"The Equalizer", starring Ed Woodward (1985-1989) (1 Viewer)

[The Drifter]

The Equalizer was one of the most underrated TV series of the '80's. As a kid, I caught a handful of episodes on network TV back in the day & was impressed by what I saw, but never got into it that much at that time.

A while back, I got re-interested in the series, and ended up watching all four seasons back-to-back. Wow....This show is incredible! I watch a lot of TV, and I would have to say that this is not only one of the top ten TV shows I've ever seen, but is definitely one of my top five BEST T.V. series of the '80's. The show is so good, it's hard to believe it was a network T.V. show.

The show focused on Robert McCall (UK actor Ed Woodward), who was a retired "agent" living in NYC. He would help those in need via a newspaper advertisement.

First, the theme music by Stewart Copeland is sublime; amazing use of synthesizer(s) - though the sound is very '80's, it's also very unusual & interesting as well. The soundtrack in the show itself was also excellent.....It helps that I was (and still am) a huge fan of the rock/pop group The Police.

Ed Woodward was incredible in this series; though some actors merely portray characters, Woodward WAS the Equalizer.

I liked how the show went back and forth between stories involving McCall helping those in need, to episodes involving his past coming back to haunt him, to episodes with (at the time) topical cold war themes.

Great supporting cast as well, including Mickey Kostmeyer, McCall's son Scott, Jimmy, Chad Redding, Control, Harley Gage, and others.

I was also very impressed with the show's themes of redemption/making up for past mistakes.

The show really captures the NYC of the '80's perfectly; watching the series is like going back in time, and it's nice that it was (or at least seemed to be) filmed on location in the city.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the copious amount of well-known guest stars on the show, including John Goodman, Stanley Tucci, E.G. Marshall, etc. Many of these became big later, but you also had appearances by Telly Savalas & Robert Mitchum, who were already big names by the mid-late 1980's.

Though the first two seasons were great, IMHO Seasons 3 & 4 were incredible. There were so many stand-out episodes I can't list them all, but some of my favorite include the following - note this is by no means a comprehensive list:

Breakpoint (Season 1): IMHO, this was the best episode in the first season. Impressive acting here by Tony Shalhoub, whom I almost didn't recognize as the actor who became famous much later playing the detective Adrian Monk (Monk is also one of my favorite shows...)

Memories of Manon, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 2): Excellent.

Beyond Control (Season 2)

Blood and Wine, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3): Incredible opening episode, and IMHO definitely one of the top five episodes of the series. Telly Savalas was truly incredible in this, playing a completely different role from the past. The theme(s) of redemption were very pronounced here.

Mission: McCall Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3): I consider this to have the quality of a small film; great appearance by Robert Mitchum.

The Mystery of Manon, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3)

Christmas Presence (Season 3): Amazing; very moving & poignant.

The Last Campaign (Season 4): Excellent opening episode, and really set the tone for this superior final season...

Endgame (Season 4): Very disturbing & well-done; kept you guessing until the end.

Splinters (Season 4)

Silent Fury (Season 4): Extremely impressive.

Too bad the show didn't last longer; however, maybe it's best it ended in '89. In late '89 the Berlin Wall had fallen, and I'm not sure the cold war themes that were so central to the show would have been as relevant from 1990-on. Plus, by having the show go from '85-'89, it was a purely '80's show. And, four seasons is a very respectable length of time for a TV drama to last; in fact, the show was of such good quality that I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did (it seems that some of the best TV shows get cancelled after 1-2 seasons...)

Here's the iconic opening theme. My understanding was that SC also composed some/most?! of the other great instrumental music in the episodes themselves:

 

[Pathfiner]

An excellent show - here in the UK Forces TV channel have just begun a rerun of season one

- while Talking pictures channel are rerunning Ed Woodward's earlier sixties / seventies spy series 'Callan' too !

Robert Lansing was good making semi regular cameos as 'Control' and the backup regulars were all good

Richard Jordan stood in as main character Harley Gage for a number of episodes from 'Mission; McCall' onwards after Ed Woodward suffered a heart attack - he did some brief scenes for that inserted later when he was fit enough and for a few episodes like 'Inner View' Robert McCall took a back seat while Harley Gage took main lead until McCall was able to return properly - they featured together in a good 'phantom of the opera' type story 'The Rehearsal' where McCall, Gage and a theater cast and production team are held hostage in a locked theater by a madman who has booby trapped the doors with an explosive

all four seasons are out on DVD in the UK - are they out in the USA ?

 

[The Drifter]

Glad to hear this superb show has fans. Yes, all four seasons of The Equalizer were eventually released to DVD in the U.S. IIRC, there was a big gap of time between S01 & S02-on being released.

 

[stuartfanning]

Check out Woodward in his first major TV success in the UK: Callan.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=callan

And if you are hooked, the DVD's (a multi region DVD player will be needed)::

https://networkonair.com/search?controller=search&s=callan

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Coincidentally, I just watched an early S1 episode of The Equalizer the other day - "The Defector." It was a blast (and featured an early performance from a surprisingly cute Melissa Leo).

I was a sporadic watcher of the series when it originally aired, but for whatever reason, eventually tuned out. As I slowly work my way through season one, I think I'm appreciating it a lot more now, several decades on. The premise is great, and Edward Woodward is awesome in the lead. Additionally, the opening credits for the show, accompanied by Stewart Copeland's haunting theme tune, is one for the record books.

I've only caught a few episodes of Woodward's earlier series, Callan, but from what I've seen, it's also well worth seeking out, a less-flashy, grittier spy show.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Melissa Leo of course appeared in the two Denzel Washington films. I enjoyed the series but haven't seen it in ages.

 

[Neil Brock]

One of the great series of the 1980s. I have all of the DVD sets but I also transferred over my VHS SP tapes from off CBS with all of the original music.

 

[The Drifter]

One of the great series of the 1980s. I have all of the DVD sets but I also transferred over my VHS SP tapes from off CBS with all of the original music.

Between watching The Equalizer series on DVD & also streaming the show, I've seen the whole series. However - since I saw so little of the show when it was originally on in the '80's, I didn't recognize music replacements from the original show vs. the DVD's. My understanding is that the purely instrumental (non-vocal) music like the theme song & the other synth-like music in the series itself - was unchanged from the original airings to the DVD's.

However, some of the rock/pop music may have been changed; but, to be honest, I don't remember this type of music being an extremely significant part of the series; there was at least one episode which focused on a rock star, but don't remember the music much - which was forgettable. I.e., this series is nothing like Miami Vice - in which pop/rock music was a critical element in the show. Conversely, from what I can remember the instrumentals were the most important & relevant music in The Equalizer.

Coincidentally, I just watched an early S1 episode of The Equalizer the other day - "The Defector." It was a blast (and featured an early performance from a surprisingly cute Melissa Leo).

I first watched The Defector long after seeing the iconic crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999), which starred Leo as a detective for most of the series. And, Leo was almost unrecognizable here as a dancer whose father wanted to defect to the US. Great episode!

Also wanted to mention how important the cold war aspect/time period was to the series. As a teen growing up in the '80's, I very clearly remember the concern re: the threat/perceived threat of the Soviet Union, etc. To those others who either grew up during that era (or who were already adults at the time), these themes probably bring back memories of this time period as well.

 

[Pathfiner]

in some ways both of Ed Woodward's characters David Callan and Robert McCall are similar

- each are top at their spy jobs and each hate what it forces them to be

the very beginning of Callan in the sixties sees him attempting to resign just as McCall later does and both are haunted by their pasts

Callan is forced back into the murky world of spies and national security while McCall does at least manage to escape from his old job to an extent becoming the 'Equaliser'

there is a final 80's era Callan story 'Callan; Wet Job' out on DVD where Ed Woodward reprises his older character - looking very much as he does as McCall complete with greyer hair and specs - and it's a good finale

both series are out on DVD (Callan has some early sixties b/w episodes missing sadly but all seventies colour episodes survive)

Callan was created by James Mitchell with contributions from both Terence Feely and George Markstein who worked on 'The Prisoner'

