Avery Brooks Movies

Written by Walter Lockwood and directed by Joan Micklin Silver, Finnegan Begin Again is a whimsical comedy drama about a late-blooming romance. Robert Preston plays a Mike Finnegan, 65-year-old newspaperman resigned to wasting his time on a lonely hearts column and caring for his ailing, unappreciative wife (Sylvia Sidney). Mary Tyler Moore portrays Liz DeHaan, a much-younger schoolteacher, recently widowed and mired in a go-nowhere relationship with a mortician (Sam Waterston). Liz comes to Mike for advice...and nature takes its course. Finnegan Begin Again premiered February 24, 1985, over the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a series of suspense novels by Robert B. Parker, the weekly, hour-long Spenser: For Hire starred Robert Urich as the title character. The TV series was filmed on location in Boston, the home-based of private investigator Spenser (no other name), who in addition to being wily and resourceful was also highly principled and scrupulously honest: In other words, he had no qualms about turning the legal tables on his own clients if he found out they were actually guilty or lying to him. No matter what the situation, Spenser meant what he said and said what he meant, even if he framed his responses in the form of philosophical quotations. Backing Spenser's words was his tactiturn African American street contact and "enforcer", the likewise single-named Hawk (Avery Brooks), who though he always carried a giant Magnum gun seldom needed weaponry to cow the villains into submission (this character was later spun off into his own series, A Man Called Hawk). In the series' first and third seasons, Spenser's lady friend was guidance counselor Susan Silverman, played by Barbara Stock; during Susan's absence in Season Two, Spenser kept time with a former enemy turned friend, assistant district attorney Rita Fiori (Carolyn McCormick). Our hero's contacts at the police department were hard-nosed Lt. Martin Quirk (Richard Jaeckel), who liked Spenser, and slovenly Sgt. Frank Belson (Ron McLarty), who didn't. The 66-episode Spenser: For Hire was broadcast by ABC from September 20, 1985 through September 3, 1988, followed by four made-for-TV "Spenser" movies, filmed between 1993 and 1995. A sixth such film was scheduled for 2000,but was cancelled upon the death of star Robert Urich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As a result of several changes in his TV series' production staff, the brilliant, highly principled Boston private eye Spenser (Robert Urich) is short one girl friend as Spenser launches its second season. It was decided to write out the character of guidance counselor Susan Silverman, played by Barbara Stock; by way of explaining her absence, Susan left Boston for California, reluctant to continue her relationship with Spenser for fear that he'd be killed at any moment. In the season opener, Carolyn McCormick is introduced in the role of assistant DA Rita Fiori, whose initial relationship with Spenser is adversarial; in fact,when first we see her, she is doggedly prosecuting our hero on a blackmail charge. Eventually, Rita realizes that Spenser is one of the "good guys", and before long a romance has blossomed. Episodes this season include a brace of stories in which Spenser's grim, muscular street contact Hawk (Avery Brooks finds himself in hot water, first when he is framed for carrying a concealed weapon in a backwater town, and second when he is suspected of shooting down Spenser's police lieutenant friend Martin Quirk (Richard Jaeckel). In other episodes, Spenser is stuck between a rock and a hard place when he must either clear a notorious pimp of murder or let him take the fall for the real killer, whose motive for murder was a surprising noble one; our hero nearly loses the use of his right arm when he takes a bullet meant for a politician; and, as he has so often done in the past, Spenser takes time to put a few misguided youths on the right path. Guest stars this season include such familiar film and TV faces as Charles Kimbrough, Ed O'Neill, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cullum, Rob Morrow, Jamey Sheridan, Ruby Dee, Larry Fishburne, David Straitharn, Tony Shalhoub and David Hyde-Pierce. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The third and final season of Spenser: For Hire finds the titular private eye hero (Robert Urich again unattached romantically, inasmuch as his second-season sweetheart, Assistant DA Rita Fiori, has been written out of the show. But before you despair over the emotional well-being of Boston's best and most ethical P.I., be it noted that Barbara Stock, absent since Season One, has returned in the role of guidance counselor Susan Sullivan. It is explained that, after a year's residence in California, Susan has returned to Beantown, determined to give her relationship with Spenser a second chance despite the danger represented by Spenser's many enemies in the Underworld. But while Susan is back, another of the series' regulars, Richard Jaeckel at Lt. Martin Quirk of the Boston PD, has departed. The scriptwriters contrive to have Quirk retire from the force after suffering a heart attack. The season opens with Spenser mediating a deadly feud between a judge and a mobster, and soon after our hero's sentimental nature again resurfaces as he helps an alcoholic priest create a halfway house for homeless teams. The subsequent episode "Sleepless in Seattle" represents something of an inside joke for scripter Lee Goldberg, who names all the members of the fictional "Kincaid" clan after the characters in The Partridge Family. Meanwhile, Spenser's brooding, implicitly lethal street contact Hawk (Avery Brooks) exhibits the charisma that will soon enable him to star in his own self-named TV series, especially in the episodes wherein Hawk shield Susan against a "respectable" sexual predator, and in another story in which he tries to negotiate with a berserk, gun-wielding postal worker (and this BEFORE the popular coinage of the phrase "Going postal"!) Among the future stars appearing guest roles on Spenser: For Hire this season are Kadeem Hardison, Samuel L. Jackson, Laura San Giacomo, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ving Rhames. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Photographer, author, scriptwriter, and director, Gordon Parks' visions are captured in this video. ~ All Movie Guide

