Spenser: For Hire is a procedural crime drama that ran for three seasons on ABC, from 1985-1988, and spawned some follow-up TV movies, a spinoff series, and a couple of reboots. The series is based on characters from author Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels, the first of which was published in 1973, and still continue today (though under another author following Parker’s passing).

Spenser (Robert Urich) is a Vietnam War veteran and a former member of the Boston police force, who now makes a living as a private cop/investigator, helping clients who need a mystery solved, something/someone found, or just a bodyguard. Spenser doesn’t live in the best part of Boston, drives an old Mustang, and danger always seems to have a way of finding him. But he’s a real Renaissance man—well-read, in-shape (he even had a stint as a professional boxer), and friendly with all the locals. Whether the situation calls for smarts, fists, a Baretta, or just a little charm, he’s always ready to take down the bad guys who are trying to do him or his clients harm.

Often assisting Spenser with his cases is enforcer Hawk (Avery Brooks), a gun-for-hire with a moral code. Another regular character is Spenser’s longtime girlfriend Susan Silverman (Barbara Stock), who never seems phased whenever Spenser gets them into dangerous situations, though it’s the reason why she doesn’t want to marry him. Susan disappears for season 2, having moved to San Francisco, but returns for the third season. Filling the female void for the second season is Assistant District Attorney Rita Fiore (Carolyn McCormick). Spenser also often deals with the Boston homicide department cops Lt. Martin Quirk (Richard Jaeckel) and Sgt. Frank Belson (Ron McLarty), who are sometimes happy to see Spenser, and other times annoyed by the chaos and paperwork he brings.

Spenser: For Hire is a traditional cop procedural, with a bit of a classic detective noir feel to it. Spenser can be witty, charming and sarcastic, but also has the strength and fighting skills to take on enemies when that doesn’t work. Spenser’s internal monologues update the viewer on the progress of his case, often with a bit of sarcastic humor, and a jazzy score. The series often finds Spenser chasing the bad guys through the streets of Boston either on his feet, or in his Mustang. These chases usually end in a fist fight, or gunfire. For someone who’s not actually a cop, Spenser sure does leave a lot of dead bodies in his wake—probably causing a headache of paperwork for the Boston PD.

As I was binging through this box set, I was surprised by how well the series holds up nearly 40 years later, and wondered why this show only got three seasons. Being from Massachusetts, I was happy to see that much of the series incorporates the streets of Boston into the action, something you don’t see too often on TV. I had watched this series occasionally as a kid, but it was fun to now revisit it as an adult. The series has some more adult topics and moments that probably went over my head the first time I watched it, so it made it interesting to revisit it. I have listened to several of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels, and Robert Urich seems perfectly cast. Urich is great in this role, delivering both the charm and the physical aspects of the character.

The series had some amazing guest stars over the three seasons, some of whom have ad big careers, including Angela Bassett, Patricia Clarkson, Laurence Fishburne, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, Lauren Holly, Samuel L. Jackson, Eriq La Salle, Melissa Leo, Andie MacDowell, William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, John C. McGinley, Ed O’Neill, David Hyde Pierce, Ving Rhames, Laura San Giacomo, Tony Shalhoub, John Spencer, Jimmy Smits, Lynne Thigpen &
J. T. Walsh.

Warner Bros. had previously released the individual seasons of Spenser: For Hire on DVD via Warner Archive, but now thy come together in one box set for the first time. Warner Archive must have done some sort of cleanup or restoration when originally releasing the series because the picture looks fantastic—even better than some recent 2025 series recently released on DVD! The picture looks clean and clear with nice colors and a solid level of detail. There is the occasional spec of dirt, but the series looks amazing for something that’s almost 40 years old. While the series doesn’t have modern, immersive audio, the track does provide clear dialogue throughout. It is focused in the center, but the mix between the dialogue and the rest of the audio feels balanced and still sounds very good. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles or closed captioning offered.

This release is a repackaging of the discs from the previous Warner Archive DVD season releases. The series is spread across 16 discs, which are placed overlapping on trays in a thick, clear DVD case. 6 discs are used for season 1, and 5 discs each are used for seasons 2 & 3. There is no outer slipcover, and the discs do not contain any bonus material. Unfortunately, this Complete Series set just includes just the three seasons/65 episodes of the main series (1985-1987), and not the 13-episode A Man Called Hawk spin-off series (1989), or the four follow-up made-for-TV movies (1993-1995). The character of Spenser was also rebooted for three TV movies starring Joe Mantegna from 1999-2001 on A&E, and there was a 2022 Netflix movie, Spenser: Confidential, starring Mark Wahlberg as Spenser and Winston Duke as Hawk, but neither of these are included eithr.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (52:56:04)
• All 65 episodes on 16 discs:
  • Season 1 (1985–86) – 22 episodes (18:25:29)
    Disc 1 (3:12:21): “Promised Land” (Pilot), “No Room at the Inn”, “The Choice”
    Disc 2 (3:12:18): “Children of a Tempest Storm”, “Original Sin”, “Discord in A Minor”, “The Killer Within”
    Disc 3 (3:11:58): “Autumn Thieves”, “Blood Money”, “Resurrection”, “Internal Affairs”
    Disc 4 (3:13:07): “Death by Design”, “A Day’s Wages”, “A Madness Most Discreet”, “Brother to Dragons”
    Disc 5 (3:13:47): “When Silence Speaks”, “In a Safe Place”, “Angel of Desolation”, “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not”
    Disc 6 (2:21:58): “At the River’s Edge”, “Rage”, “Hell Hath No Fury”
  • Season 2 (1986–87) – 22 episodes (17:38:52)
    Disc 1 (3:12:24): “An Eye for an Eye”, “Widow’s Walk”, “White Knight”, “Rockabye Baby”
    Disc 2 (3:13:00): “And Give Up Show Biz?”, “The Long Hunt”, “Home Is the Hero”, “One if by Land, Two if by Sea”
    Disc 3 (3:13:05): “Shadowsight”, “The Hopes and Fears”, “Among Friends”, “I Confess”
    Disc 4 (4:01:12): “Murder and Acquisitions”, “Personal Demons”, “Mary Hamilton”, “Trial and Error”, “One for My Daughter”
    Disc 5 (3:59:11): “My Brother’s Keeper”, “The Road Back”, “If You Knew Sammy”, “The Man Who Wasn’t There”, “The Song of Orpheus”
  • Season 3 (1987–88) – 21 episodes (16:51:43)
    Disc 1 (3:12:18): “Homecoming”, “My Enemy, My Friend”, “Heart of the Matter”, “On the Night He Was Betrayed”
    Disc 2 (3:13:41): “Sleepless Dream”, “Consilium Abditum”, “Thanksgiving”, “Gone Fishin'”
    Disc 3 (3:17:32): “Child’s Play”, “Skeletons in the Closet”, “The Siege”, “Arthur’s Wake”
    Disc 4 (3:09:45): “To the End of the Line”, “Play It Again, Sammy”, “The Big Fight”, “Substantial Justice”
    Disc 5 (3:58:27):”Company Man”, “Watercolors”, “Hawk’s Eyes”, “McAllister”, “Haunting”
• 480i / Full Frame 1.33:1
• Audio: English 2.0 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: None​

Extras:

There is no bonus material included on this release.

Final Thoughts:

Spenser for Hire is an entertaining crime drama that holds up quite well almost 40 years later. Warner Bros’ new Complete Series box set is a repacking of the discs from Warner Archive’s previous induvial season releases, so there is no need for fans who already own those to re-purchase. However, the discs look fantastic and sound great, so folks looking to pick up the series will surely be pleased with the quality. The one disappointment is that this release does not include the four follow-up TV movies or the A Man Called Hawk spin-off series. This release is definitely worth picking up for fans for the series. The series is also currently streaming on Tubi if folks want to check it out there before a blind buy.