 

[Pathfiner]

Some background info on Callan for any younger or American viewers new to it

The show began as an episode of the acclaimed ITV series' Armchair Theater' in the UK titled; 'Callan - A Magnum For Schneider'

David Callan is a ex-British Army soldier who served in Malaya - a complete professional who works on 'auto pilot' but who underneath it all is very uneasy about his job but is a superb hitman / agent working for the mysterious 'section' of British Intelligence who answer to virtually no one and who are used for the most essential 'dirty' jobs like executions, destroying characters etc where it is deemed required for the interests of the west

Callan's chief is Hunter (codename 'Charlie') - played over the show by various different actors as differing holders of that position - Ronald Radd, Michael Goodliffe, William Squire are three Hunters

Toby Meres - initially played by Peter Bowles (the evil Balor in that Space; 1999 episode 'End of Eternity') in the pilot but chiefly played by Anthony Valentine (of 'Raffles' and Major Mohn in BBC / Universal's 'Colditz') who plays Meres in both b/w sixties and later in the latter seventies colour episodes

Lonely - Russell Hunter plays the nearest thing to a friend Callan has, a light fingered London crook but with a sympathetic character - one of life's losers he's loyal to helping Callan

James Cross - Patrick Mower (also of ITVs 'Special Branch' series by Euston films) who is a younger trendier version of Meres and is introduced from the seventies color episodes when Anthony Valentine was initially unavaliable doing 'Colditz' (Meres is then said to be on detached duty with the C.I.A. over in the USA !)

- Cross features in all of color season three and the first five episodes of the final fourth season when he is killed off in the episode 'If He Can So Could I' because Patrick Mower then left the show to join the cast of 'Special Branch'


the b/w sixties era ended on a shock cliffhanger...when a brainwashed by the KGB Callan returns to kill his boss Hunter believing he is a double agent - Meres then guns Callan down and when cradling him asking why - Callan tells Meres what he believes...only for Meres to advise the VIP he thought Hunter would kill had returned home days before unharmed....Callan realises he's been conned as blood dribbles from his mouth !

this stunned UK viewers and it was not made clear if Callan died or not at the time..

he does survive after five months in hospital and returns in the early seventies in colour - but is he the same useful killer agent ?

and if he can't kill what use is he...?

the final color fourth season ended with a trilogy of episodes under the title; 'The Richmond File' where a top Soviet agent 'Richmond' (played by guest star T.P. McKenna who earlier first appears in the episode; 'That'll Be The Day') apparently defects but the section has doubts as to the validity of his defection....

A color film version of the original pilot retitled; 'This is Callan' also exists, it was out on VHS tape not sure if it's on DVD or not

in that Ed Woodward and Russell Hunter reprise their TV roles while Eric Porter plays Hunter and a younger Peter Egan (best remembered as the maddeningly perfect and charming Paul Ryman in UK sitcom 'Ever Decreasing Circles') plays a blonde Toby Meres

some top UK and a few American actors guest in the UK series of Callan which has a great guitar led slowish atmospheric theme tune (that even turns up on one episode of 'Columbo' !)

the 80's era one off special 'Callan; Wet Job' is out on DVD and co stars George Sewell (of UFO, Special Branch etc) and features the 'Equaliser' looking middle aged Ed Woodward as a mature grey haired Callan in specs...who thinks he has long retired from the service

then one day 'Charlie' phones him...

while if we think that murky spy world doesn't really exist well umbrella murders on London bridge , plutonium poisoning in Sushi bars and nerve agent attacks at Airports and in peaceful rural Salisbury tell us it very much DOES....

 

[Purple Wig]

Thinking of taking the plunge on this series but have a question. Does the regular complete collection include the bonus feature, CI5: The New Professionals, or is it only on the limited edition? And if that’s the case, is the bonus series really worth paying the extra money? Thanks.

