From 1967 to 1972, years before he became the Equalizer, Edward Woodward played a world-weary MI6 agent and assassin named Callan in a hit UK TV series.
Like Callan, Robert McCall is skilled, moral and has his demons - although Callan clearly lacked his later iteration's acumen for investing and making enough money to live comfortably in the Big Apple.
McCall's Equalizer is an engrossing fairy godfather who has the brains and ruthless espionage skills to triumph in all levels of urban-crime morality plays. Woodward once described the character as a kind of "Robin Hood" in a TV interview but I think a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Batman is closer to the mark.
Asking practically no reward from those he aids, except for the visceral satisfaction of clearing scum off the streets, McCall is the perfect urban fantasy hero in a tailored suit. Many of the episodes have plot holes or less than plausible moments, often caused by short network TV running times - but Woodward sells McCall's credibility with such utter conviction that it doesn't matter.
The show is great fun now as a chance to see old-school big hair and fashions, technology and New York City in the 1980s. It also works due to strong support from Robert Lansing, Mark Margolis, Keith Szarabajka and others - but mostly thanks to Woodward whose stare-down was so intense that even Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted he copied it.
Like Callan, Robert McCall is skilled, moral and has his demons - although Callan clearly lacked his later iteration's acumen for investing and making enough money to live comfortably in the Big Apple.
McCall's Equalizer is an engrossing fairy godfather who has the brains and ruthless espionage skills to triumph in all levels of urban-crime morality plays. Woodward once described the character as a kind of "Robin Hood" in a TV interview but I think a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Batman is closer to the mark.
Asking practically no reward from those he aids, except for the visceral satisfaction of clearing scum off the streets, McCall is the perfect urban fantasy hero in a tailored suit. Many of the episodes have plot holes or less than plausible moments, often caused by short network TV running times - but Woodward sells McCall's credibility with such utter conviction that it doesn't matter.
The show is great fun now as a chance to see old-school big hair and fashions, technology and New York City in the 1980s. It also works due to strong support from Robert Lansing, Mark Margolis, Keith Szarabajka and others - but mostly thanks to Woodward whose stare-down was so intense that even Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted he copied it.