Starsky & Hutch! I’ve fallen for them again, for the third time. The first time was during the original run of the series. Back then I was a die-hard David Soul fan having followed him over from Here Come the Brides. I bought all of David’s albums and when I went to England that year, I was thrilled to find his songs playing on the radio. He was even hotter there than here!

The second time was after the show came out on DVD. Marathoning my way through the seasons, I found that I had never lost my love for these two cops who can’t keep their hands off each other.

Yes, let the bromance jokes begin. But’s it’s okay. I live for bromances as is evident by my love of Supernatural and Simon & Simon. But Starsky & Hutch were a special bred. They came from a time when community policing was changing and undercover cops were all the rage. They were tough but they cared about making the world a better place and they cared about each other which is why we all tuned in week after week.

During the second coming, I switched loyalties to Paul Michael Glaser who played Starsky. He was so sweet and impish with his bowlegs and goofy grin and man, that head of hair.

This time around, I’m keeping my options open. It began innocently enough, with an airing on Hulu while I did some mind-numbing cleanup work on my computer. Three episodes later I was hauling out the DVD sets and then the David Soul CD went on to my iPod and I dug out my scripts. I sold my Torino die cast a few years back, but I can always get another one to sit beside my Supernatural Impala.

The funniest thing about all of this was something that happened at the store today. I was shopping in Walgreens and the canned music began to play a familiar tune. “Don’t Give Up on Us Baby!” Yep, David Soul playing in my drug store and I swear I haven’t heard that song twice since it was released in the 70′s. That’s karma.

Now, if you are not familiar with the original Starsky & Hutch, hop over to Crackle where you can watch entire episodes cut down to five minutes. Shootout is my favorite. The boys walk into an Italian restaurant and get in the middle of a mob hit. Starsky is shot and it’s after that it’s all whispers and grabby hands, and partner worry. It’s the best.

If you’re an A-Team fan, you’ll see this same script played out with only minor changes in that last season of that show with Face taking the bullet and Murdock arranging the save.

The picture on this post? That’s from Coffin for Starsky, where a madman poisons him and he only has hours to live! More hugging, more holding, more angry “do somethings!” from Hutch.

If you want to see Starsky doing the comforting, check out The Fix (villain hooks Hutch on heroin and Starsky has to see him through the shakes) and Plague.

All kidding aside, Starsky & Hutch actually dealt with some pretty heavy issues including investigating the murder of a 40-year veteran on the police force only to find out the man was gay and the sexual assault of a mentally challenged young woman whose testimony is unlikely to hold up in court.

Starsky & Hutch were a force to be reckoned with, both on the streets of Bay City (which looks oddly like LA) and with the fans.

STARSKY & HUTCH STUFF

You can buy the whole first season of the show for only $8.00 used on Amazon. That’s kind of a crime in itself!

You can pick up David Soul’s original first album on CD at Amazon, too. It’s light, singer/songwriter kind of stuff with a folksy bent.

If you’re a fan of Starsky’s red Torino, the car has it’s own fan page.

David Soul’s website is here and you can see what Paul Michael Glaser is up to here.

Finally, I must direct you to a place that is both sad and full of hope and that’s the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation which was formed in honor of Paul’s daughter and later his wife Elizabeth.

Let’s end with the music of David Soul.