 

[The Drifter]

I re-watched The Equalizer series about a year ago, and posted some reviews of the entire series on another site. I'll re-post them here (edited), since they may be of interest to anyone who has either seen the show & liked this (and wants to revisit the series), or is thinking of watching this for the first time. I'll post SPOILER tags where appropriate:

The Equalizer is incredible, and is more impressive with each subsequent viewing(s). This is definitely my favorite show from the 1980's, and is far superior & much more complex than many of the other dramas that were around during that era.

Re: the DVD set, I am impressed with the Picture Quality (PQ) on these S01 disks (Though I've seen some episodes on DVD in the past, I've mainly seen the show via crummy streams). It's not perfect. But, overall, the PQ is sharp & looks great - the show has obviously been remastered.

As with anything I re-watch, I notice more details on each subsequent viewing. And, some general observations on the show & the characters:

-One of the most fascinating elements of the show is McCall's past. This comes up on a regular basis on this series; people/ghosts from his past come back to haunt him on a semi-regular basis (without it happening so often as to be unrealistic). Obviously, before his retirement he worked in the intelligence/counter-intelligence departments of one (or more) agencies that are not really named.

-Robert McCall is obviously wealthy. He's retired, lives in luxury in an expensive NYC apartment, drives an high-end car, and is easily able to afford to hire expensive "contractors" to help him with his various "jobs". I suspect he attained his wealth from his past work (for which he was probably paid very highly), and/or possibly an inheritance (this is purely speculative, however), etc.

It's also notable that he rarely accepts much (if any) $ from any of the people he helps, given that most of the people that come to him don't have much money to begin with. He's obviously helping these people out of altruism, and possibly to make up for some things he may have done in his past?!

-Though McCall is somewhat of a loner, he definitely gets a lot of assistance from those on his unofficial "payroll" (Kostmeyer, Mickey, Sterno, etc.) with helping the people whom he's protecting. And, he has a good relationship with NYC LE - who also assist him somewhat - in large part because they know that McCall and they are working towards the same ultimate goal: I.e., putting the bad guys out of commission & off the streets.

-As I mentioned in an earlier post, 1980's-era NYC in this era may as well be another character in the series - in all of it's sleaze (Times Square, etc.), danger, and glitz/glamour.

-It's evident that most of Season 1 was filmed in the Fall/Winter. Great time of year to set these episodes, and IMHO the overcast, cold weather really sets the tone for the show.

 

[The Drifter]

As I said in my previous post, the S01 DVD Universal release (6 Disks) had good/above average PQ. Unfortunately, Seasons 2-4 of the series are on the later VEI DVD releases. And, there is a noticeable & significant drop in quality from Seasons 2-on re: PQ, etc. Note these are all Region 1 releases.

The picture in S02-S04 - while not horrible - is "soft" (for lack of a better word), and the night scenes are hard to make out at times. Also, there are a lot of video artifacts - especially in the earlier episodes. The S01 Universal DVD's were a lot sharper/clearer, which is why the deficiencies of S02 especially stand out.

It's worth noting that while S01 of The Equalizer came out on DVD in 2008 (both Regions 1 & 2) it wasn't until 2012 (Region 2) and 2014 (Region 1) that Seasons 2-4 were released. Not sure why there was such a long delay between S01 & the subsequent seasons - music copyright issues?!

Going along with this, it's notable that the VEI DVD releases only include 4 Disks for each season (21-22 episodes each), whereas the Universal S01 DVD release included 6 disks. In addition, IIRC the Universal S01 release included subtitles - and the VEI DVD sets don't include subtitles. So, it's extremely evident that the VEI DVD sets were cheaper to produce, and it obviously shows.

I would be all-for having this show remastered & re-released on Blu-ray. If nothing else, S02-S04 need serious remastering. And, since older shows are being released to Blu on semi-regular basis these days, I don't find this possibility too unlikely. We'll see.

 

[David_B_K]

Posted by The Drifter:

Ed Woodward was incredible in this series; though some actors merely portray characters, Woodward WAS the Equalizer.

The thing I most enjoy about Edward Woodward as Robert McCall (and also as Breaker Morant) is his ability to portray barely suppressed rage. He's is often simmering, struggling to contain it, until it bursts forth. One of my favorite such moments was an episode whose title escapes me (I have not seen it since it aired). It involved some sort of political bigwig who turned out to be involved in human trafficking and maybe even kiddie porn. McCall bursts into a society function where the guy is surrounded by guests bringing photographs of the guy's victims and says something like "I wonder if your guests have seen any of THESE!!!" as he scatters the photos. Woodward at his explosive best.

I have the VEI set and keep meaning to revisit the show, but I keep getting sidetracked. I also have the R2 versions of seasons 1 and 2. Can someone tell me where some of the music substitutions occurred? I'd like to compare the R1 and R2 in a few such scenes to see if it is a big deal.

 

[The Drifter]

To continue from my last post, despite my misgivings over the PQ in S02 - I am extremely impressed by the episodes themselves. S02 is very dark in tone - much more than S01 was. And, IMHO this season is superior to S01 - and I felt S01 was excellent!

Some S02 episode reviews:

Shades of Darkness is one of the best episodes in the series. The crux of the storyline is extremely disturbing & unfortunately very true to life.

Spoiler: SPOILER

I.e., at the beginning of the episode a law-abiding man who is leaving work witnesses a murder, and in the process of trying to help - is mistakenly thought to be the one who committed the crime. His sister & a local priest enlist McCall's help to clear his name. And, it's obvious that if it weren't for McCall - the innocent man would have gone to jail (possibly for the rest of his life) for a crime he didn't commit.

This story reminds me of those I've read in the news over the years, about people who are unjustly imprisoned for crimes they never had any part of

The Line: An episode that could have easily been ripped from today's headlines. A man is unjustly accused

Spoiler: SPOILER

& killed by a neighborhood watch association who think he's committing a crime. McCall gets involved & has to stop his family from getting revenge on the members of the group. One of the most intense scenes in the series is when McCall has the intense monologue with the deceased man's teen son (whom he had just stopped from buying a weapon). This was very emotional & heart-felt. The idea that McCall would take on the burden of shooting the enemy (if he had to) for the teen - so he wouldn't have to - was obviously foreshadowing what happened at the end.

Nightscape: Guest-starring Frances Fisher. The night & subway scenes were intentionally ominous & unsettling.

Spoiler: SPOILER

This episode in particular emphasized how bad random street crime (robbery, assault, etc.) was in NYC during that era. I know the NYC subways in particular had a bad reputation at the time. One of my favorite scenes near the end, when McCall took out the three gang members who were terrorizing/assaulting innocent people (especially women).

A general comment about S02:

McCall uses his car phone quite extensively here. I don't remember car phones being quite as prevalent in S01. As a kid/teen growing up in the '80's, I never knew anyone who had a car phone or a cell phone. These were definitely considered "advanced" technology at the time, and it seems like only the wealthy could afford them.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Thinking of taking the plunge on this series but have a question. Does the regular complete collection include the bonus feature, CI5: The New Professionals, or is it only on the limited edition? And if that’s the case, is the bonus series really worth paying the extra money? Thanks.

From what I can tell, Alan, the Complete Series set from VEI does not include CI5: The New Professionals, nor any other bonus features...just the episodes of The Equalizer themselves. However, it is far cheaper than the set which does include that other series. From all I've read/heard, you'd not be missing out on anything special by not getting The New Professionals. Hopefully others will chime in here with their take on that short-lived series.

I only own the original Universal 6 disc S1 set of The Equalizer, and have really enjoyed the episodes that I've watched so far. Here's a recent review I did in another thread on episode 1.10, "Bump and Run":

Robert McCall (Edward Woodward), busy trying to track down a vigilante who's been killing scumbags in his name, assigns former CIA pal Mickey Kostmeyer (Keith Szarabajka, last seen in 1.2 “China Rain”) to protect a young woman (Laura Ashton) from a pair of carjackers out for revenge. In a cliched yet sweetly underplayed subplot, Mickey and the frightened girl become romantically involved, much to McCall’s displeasure. An eclectic supporting cast in this one, including Meat Loaf, Charles S. Dutton, Mark Margolis, and Perfect Stranger’s Mark Lynn-Baker, as a tech whiz who sets up McCall with a telephone surveillance gizmo which makes grouchy police sergeant Gant (Charles Brown) jealous. This show really sells the image of ‘80s NYC as a hostile, dangerous hellhole, underlined by Stewart Copeland’s jangly, propulsive electronic score, which adds excitement and menace in equal measure. And the middle-aged Woodward effortlessly commands the screen with his frosty glare and clipped intensity.

