T. J. Hooker

Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recruits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals.

T. J. Hooker (1982-1986) is a United States network police drama created by Aaron Spelling and Rick Husky for ABC and CBS. William Shatner stars as Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker, a tough veteran of the LCPD who turns down a gold badge to return to patrolling the streets and training recruits. Alongside him are young partners Officer Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed) and Officer Stacy Sheridan (Heather Locklear), with Captain Dennis Sheridan (Richard Herd) overseeing the precinct. Across five seasons and ninety-one episodes, the engine is simple and episodic: each hour brings a new call, a new arrest or pursuit, and the constant friction of a veteran teaching rookies how the city really works. The show is a case-of-the-week cop series with a broad, cartoonish energy, leaning into theatrical bravado and brisk action rather than deep introspection. Its look is that of a 1980s network cop show, set in the fictional Lake City, with patrol cars, city streets and station-house scenes. Fans of Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice and Adam-12 will find familiar territory in its blend of street-level policing and stylized star-driven drama.

Audiences regard T. J. Hooker as a campy, over-the-top 1980s cop show whose ratings rose steadily as it found its footing, though it remained a negatively received series overall.

• Hill Street Bluesshared police procedural action tone and veteran cop lead with rookie partners
• Miami Viceshared 1980s network cop show formula with action and star-driven lead
• Adam-12shared veteran officer mentoring young partners on patrol in a big city

Created by

Aaron Spelling, Rick Husky

Release Date

1982-03-13

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

6.1 / 10 (100)

What is T. J. Hooker about?

A veteran Lake City police sergeant returns to street patrol to train and lead young rookie officers against the city's toughest criminals.

What is T. J. Hooker like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of T. J. Hooker as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is T. J. Hooker violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in T. J. Hooker as mild.

What did critics think of T. J. Hooker?

Audiences regard T. J. Hooker as a campy, over-the-top 1980s cop show whose ratings rose steadily as it found its footing, though it remained a negatively received series overall.

Which shows are like T. J. Hooker?

Shows with a similar feel include Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, and Adam-12.

How long is T. J. Hooker?

T. J. Hooker: 5 seasons, 91 episodes.

Is T. J. Hooker still running?

No, T. J. Hooker has ended.

Where can I watch T. J. Hooker?

In United States, T. J. Hooker streams on fuboTV, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.