A Man Called Hawk
A Man Called Hawk is an American action drama series, starring Avery Brooks, that ran on ABC from January 28 to May 13, 1989. The series is a spin-off of the crime drama series "", and features the character Hawk, who first appeared in the 1976 novel "Promised Land", the fourth in the series of Spenser novels by mystery writer Robert B. Parker. Main cast. On the air for just thirteen episodes, "A Man Called Hawk" starred Avery Brooks as the title character, who has relocated from Boston to his hometown, Washington, D.C. The series co -starred actor Moses Gunn, who portrayed a father figure to Hawk known only as "Old Man". Hawk's character description. On "", the character of Hawk was defined by his sharp outfits, streetwise manner, sunglasses (worn even at night), BMW 635csi and the incredibly large long-barreled Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver that he carried with him nearly everywhere. He most often acted as a street resource for his private detective friend Spenser. Notably, Hawk had a clean shaven head, well before Michael Jordan and other celebrities popularized the look in the 1990s. After spinning off to his own series, Hawk  became less of an anti-hero and more of a traditional champion of people that needed help and could not fight for themselves. A deeper personal history was developed for the character, and Hawk became more of a Renaissance man, displaying talents for boxing, chess, playing jazz, and an appreciation of fine African art. Production. "A Man Called Hawk" was a spin-off of the recently cancelled "", which aired on ABC from 1985 through 1988. Brooks co-wrote the theme music for the show with jazz legends Stanley Clarke and Butch Morris, the latter of whom also did most of  the incidental music for the show. The series was filmed in Washington D.C. During the first three seasons of "", Brooks wore a full head of hair and shaved his goatee, as a means of distinguishing his character Benjamin Sisko from Hawk. The goatee was added to Sisko's look near the end of Season 3, and his head was shaved bald at the start of Season 4 (this was due in part to production of "DS9" concurring with that of a series of "Spenser: For Hire" reunion films in which Brooks reprised Hawk). Hawk in subsequent films. Avery Brooks reprised  the role of Hawk in four subsequent TV movies: "Spenser: Ceremony" (1993), "Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes" (1994), "Spenser: The Judas Goat" (1994), and "Spenser: A Savage Place" (1995). Each is considered a sequel to "Spenser: For Hire". Additionally, the character Hawk appeared in two TV movies with no connection to either "Spenser: For Hire" or "A Man Called Hawk". In "Spenser: Small Vices" (1999), Hawk was portrayed by Shiek Mahmud-Bey. In "Walking Shadow" (2001), the role went to Ernie Hudson. See Spenser (TV movies). Syndication. The TV One network resumed airing episodes of "A Man Called Hawk" in  September 2006.