The Equalizer
The Equalizer was an
American action-adventure television series that aired on the
CBS Network between
1985 and
1989. It now airs on
DirectTV channel 308 and
Dish Network channel 198:
Sleuth as part of the regular daily line-up.
The series starred
British actor
Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a former
secret agent who tries to atone for past sins by offering, free of charge, his services as a troubleshooter (often literally), a protector, and an investigator. People in need found him through a newspaper ad: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer." In the pilot episode (as he "opens for business"), we discover that the nickname "Equalizer" was bestowed on him by another operative, played by comedian
Jerry Stiller.
Aided by a group of sometimes-mysterious contacts (some of whom date back to his spying days), McCall traverses the streets of
New York City, bringing justice to hoodlums, racists, murderers, kidnappers, drug dealers and other truly deserving individuals. His contacts are also prone to human foibles, ranging from egotism to domestic problems.
McCall himself is divorced, a "lost dad" long estranged from his son, Scott (
William Zabka from
The Karate Kid). Scott comes back into his life as a young adult, at first bitterly judgemental of his father's world, but who becomes drawn into that world to the dismay of both of his parents. McCall also lost a woman he was in love with, and discovers that she had secretly given birth to a daughter by him.
Many episodes focus on McCall doing assignments for "Control" (played by
Robert Lansing), the unnamed head of a secret organization for which McCall used to work. In later episodes,
Richard Jordan joined the cast as fellow "equalizer" Harley Gage, in order to reduce the workload on Edward Woodward, who suffered a
heart attack during production of the series;
Robert Mitchum also filled in for Woodward during that time. Most of the time, McCall is aided by Mickey Kostmayer (
Keith Szarabajka), who has been more-or-less permanently loaned to him by Control. 8-year-old
Macaulay Culkin appeared in one episode as a kidnap victim, and there were a large number of cameo and occasional appearances by other known stars, but as a general rule the people answering the newspaper ad were unremarkable, average and unknown -- just the kind of people who would be found on the streets of New York.
One of the notable weapons McCall uses is a switchblade-style knife that is capable of launching its blade. This is especially useful when he must surrender his gun to help a client or when his gun is lost in a fight. Other weapons range from pistols to machineguns. McCall's personal weapons cache is hidden behind the tool board on a wall of his basement. He may be able to obtain more weapons through a variety of sources (pawn shops, gun shops, the agency, or various contacts).
The series was criticized for its level of violence, although the character of McCall was made out to be sympathetic, on more than one occasion expressing regret at having to kill villains. In this respect, combined with the fact that McCall still finds himself under the thumb of the organization he sought to leave, suggests that this series was also strongly influenced by Woodward's similarly-themed series
Callan which ran from
1967 to
1972.
One feature of "spy genre" shows which was blatantly missing was reliance on unusual gadgetry, disguises and similar diversions. In nearly every case, the hardware was off-the-shelf, commonly available on the open market. In this way, it was unlike nearly ever other spy series, with the exception of "Danger Man / Secret Agent" -- which also featured a hero who preferred to use mind rather than muscle.
The show's distinctive theme song became a hit for composer/performer
Stewart Copeland, founder and former
drummer of the famous
pop/
rock New Wave band
The Police.
Season one
*THE EQUALIZER (PILOT)
*CHINA RAIN
*THE DEFECTOR
*THE LOCK BOX
*LADY COP
*THE CONFIRMATION DAY
*THE CHILDREN'S SONG
*THE DISTANT FIRE
*MAMA'S BOY
*BUMP AND RUN
*DESPERATELY
*REIGN OF TERROR
*BACK HOME
*OUT OF THE PAST
*DEAD DROP
*WASH-UP
*TORN
*UNNATURAL CAUSES
*BREAKPOINT
*NO CONSCIENCE
*UNPUNISHED CRIMES
*PRETENDERS
Season Two
*PRELUDE
*NOCTURNE
*A COMMUNITY OF CIVILIZED MEN
*JOYRIDE
*SHADES OF DARKNESS
*NIGHTSCAPE
*COUNTERFIRE
*THE LINE
*TIP ON A SURE THING
*THE CUP
*HEARTSTRINGS
*HIGH PERFORMANCE
*BEYOND CONTROL
*CARNAL PERSUASION
*MEMORIES OF MANON PART 1
*MEMORIES OF MANON PART 2
*SOLO
*A PLACE TO STAY
*COAL BLACK SOUL
*FIRST LIGHT
*HAND AND GLOVE
*RE-ENTRY
Season Three
*BLOOD AND WINE PART 1
*BLOOD AND WINE PART 2
*SUSPICION OF INNOCENCE
*IN THE MONEY
*ENCOUNTER IN A CLOSED ROOM
*MISSION: MCCALL PART 1
*MISSION: MCCALL PART 2
*SHADOW PLAY
*INNER VIEW
*THE REHEARSAL
*CHRISTMAS PRESENCE
*A DANCE ON THE DARK SIDE
*THE CHILD BROKER
*VIDEO GAMES
*SOMETHING GREEN
*THE MYSTERY OF MANON PART 1
*THE MYSTERY OF MANON PART 2
*NO PLACE LIKE HOME
*LAST CALL
*REGRETS ONLY
*TARGET OF CHOICE
*ALWAYS A LADY
Season Four
*THE LAST CAMPAIGN
*SEA OF FIRE
*RIDING THE ELEPHANT
*EIGHTEEN WITH A BULLET
*THE DAY OF THE COVENANT
*SPLINTERS
*THE MAKING OF A MARTYR
*THE SINS OF THE FATHER
*THE VISITATION
*PAST IMPERFECT
*TRIAL BY ORDEAL
*SILENT FURY
*LULLABY OF DARKNESS
*17 ZEBRA
*STARFIRE
*TIME PRESENT, TIME PAST
*PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
*THE CAPER
*HEART OF JUSTICE
*RACE TRAITORS
*ENDGAME
*SUICIDE SQUAD
*An example of life imitating art: The filming of an episode about wedding reception guests being held hostage had to be paused because there was police action across the steet... at a wedding reception.
*During the height of the show's popularity, actor Edward Woodward was often approached on the street by people in need, with situations similar to those depicted in the show. He began carrying flyers with the phone numbers of social services organizations and legal clinics for them to contact. [
1]
*In the Pilot episode, McCall can briefly be seen 'playing' chess with a dog in his appartment. Other than another scene where McCall can be seen feeding the dog as he's talking to somebody, which is also in the Pilot episode, the dog doesn't appear to exist in further episodes. Even if McCall had a dog in further episodes, it would be highly unlikely for it to have never been seen at all.