 

[GMBurns]

I bought the whole enchilada back when VEI first released The Equalizer in 2014. It was, and is, very much a "grail" show for me. I cannot get enough of Edward Woodward. While he is very enjoyable in The New Professionals, there just isn't enough of him, and when he is not on screen it is a pretty bland show. I tried a few episodes and finally decided to recycle it. The one extra that I really enjoyed was a 45 minute interview with the actors who played Micky and Scott, McCall's son, as well as two of the producers of the series. They are effusive in their praise of Edward Woodward. Sounds like he was a lovely gentleman.

 

[The Drifter]

Some more S02 episode reviews:

-Nocturne: Superb episode. This revolved around a blind woman (Jessica Harper) who was being terrorized by the assaulter that had caused her blindness years earlier. McCall enlists the aid of a former colleague named Logan (Michael Parks) to help protect her.

Spoiler: SPOILER

The situation is complicated by the fact that Logan has a lot of personal demons that he has to overcome as well.

I especially liked the scene where McCall "called in a favor" from someone he knew (who dealt with phones/the phone company) - to track down the bad guy in this episode.

The late MP was fantastic here; I usually see him playing bad guys, so it was interesting to see him in a sympathetic role. JH was also incredible as the blind woman. She's a great & underrated actress. In addition to this episode, I've also seen her in: the iconic horror film Suspiria (1977); Phantom of the Paradise (1974); and an early episode of Tales from the Crypt.

-A Place to Stay: Another excellent episode. This revolved around a teen with a bad home life, running away to NYC. The opening sequence when the girl first gets to NYC and is walking around Times Square, etc. really illustrated how scary the "mean streets" are to a teen with no resources. And, apparently thousands like her come to the city each year.

Spoiler: SPOILER

The father (who was an abusive jerk) and the mother both come to NYC to look for her, and the mother recruited McCall to help aid them in their search.

The episode had a (at least temporarily) happy ending, but there were grim reminders throughout that this doesn't occur for most kids/teens who run away from home.

This episode also featured one of the few pop/rock songs to appear in the series (that wasn't background music in a nightclub/bar), Marianne Faithful's poignant track "Running for Our Lives". This song was played at the beginning & reprised at the end, and did a great job of setting the tone for the episode. The DVD set includes this song in the episode, and after doing some research I found that this also aired in the episode when it was originally released. So, at least in this case - the song/music here was unaltered for the Region 1 DVD release:

 

[Purple Wig]

Thank you Jeff, Glenn, and Jim. I like the idea of being able to catch up on Woodward a decade after the show, but from your respective input, it sounds like the quality isn't there to warrant the price of the extra splurge.

 

[GMBurns]

Alan, if you can, try to catch Edward Woodward in "Over My Dead Body". There are episodes floating around. It was on for a half season on CBS the year after Equalizer ended. He plays a mystery writer, who much like Jessica Fletcher, keeps bumping into dead bodies. It is a much more light hearted role and he is a lot of fun. Of course, I am biased. Edward Woodward could recite the phone book and I'd consider it must-see-tv.

The other extra in the VEI deluxe set was the movie "A Congregation of Ghosts", Woodward's final role before his death. It is bittersweet in that regard, but he is still excellent as a priest in a country church. It had several elements that remind me of one of his best films "The Wicker Man".

If you want to see Woodward in his later years get a hold of "Common as Muck", a series he did in 1994 and 1997. Both series of 6 episodes have been released on region 2 in the UK. Woodward plays - wait for it - a garbageman. It's a bit drama, a bit comedy, and shows what a talented and versatile actor he was.