This 7-Disc set includes all nineteen episodes from the second season.

26 episodes on 7 discs: The Homecoming, The Circle, The Siege, Invasive Procedures, Cardassians, Melora, Rules of Acquisition, Necessary Evil, Second Sight, Sanctuary, Rivals, The Alternate, Armageddon Game, Whispers, Paradise, Shadowplay, Playing God, Profit and Loss, Blood Oath, The Maquis Part I, The Maquis Part II, The Wire, Crossover, The Collaborator, Tribunal, The Jem'Hadar.

This telemovie follow-up to ABC's hit Boston-based detective series Spenser: For Hire (1985-88) aired a little over five years after the original program wrapped. Adapted (like the weekly series) from mystery stories authored by Robert B. Parker, this outing finds ex-Beantown policeman Spenser (Robert Urich) visiting a New England small town to uncover the grimy truth behind a murder - and learning, in the process, that a syndicate of cocaine-running goons controls the town. He is assisted in his investigation by his girlfriend Susan Silverman (Barbara Williams). Parker and his wife, Joan H. Parker, co-authored the script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Avery Brooks doubled as director for this episode, which was originally broadcast on December 3, 1994. DS9 hosts the annual Bajoran Gratitude Festival, with Next Generation's Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) among the guests. During the festivies, an epidemic of Zanthi Fever erupts, imbuing everyone on board with heightened romantic passions. No one is more susceptible to the fever than Lwaxana, who once again sets her cap for the Wrong Man, in this case, Odo. "Fascination" was scripted by Philip La Zebnik, from a story by Ira Steven Behr and James Crocker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An infant rescued by DS9 from a wrecked ship suddenly begins growing and maturing at an alarming rate. Able to speak and reason, the boy -- now a teenager, and now played by Bumper Robinson -- reveals himself to be a Jem'Hadar, one of the soldiers of the dreaded Dominion. Taking a paternal interest in the boy, Odo tries to deflect him from a life of violence and murder. Meanwhile, Sisko looks askance at his son Jake's latest girlfriend, a Dabo named Marta (Jill Sayre). Written by D. Thomas Malo and Steve Warnek and directed by Avery Brooks, "The Abandoned" first aired November 5, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The popular TV-series private eye Spenser (of Spenser For Hire) re-surfaces in this made-for-cable movie. Robert Urich returns to his role as the gumshoe. This time, Spenser comes to the aid of old flame Candy Sloane (Cynthia Dale), a reporter who needs Spenser's help and protection as she investigates a fraud ring. This drama was based on the book of the same name by Robert B. Parker. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Once again, one of Jazdia Dax's previous hosts causes trouble for her present incarnation. This time, she comes face to face with Lenara (Susanna Thompson), the wife of Dax's former male host Torias. Despite the rigid taboos of the Trill society (to say nothing of the discomfort of the DS9 crew), Dax and Lenara find themselves on the verge of renewing their romantic relationship. First telecast October 30, 1995, "Rejoined" was written by Ronald D. Moore and Rene Echevarria, and directed by Avery Brooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide