| Spenser | |
|---|---|
 Joe Mantegna as Spenser and Marcia Gay Harden as Susan | |
| Created by | Robert B. Parker |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
Joe Mantegna portrayed Robert B. Parker's detective "Spenser" in three TV films on the A&E cable network between 1999 and 2001.
Robert B. Parker had a significant role in the development of the TV movies (all three films were adapted by Parker, with his wife co-authoring Walking Shadow) as opposed to the earlier Spenser: For Hire . Nonetheless, he felt that the movies didn't get it right, not because of the performances but because of the limited budget. Parker had a small role in the first film, and cameos in the later two. His son, Daniel, and wife, Joan, appear in Thin Air. Spenser's ally, Hawk, was played by Sheik Mahmud-Bey in "Small Vices", and returns in "Walking Shadow" portrayed by Ernie Hudson.
All three movies were filmed in locations in Canada.
In this movie Spenser tries to solve the murder of a college student. It was broadcast in 1999, and is based on the 1997 novel of the same name.
In this movie, Spenser searches for the wife of his longtime associate, Sgt. Belson. It was broadcast in 2000, and is based on the 1995 novel of the same name.
In this movie, Spenser tries to solve the on-stage murder of an actor. It was broadcast in 2001, and is based on the 1994 novel of the same name. It is directed by Po-Chih Leong. [1]
Joe Mantegna has also narrated a number of Spenser novels; [2]
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Lullaby |
| 2011 | Sixkill |
| 2010 | Painted Ladies |
| 2009 | The Professional |
| 2008 | Rough Weather |
| 2007 | Now and Then |
| 2006 | Hundred Dollar Baby |
| 2005 | School Days |
| Cold Service | |
| 2004 | Bad Business |
| Widow's Walk | |
| 2003 | Back Story |
| 2001 | Potshot |
| 2000 | Hugger Mugger |
Spenser is a fictional private investigator created by the American mystery writer Robert B. Parker. He acts as the protagonist of a series of detective novels written by Parker and later continued by Ace Atkins. His first appearance was in the 1973 novel The Godwulf Manuscript. He is also featured in the 1980s television series Spenser: For Hire and a related series of TV movies based on the novels. In March 2020 he was featured in the Netflix thriller film Spenser Confidential.
Spenser: For Hire is an American crime drama series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder and starring Robert Urich, was broadcast on ABC from September 20, 1985, until May 7, 1988.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited by critics and bestselling authors as influencing their own work and reviving and changing the detective genre, including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
A Man Called Hawk is an American action drama series, starring Avery Brooks, that ran on ABC from January 28 to May 13, 1989. The series is a spin-off of the crime drama series Spenser: For Hire, and features the character Hawk, who first appeared in the 1976 novel Promised Land, the fourth in the series of Spenser novels by mystery writer Robert B. Parker.
Crimson Joy is the 15th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
Paper Doll is the 20th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows the Boston-based PI Spenser as he tries to solve the apparently random killing of the well-regarded wife of a local businessman.
The Godwulf Manuscript is the debut crime novel by Robert B. Parker
Small Vices is the 24th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
Hundred-Dollar Baby is the 34th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston-based PI Spenser as he tries to help an old runaway prostitute he helped several years earlier, April Kyle.
Ceremony is the ninth Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1982. It is the first of three Spenser novels involving the character April Kyle, who returns in Taming a Sea-Horse and Hundred-Dollar Baby.
Looking for Rachel Wallace is the sixth Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1980.
A Catskill Eagle is the 12th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1985. The title comes from a quote from Herman Melville.
Double Deuce is a 1992 novel by American writer Robert B. Parker, the 19th book featuring the private investigator Spenser. The story follows Boston-based Spenser as he and his friend Hawk butt heads against a street gang while attempting to unravel the murder of a teenage mother and her young daughter.
Pastime is the 18th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston-based PI Spenser as he attempts to find a man's missing mother.
Walking Shadow is the 21st Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
Thin Air is the 22nd Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston-based PI Spenser as he searches for the wife of his longtime associate, Sgt. Frank Belson of the Boston Police Department.
The Widening Gyre is a 1983 novel by Robert B. Parker, featuring his private detective character Spenser. The title comes from the first line of W.B. Yeats poem "The Second Coming".
Lullaby is the 41st novel featuring Robert B. Parker's fictional detective Spenser. It is the first official Spenser novel not written by Parker, but by Ace Atkins. Atkins was asked to write the novel after Parker's death in 2010.
Taming a Sea-Horse is the 13th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.