hattman d: Harvey HartSpenser investigates an old child kidnapping case when he tries to track down a teenage girl's biological parents.
b: 7 May 88 pc: 186251 w: Michael Fisher d: David M. Whorf| Back to TOP of Page |
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