2nd ANNIVERSARY : STAFF PICKS

4ADAM30'S "TOP FIVE REASONS I LOVE T.J. HOOKER:"

5. Right place, right time. T.J. Hooker came along just at the right time culturally. It was a bridge to the future of television cop shows, being the first police drama which focused on both the private and public lives of a group of officers; did you ever see Joe Friday hanging out at his neighborhood bar? Hell no. And how could T.J. Hooker have taken place at any time other than the early 1980s? All the glitz and glam of the period, with cultural and musical styles emerging from the underground and creeping into the mainstream . . . who can forget the break dancing sequences in T.J. Hooker? Or Hooker's Member's Only jackets? Or how about Marine Jahann's "Flashdancing"? Every bar band featured on T.J. Hooker all had that '80s Eddie Money/Scandal (featuring Patti Smyth) look to them–how can it get any better than that? Again, the bridge metaphor: what show could have featured break dancing AND included both Jerry Lee Lewis and the Beach Boys as musical guests? T.J. Hooker was a true linking point between old school and new school.

4. A stellar supporting cast. Of course, what's not to love about the cast of T.J. Hooker? Adrian Zmed will always be Vince Romano to legions of fans. James Darren crossed generational barriers from his days as Gidget's Moondoggie and became the oft-confused yet tough as nails crimebuster we've all grown to love. And Heather Locklear . . . the woman's an institution, both for her work as an actress and for her personal life. And T.J. Hooker started it all for her, landing her in the history books for being the first actress to have a major role on two prime time shows at the same time.

3. Not only the squad cars were black and white. T.J. Hooker had a firm grasp of good guys and bad guys. You always knew who was good and who was bad, even if the characters didn't. If the over-zealous acting of the week's baddie didn't clue you in, then the repetitious soundtrack (replete with synthesizers and rockin' guitar) would. Even during the rough times, when Hooker was confronted by the top brass for crossing the line, you knew he did it because he was essentially a good man. Life was less complicated (at least in TV shows), and there was no such thing as an anti-hero.

2. Guest stars galore! T.J. Hooker was indeed true low-budget television. However, it stretched its tight purse strings occasionally and struck gold in the process. A veritable catalog of '80s talent, T.J. Hooker's guest cast list reads like a parade of stars, both established and emerging: Leonard Nimoy. Heather Thomas. Dennis Franz. Vanessa L. Williams. Jim Brown. Tori Spelling. Richard Hatch. Marjoe Gortner. When you watched T.J. Hooker, you knew damn well that every once in awhile they'd bring out the big guns for an extra special episode, and it always paid off.

1. Finally . . . The Man himself. What better reason, what better explanation, what better embodiment of all that is right and wrong about devoting one's life to T.J. Hooker can there be than the enigmatic Mr. William Shatner? Shatner was–no, Shatner is–T.J. Hooker. Yes, the man has his critics; he's now known more as a pitchman for Priceline than as the scourge of L.A.'s street scum. But whatever your thoughts are on William Shatner the man, you have to admit that William Shatner the actor has an incredible charisma. Whether you're watching him for his sex appeal or his scenery chewing . . . his professionalism or his kitsch value . . . you are drawn to him like a magnet. He shines like a brilliant white light over all that goes on around him. He is the one, the only; the alpha and the omega. T.J. Hooker fandom both begins and ends with Mr. Shatner, there is no denying it. What more reason does one need to love this show? Look into the eyes of William Shatner and you will know the truth.

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