"The Equalizer" (1985) TV series 1985-1989

Creators:

Richard Lindheim
Michael Sloan
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

18 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

Robert McCall is "The Equalizer", a private detective with a lot of contacts who is available for hire...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Spy | New York City | Manhattan New York City | Neo Noir

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

Edward Woodward	...	Robert McCall (87 episodes, 1985-1989)
Keith Szarabajka	...	Mickey Kostmayer (42 episodes, 1985-1989)

Series Directed by
Richard Compton		(8 episodes, 1985-1986)
Donald Petrie		(5 episodes, 1985-1988)
Alan Metzger		(5 episodes, 1985-1987)
Russ Mayberry		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Rod Holcomb		(2 episodes, 1985)
James A. Contner		(unknown episodes)
Mario DiLeo		(unknown episodes)
Gordon Hessler		(unknown episodes)
Leon Ichaso		(unknown episodes)
David Jackson		(unknown episodes)
Jim Johnston		(unknown episodes)
Paul Krasny		(unknown episodes)
Aaron Lipstadt		(unknown episodes)
Michael O'Herlihy		(unknown episodes)
Jonathan Perry		(unknown episodes)
Mark Sobel		(unknown episodes)
Luis Soto		(unknown episodes)
Tony Wharmby		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Richard Lindheim		(88 episodes, 1985-1989)
Michael Sloan		(88 episodes, 1985-1989)
Maurice Hurley		(9 episodes, 1985-1986)
Joel Surnow		(9 episodes, 1985-1986)
Scott Shepherd		(4 episodes, 1986-1987)
Heywood Gould		(3 episodes, 1985)
Donna Powers		(3 episodes, 1988-1989)
Wayne Powers		(3 episodes, 1988-1989)
Coleman Luck		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mark Frost		(2 episodes, 1986)
Dennis Manuel		(2 episodes, 1987)
Victor Hsu		(1 episode, 1985)
Jacqueline Zambrano		(1 episode, 1989)
Robert Crais		(unknown episodes)
Loraine Despres		(unknown episodes)
Kevin Droney		(unknown episodes)
Gail Morgan Hickman		(unknown episodes)
David Jackson		(unknown episodes)
Marc Rubin		(unknown episodes)
Tom Towler		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Maurice Hurley	....	supervising producer / co-producer (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Joel Surnow	....	co-executive producer / supervising producer (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Dan Lieberstein	....	associate producer / co-producer: New York (20 episodes, 1985-1986)
James Duff McAdams	....	executive producer (20 episodes, 1985-1986)
Stuart Cohen	....	supervising producer: New York / producer (16 episodes, 1985-1986)
Coleman Luck	....	co-producer (10 episodes, 1985-1986)
Peter A. Runfolo	....	co-producer: New York (9 episodes, 1986)
Edward Adler	....	producer (5 episodes, 1985)
Heywood Gould	....	co-executive producer (5 episodes, 1985)
Alan Barnette	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Gail Morgan Hickman	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
Alan Metzger	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Ed Waters	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Stewart Copeland		(41 episodes, 1985-1987)
Joseph Conlan		(2 episodes, 1988)

Series Cinematography by
Frank Beascoechea		(1 episode, 1985)
Geoffrey Erb		(1 episode, 1986)
David Greene		(unknown episodes)
Richard C. Kratina		(unknown episodes)
Constantine Makris		(unknown episodes)
Alan Metzger		(unknown episodes)
Peter Sova		(unknown episodes)
William H. Steiner		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Jeffrey Wolf		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Richard P. Cirincione		(unknown episodes)
Thomas S. Drescher		(unknown episodes)
Peter C. Frank		(unknown episodes)
Arline Garson		(unknown episodes)
Norman Gay		(unknown episodes)
Norman Hollyn		(unknown episodes)
Gary Karr		(unknown episodes)
Robert Q. Lovett		(unknown episodes)
Bill Pankow		(unknown episodes)
Sonya Polonsky		(unknown episodes)
Robert M. Reitano		(unknown episodes)
Ronald Roose		(unknown episodes)
Valerie Schwartz		(unknown episodes)
Rick Shaine		(unknown episodes)
Lawrence Silk		(unknown episodes)
Scott Vickrey		(unknown episodes)
Stanley Warnow		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Lois Planco		(20 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Production Design by
Richard Bianchi		(1 episode, 1986)
Jeffrey Beecroft		(unknown episodes)
Gary Weist		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Christopher Nowak		(1 episode, 1985)
Wing Lee		(unknown episodes, 1985-1988)

Series Costume Design by
Linda Wayne		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
John Boxer		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Joe Cuervo	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jerry Masarone	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Production Management
Barbara De Fina	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1985)
James A. Westman	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1985)
Diane Foti	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1986)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ellen H. Schwartz	....	assistant director (27 episodes, 1985-1988)
Matt Fenton	....	apprentice assistant director (22 episodes, 1988-1989)
Richard Patrick	....	key second assistant director (18 episodes, 1985-1986)
Carla Zackson	....	dga trainee (unknown episodes, 1987)
Timothy J. Lonsdale	....	first assistant director: second unit (unknown episodes)
Jane Paul	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Robert E. Warren	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Richard Hughes	....	scenic artist (1 episode, 1985)
Linda Skipper	....	scenic artist (1 episode, 1986)
Eric Weiler	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Steve Scanlon	....	sound mixer (51 episodes, 1985-1989)
Fred Rosenberg	....	supervising sound editor (44 episodes, 1986-1988)
James Perdue	....	boom operator (42 episodes, 1985-1989)
Mike Marcucci	....	apprentice sound editor (22 episodes, 1987-1988)
Kevin Meehan	....	sound recordist (3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Randall Coleman	....	assistant sound editor (2 episodes, 1987)
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)
Richard Friedlander	....	assistant sound editor (unknown episodes)
Kevin Lee	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Gary Parker	....	sound recordist (unknown episodes)
Harry Peck Bolles	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Philip Stockton	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Mitch Wilson	....	optical effects (88 episodes, 1985-1989)

