Hunter (1984 – 1991)

I loved this show when I was growing up. Actually, let me qualify that: I liked the show a lot – I loved Stepfanie Kramer, the co-lead who played Sergeant Dee Dee McCall. She was my first celebrity crush! Oh yeah… Fred Dryer played the other lead, but everyone knows it was really Kramer’s show.

Hunter was one of a slew of cop shows that swamped television in the eighties. It really was difficult to escape the genre at the time. It had its original 150+ episode run from 1984 to 1991. The show was without Ms. Kramer for the final season, and I didn’t see any of those episodes, but I spent a good while with the six seasons that preceded her departure.

Hot girl with a gun – what’s not to like?

There was nothing particularly special about this series: two LA homicide cops chase down the bad guys every week. It didn’t have a flashy car like some other cop shows, and it didn’t boast cartoon violence and slapstick comedy like some of the others of the era. Hell, it didn’t even have a particularly memorable theme tune.

But what it was, was a gritty police show at a time when that really wasn’t the norm. Hunter gave us a more realistic take on the genre, and allowed for (relatively speaking) more mature themes and storylines that you just didn’t see playing out anywhere else. It has been overshadowed by other flag-bearers of the genre, but if you like your cop shows aimed at mum and dad rather than the children, give it a whirl.

And if that’s not enough, just watch it for Stepfanie.