# Mike Hammer (1984)

> Private detective Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach) hunts criminals through the mean streets of New York City in this 1980s hard-boiled crime series.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/27266

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 46
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Mickey Spillane
- Network: Syndication, CBS
- Cast: Stacy Keach, Kent Williams, Don Stroud, Donna Denton, Lindsay Bloom, Lee Benton, Persis Khambatta, Branscombe Richmond
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086760/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, cynical, noir, wisecracking, moody

## Synopsis

Mike Hammer (1984-1987) is a US syndicated crime drama series created by Mickey Spillane. Stacy Keach stars as private detective Mike Hammer, a hard-boiled investigator who takes on criminals across the mean streets of New York City. Captain Pat Chambers (Don Stroud) of the police department and Velda (Lindsay Bloom), Hammer's loyal associate, orbit his cases, while Special Prosecutor Lawrence D. Barrington (Kent Williams) pushes the courtroom side of his investigations. The engine of each episode is a self-contained case: a murder, a missing person, or a shakedown that pulls Hammer into the city's underworld, where he must outthink killers and navigate women who complicate his personal life. The series runs for three seasons and forty-six hour-long episodes, following a case-of-the-week format rather than one continuing arc. Its tone is gritty and cynical, with a noir sensibility, moody urban atmosphere, and a wry, wisecracking narration style. Fans of Magnum, P.I. and Kojak will find resonance in its blend of tough-guy charm, urban crime, and classic 1980s television craft.

## Shows like Mike Hammer

- [Cagney & Lacey (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/4013)
- [Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/2732)
- [The Streets of San Francisco (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/2342)
- [McCloud (1970)](https://ember.film/tv/9577)
- [Hart to Hart (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/3005)
- [Matt Houston (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/9627)
- [Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1192)
- [Crime Story (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/2820)
- [Spenser: For Hire (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/935)
- [Dempsey and Makepeace (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/2094)

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