Series Stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunt coordinator (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gene Harrison	....	stunt double / stunts (12 episodes, 1985-1988)
John Cenatiempo	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1987-1989)
Richard Epper	....	stunt double / stunts (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Rick Avery	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Frank Ferrara	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Victor Magnotta	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Edgard Mourino	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Brennan	....	key grip (unknown episodes)
Jack Coffen	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
John Dolan	....	grip (unknown episodes)
James W. Finnerty	....	dolly grip (unknown episodes)
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Chris Hammond	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Alec Hirschfeld	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Tom Kerwick	....	key grip: second unit (unknown episodes)
Sal Lanza	....	dolly grip (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jan Finnell	....	costume shopper (5 episodes, 1986)

Series Editorial Department
K.F. Ligammari	....	apprentice editor (6 episodes, 1988-1989)
Mark Juergens	....	apprentice editor (4 episodes, 1986)
Nick Smith	....	apprentice editor (3 episodes, 1989)
Judith Blume	....	post-production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Peter B. Ellis	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Tony Grocki	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
William Kruzykowski	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Tom San Martin	....	negative matcher (unknown episodes)
Arnold Shuster	....	negative matcher (unknown episodes)
Tara Timpone	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Mike Gromley	....	music coordinator: OSS (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Derek Power	....	music coordinator: OSS (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Patrick Mullins	....	music editor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Mike Marcucci	....	production assistant (22 episodes, 1986-1987)
Chris Schutsky	....	location assistant (20 episodes, 1985-1986)
Scott Shepherd	....	executive story consultant (12 episodes, 1985-1986)
Esther Gordon	....	production assistant (9 episodes, 1985)
John Romeo	....	production assistant (9 episodes, 1986)
Rick Ashman	....	production assistant (7 episodes, 1986)
Theodore Gershuny	....	story editor (4 episodes, 1985)
Don Carlos Dunaway	....	creative consultant (4 episodes, 1986)
Abdul Malik Abbott	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1987)
Dan Frye	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1986)
David Tripet	....	production assistant (unknown episodes, 1986)
Tim Tyler	....	location assistant (unknown episodes, 1988-1989)
Brett Botula	....	location scout (unknown episodes)
Salvatore Carino	....	production estimator (unknown episodes)
Adam Cohen	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Kati Johnston	....	assistant location manager (unknown episodes)
Gene Kraft	....	title designer (unknown episodes)
Adam Lichtenstein	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Barbara Lucey	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Kate McCallum	....	assistant to writer (unknown episodes)
Peter Pastorelli	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
M. Ross-Michaels	....	assistant accountant (unknown episodes)
Aaron Sadovsky	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Michael Sloan	....	conceived by (unknown episodes)
Tom Towler	....	executive story editor (unknown episodes)
Matthew T. Weiner	....	location assistant (unknown episodes)
Nadine F. Wilson	....	post-production accountant (unknown episodes)
Steven Wren	....	location assistant (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Debra Katz Weber	....	the producers wish to thank (1 episode, 1986)

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1985-1989) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• Studios USA Television

Other Companies

• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound editing
• Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, The  filmed with the cooperation of
• New York Police Department Motion Picture Unit  filmed with the cooperation of (as New York City Police Department Movie/TV Unit)
• Optical House, The  opticals (as The Optical House, N.Y.)
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Actor Martin Shaw, who gained fame on the British series "The Professionals" (1977), turned down the role of Robert McCall on ‘The Equalizer’.

Quotes:

Mickey Kostmayer: What do we need a diversion for? Just kick in the door and hose the room.
Robert McCall: Mickey, there is a five year old boy in there.
Mickey Kostmayer: Oh yeah, we're gonna need a diversion.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Equalizer (#2.17)" (1998)

Excellent and highly Intelligent

"The Equalizer" was a unique and amazing series. I followed each episode with great interest. The ensemble of talent was remarkable - Edward Woodward having started out as a Shakespearean actor.

Hostile comments against this brilliant series derive largely from an inability to understand what McCall represented and who he was. A veteran of the British Army, he served in the Suez conflict and - while in the SAS - in operations in Malaya against Maoist gunmen. On leaving the British service he was recruited by the CIA who had apparently heard of his SAS exploits and talent in intelligence gathering. As his mother was an American, he could qualify as a US citizen - combine that with his last name, and he hardly qualifies as an Englishman. In the CIA he worked in Vietnam, where he met many of his later New York allies.

The character of Robert McCall may be in his early-mid fifties, but has a background of training and experience which would humble any supposedly tough petty-thug. For better organised enemies, McCall has a loyal following of friends to call on, including a selection of law enforcement personnel and ex-Special Forces men.

Therefore, he is not the tea-sipping greying middle-aged gentleman he may appear to be at first.

I adored this show. It requires a certain depth of historical knowledge to fully understand.