No lollipop? No shades? What the hell? Telly Savalas as ‘Kojak’,’ 1973.

It’s time to launch a new reoccurring segment here at Bionic Disco with the catchy title of “Show Toppers.” Herein, we’ll post intros for television shows of the 1970s – both well-known and obscure. Let’s start things off with a New York-based detective series you may remember fondly.

Kojak, created by Abby Mann, originally aired on CBS from October, 1973 to March, 1978. The show stars Telly Savalas as the boldly bald Greek American, Lieutenant Theodore Kojak. The character was known for dressing in sharp suits, constantly sucking on a lollipop and uttering the catchphrase, “Who loves ya, baby?”

Other cast members include: Dan Frazer as Captain Frank McNeil, Kevin Dobson as Detective Bobby Crocker and Telly’s real-life brother, George Savalas (aka Demosthenes) as Detective “Fatso” Stavros.

Kojak Wiki

**Watch full Kojak episodes for free at IMDb.