Starsky & Hutch: The Hostages originally aired Wednesday, January 7th 1976.

Consummate 1970s tv cop duo Starsky & Hutch was a huge hit after first hitting the airwaves in 1975, it seemed like nearly everyone in America had to get home every week as to not miss any of their high speed exploits. Undercover police detectives Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul) couldn't have been more different. Starsky was a loud, extroverted, junk food eating hard street cop. Hutch was a more refined and sophisticated type of guy than his partner, he was also more cautious than Starsky but more than able to handle himself in the difficult situations that they often found themselves. Despite (or maybe because of) their differences they made for a great police team, both were smart and tough and not afraid to bend the rules to make sure that justice was done. They came thru many adventures using their fists and brains to put the bad guys away. With the help of their streetwise informant Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) and boss Captain Dobey (Bernie Hamilton) they were able to keep the mean streets clean of crime for four entertaining seasons.

In this episode Starsky and Hutch inadvertently stumble upon an armored car robbery in progress. A gang of ruthless criminals has taken Tom Cole (John Ritter) and his pregnant wife (Linda Kelsey) hostage. Tom is a security guard for an armored car company and unless he helps the brutal criminals steal the money from his employer they will kill his wife. But what he doesn't know is that the gang plans to murder both of them anyway, just as soon as the last money has been collected. Lives are at stake and Starsky and Hutch have to work fast, they have only a few short hours or they will both be killed. Tom's last money pickup is at 4 p.m. after that they will both be eliminated; these killers leave no witnesses. The guys have to find out where Tom's wife has been taken and get her away from the gunmen before it's too late.

This is a memorable and fast paced episode that holds your attention from the beginning to the very end. Glaser and Soul do their usual good work here, having that great on screen camaraderie that made this show so enjoyable and such a big hit. The supporting parts are also very well done making this story that much more compelling. Some of the supporting cast includes Kristy McNichol who has a small but interesting part as a precocious child that is a witness to the woman's kidnapping. She is instrumental in helping Starsky and Hutch find the kidnappers but only after cutting a deal for herself, as she also has her own troubles with the law. Kristy does a very good job in this, one of her earlier television roles. This was also the first appearance of the character Sweet Alice (Nellie Bellflower), the proverbial prostitute with a heart of gold who also happens to be in love with Hutch. She just can't say no to his charm and ends up giving the guys some much needed information that helps them close in on the kidnappers and bring this story to its dramatic conclusion. Veteran character actress Jean Hagen has the part of a madam that is caught up with the killers only to discover too late that there is no such thing as easy money. Madison Arnold has a part of a stone cold killer. It is also interesting to see both John Ritter (Three's Company) and Linda Kelsey (Lou Grant) shortly before they each had their own television success.

Buying note: This episode is available as part of a 5 disc boxed set that includes the entire first season of Starsky & Hutch. The set also includes interviews with David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, original tv promo spots and other special features.

5-20-2006