X
  • ABC
  • Jan 28, 1989
  • ABC
  • Jan 28, 1989
A Man Called Hawk

Summary A Man Called Hawk is a spin-off of the Robert Urich drama Spenser: For Hire. Hawk, played by Avery Brooks, moves back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Hawk is tough and streetwise, a man who is erudite with a booming baritone voice who dresses fly while fighting crime -- despite the fact that he lacks the "official" credentials to do ...

  • ABC
  • Jan 28, 1989
  • ABC
  • Jan 28, 1989
A Man Called Hawk
Season 1
Season Premiere: Jan 28, 1989
Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 6 Critic Reviews
45
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary A Man Called Hawk is a spin-off of the Robert Urich drama Spenser: For Hire. Hawk, played by Avery Brooks, moves back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Hawk is tough and streetwise, a man who is erudite with a booming baritone voice who dresses fly while fighting crime -- despite the fact that he lacks the "official" credentials to do ...

Season Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Jan 28, 1989
The Master's Mirror
Episode 2 • Feb 4, 1989
A Time and a Place
The police are pointed in Hawk's direction for the murder of a policeman. He gets into a fight with a cop.
Episode 3 • Feb 11, 1989
Hear No Evil
Hawk is hired to protect a deaf university student, and his roommate, who witnessed a murder.
Episode 4 • Feb 18, 1989
Passing the Bar
Hawk comes to the aid of an old lawyer friend who is trying to defend a man on a murder charge.
Episode 5 • Feb 25, 1989
The Divided Child
The Kirkpatricks hire Hawk to protect their family after the attempted kidnapping of their son. Hawk's job is made harder when their son tries to understand why a kidnapping attempt was made.
Episode 6 • Mar 4, 1989
Vendetta
Hawk's cousin has a contract put on his head after romancing the girlfriend of a member of the mob. He comes to the rescue.
Episode 7 • Mar 11, 1989
Choice of Chance
When a federal witness is gunned down in his home, the unfortunate family living next door get caught in the gunfire.
Episode 8 • Mar 25, 1989
Poison
While he is tracking down the source of heroin laced with strychnine, Hawk is repeatedly disrupted by a dogged reporter.
Episode 9 • Apr 1, 1989
Never My Love
Hawk is bothered by two violent brothers, one of whom seems intent on causing trouble for him.
Episode 10 • Apr 15, 1989
Intensive Care
When Hawk and Old Man's sister are taken hostage in the hospital by armed men, Hawk has an idea to make the situation go his way, not as the gunmen would like it to go.
Episode 11 • Apr 29, 1989
If Memory Serves
Hawk is hired to protect a Haitian historian from someone he believes is trying to use voodoo to learn of a secret.
Episode 12 • May 6, 1989
Beautiful Are the Stars
Hawk comes into the possession of some South African diamonds and, in doing so, gains the attention of a hit man.
Episode 13 • May 13, 1989
Life After Death
Hawk helps a young man to prove that he did not shoot his pregnant girlfriend.

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 6 Critic Reviews
45
17% Positive
1 Review
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
33% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 6 Critic Reviews
45
17% Positive
1 Review
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
33% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Aug 7, 2014
The new show is very violent, in bursts, in between all the poetry and music. I don't know why, but violence bothers me less when its mixed with lyrical scripts like in "A Man Called Hawk." It's like Shakespeare on TV. ... Any script becomes Shakespeare when Brooks gets his vocal cords around it; pearly words float out of the TV. [27 Jan 1989]
By Marvin Kitman FULL REVIEW
60
Aug 7, 2014
The title role of the hourlong show is played with insinuating relish by Avery Brooks. ... Now the series ... has to find some scripts worthy of the character.
By John J. O'Connor FULL REVIEW
40
Aug 7, 2014
Previously icy, menacing, aloof and fascinating, [Hawk] is now mostly noise and bluster, a swaggering, gun-toting pontificator, as ready with an aphorism as with a bullet, a "Shaft" rehash. ... Within the context of "Spenser," there was already a cartoonish aspect to the figure of Hawk. Now all restraint has been dropped, and Hawk has become a parody of himself. Brooks has done better work. [27 Jan 1989]
By Robert P. Laurence FULL REVIEW
40
Aug 7, 2014
It's standard fare, not worth staying home for. [26 Jan 1989]
By Steve Sonsky FULL REVIEW
30
Aug 7, 2014
An economy of Hawk worked well in Spenser. But to feature the character in almost every scene quickly turns enigma into transparency. [27 Jan 1989]
FULL REVIEW
20
Aug 7, 2014
Strives hard for dumbfounding inscrutability, and achieves it. [28 Jan 1989]
By Tom Shales FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Related Shows

The Office (UK)

97
Universal Acclaim

Bo Burnham: Inside

96
Universal Acclaim

The Staircase

95
Universal Acclaim

Homicide: Life on the Street

95
Universal Acclaim

The Sopranos

94
Universal Acclaim

Bleak House

93
Universal Acclaim

Samurai Jack

93
Universal Acclaim

Fleabag

92
Universal Acclaim

The Underground Railroad

92
Universal Acclaim

Atlanta

92
Universal Acclaim

Romeo & Juliet

92
Universal Acclaim

My So-Called Life

92
Universal Acclaim

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

91
Universal Acclaim

This Is Going To Hurt

91
Universal Acclaim

It's a Sin

91
Universal Acclaim

The Bear

91
Universal Acclaim

Borgen

91
Universal Acclaim

The Wire

91
Universal Acclaim

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

90
Universal Acclaim

The Night Of

90
Universal Acclaim

The Corner

90
Universal Acclaim

Boomtown

89
Universal Acclaim

Related News

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Amazon's Prime Video, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Netflix, updated frequently. You can also find a list of titles leaving Netflix this month.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Hulu, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Disney's streaming service, updated frequently.

  • tv show
April TV Preview (2024)

April TV Preview (2024)

Jason Dietz

The month ahead will bring a series adaptation of the videogame Fallout plus Netflix newcomer Ripley, Park Chan-wook's miniseries The Sympathizer, a sequel to Emmy winner The Jinx, Idris Elba's weirdest project to date, and more.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Find a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added to Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime, plus a list of titles coming soon to the streaming services.

  • tv show