Kojak: Season 04 (1976)

Beginning with its fourth season, Kojak was largely filmed on location in New York City, moving production out of its previous Hollywood confines. Telly Savalas is of course back as bald, sarcastic, lollipop-loving police detective Lt. Theo Kojak, as are Dan Frazer as Theo's boss (and former partner), Frank McNeill, Kevin Dobson as Lt. Crocker, and George Savalas (the star's brother) as Detective Stavros. Season four wastes no time getting down to business: the season opener finds Kojak's niece being kidnapped in the middle of her own birthday party. This tense episode features a guest-star turn by a young Richard Gere, one of several familiar faces showing up in the fourth season. Other prominent guest performers include future Jeffersons co-star Roxie Roker, versatile character actor Hector Elizondo, TV commercial diva Virginia Christine (aka "Mrs. Olsen"), and Geraldine Page, Danny Aiello, F. Murray Abraham, Judith Light, Jeffrey Jones, and, in one of her last TV appearances, Gloria Grahame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi