In the early 1980s, Captain Kirk found a whole new audience and a wig as the tough no nonsense veteran cop and mentor T J Hooker. William Shatner really has more hair here than he did when he was in Star Trek in the mid 1960s.
The first regular episode of a short first season, sees Hooker searching for a serial attacker who targets vulnerable women with a knife and then leaves a bible behind.
Hooker gets near to catching this bible mugger but now he is lumbered with a television news reporter who wants to tag along. Hooker is reluctant and only agrees as he is ordered to do it. The news reporter takes a big risk when she agrees to meet the deranged religious minded attacker and ends up in danger herself.
Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed) is the rookie cop who partners Hooker. He provides light relief, in this episode he knows someone who can get a good deal in a new car for Hooker.
Produced by the legendary Aaron Spelling & Leonard Goldberg. This really is a cheese fest with some added ham. The creepy villain seems to have walked in from some Dirty Harry film and it is heavily implied that he might have sexually assaulted his first victim. However network television rules apply so aftermath has been modified. One subsequent victim dies when the mugger does not allow her to take medication.
In the acclaimed 1983 film The Big Chill. The name of the television series that the actor played by Tom Berenger starred in was 'J T Lancer.' I could not help thinking the name was inspired by T J Hooker!