September 20th 2015 will mark 30 Years for Spenser for Hire, a TV series that ran for 3 seasons on ABC based on the late Robert B. Parker's novel series. sadly, Robert Urich who played the title role died of cancer 13 years ago.
shareThat it took Parker dying to get the series released, and that is nothing he never intended to happen. The first DVD's hit the market over twenty years ago and Parker was very clear with Warner Brothers Studio that he would never allow the series to be released while he was alive. Too bad really, that he didn't like the series since he was the technical advisor. I taped the series on Beta tapes over thirty years ago and transferred them on DVD R's and have been watching the episodes for years. I am glad to have the new boxsets, because the Video and Audio is simply stunning!!
shareParker has said as technical advisor all he did was take the money.
Thanks for explaining why Spenser was never on dvd until recently. I didn't know Parker put his foot down on that one. It looks like to me, that the Parker estate can't wait to get the money coming in. Spenser, Jesse Stone, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch novels keep rolling along.
The quality of mercy is not strained
We don't know the details of Parkers will, but clearly he set up a process by which his work would continue, and his heirs would profit. All I can do is bow and say "We are not worthy". Look at what he has done! The number of franchises he started, almost worthy of Spielberg, will continue, for our lifetimes, at least. Spenser,(44 books and counting), Jesse Stone, (14 books and counting)Sunny Randall (6 books) Cole/Hitch Westerns,(8 books and counting). To all of the talented folks who have been tapped to continue the Masters' work, Keep up the good work! Ignore the naysayers. Yes, your voice is different, it is YOUR voice. Let it continue, and let the books and the characters live.
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