T.J. Hooker ran from 1982 to 1986. Between 1982 and 1985, it was shown at 8:00 o'clock on Saturday nights. However in its last season, T.J. Hooker changed channel and timeslot. "It would be more pleasant to go from late-night to prime time, than the other way around," William Shatner acknowledged.
"The original pilot," William recounted, "was going to be like a Dallas of the police force. It was to be a serial with a lot of characters, each with his own story."
"The change came," he explained, "after they filmed the pilot and they began to see the strength of Hooker."
T.J. Hooker, William remarked, "is a common name. It has a lot of grit."
"Hooker," William expressed, "wants to get criminals off the streets."
"The project originally called for a hard-nosed police sergeant," he recalled. "What I didn’t anticipate was that it was going to end up being called T.J. Hooker."
Unlike Starsky And Hutch or Charlie's Angels, William said of T.J. Hooker, "The character is totally atypical but the setting is not. The dichotomy is this unfamiliar character in a familiar setting."
"In a series," William shared, "you can't really play a character. People see through it too easily. And the fatigue factor is such that gradually you lose hold of some of the character traits you're trying to show. In about 2 episodes, you're back to the basic you."
Larry Manetti played Rick on Magnum, P.I. He conceded, "The character of Rick is pretty close to me. I've really been playing myself, which is the toughest thing an actor is called upon to do."
Heather McNair played Roxanne on Automan. She revealed, "They told me to just be myself. They told me I'd be playing someone who is a lot like me. And that's what I've been doing. It's sort of on-the-job training."
Between 1966 and 1969, William played Captain James Kirk on Star Trek. "Kirk is noble and Hooker is angry," William described of the 2 characters. "Hooker works through anger and passion, Kirk wouldn't do that."
Of Star Trek, DeForest Kelley enthused, "Whether you like the show or not, there has never been anything else like Star Trek and there never will be....It's mystifying, but Star Trek seems to have touched a chord with people from all walks of life."
Leonard Nimoy believed, "Star Trek is hopeful and positive about the future rather than negative and pessimistic."
William attributed human values to the popularity of Star Trek, pointing out, "...the best qualities of the series, which were humanity and human problems, and using the special effects as an escape valve to keep the audience on the edge of their seats."
"In Hooker," Heather Locklear remembered, "I play Stacy Sheridan with minimum makeup and my hair usually tied up in a pony tail. And I wear a very tailored police officer’s uniform. But when I'm Sammy Jo Carrington in Dynasty....I spent more time in makeup and wardrobe than I did in front of the cameras."
"The original pilot," William recounted, "was going to be like a Dallas of the police force. It was to be a serial with a lot of characters, each with his own story."
"The change came," he explained, "after they filmed the pilot and they began to see the strength of Hooker."
T.J. Hooker, William remarked, "is a common name. It has a lot of grit."
"Hooker," William expressed, "wants to get criminals off the streets."
"The project originally called for a hard-nosed police sergeant," he recalled. "What I didn’t anticipate was that it was going to end up being called T.J. Hooker."
Unlike Starsky And Hutch or Charlie's Angels, William said of T.J. Hooker, "The character is totally atypical but the setting is not. The dichotomy is this unfamiliar character in a familiar setting."
"In a series," William shared, "you can't really play a character. People see through it too easily. And the fatigue factor is such that gradually you lose hold of some of the character traits you're trying to show. In about 2 episodes, you're back to the basic you."
Larry Manetti played Rick on Magnum, P.I. He conceded, "The character of Rick is pretty close to me. I've really been playing myself, which is the toughest thing an actor is called upon to do."
Heather McNair played Roxanne on Automan. She revealed, "They told me to just be myself. They told me I'd be playing someone who is a lot like me. And that's what I've been doing. It's sort of on-the-job training."
Between 1966 and 1969, William played Captain James Kirk on Star Trek. "Kirk is noble and Hooker is angry," William described of the 2 characters. "Hooker works through anger and passion, Kirk wouldn't do that."
Of Star Trek, DeForest Kelley enthused, "Whether you like the show or not, there has never been anything else like Star Trek and there never will be....It's mystifying, but Star Trek seems to have touched a chord with people from all walks of life."
Leonard Nimoy believed, "Star Trek is hopeful and positive about the future rather than negative and pessimistic."
William attributed human values to the popularity of Star Trek, pointing out, "...the best qualities of the series, which were humanity and human problems, and using the special effects as an escape valve to keep the audience on the edge of their seats."
"In Hooker," Heather Locklear remembered, "I play Stacy Sheridan with minimum makeup and my hair usually tied up in a pony tail. And I wear a very tailored police officer’s uniform. But when I'm Sammy Jo Carrington in Dynasty....I spent more time in makeup and wardrobe than I did in front of the cameras."
