The Equalizer is an American action crime drama television series, originally airing on CBS from September 18, 1985, to August 24, 1989, which was co-created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. It starred the English actor Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a retired intelligence agent with a mysterious past, who uses the skills from his former career to exact justice on behalf of innocent people who find themselves in dangerous circumstances, while sometimes also dealing with people from his past in covert operations who want to pull him back in or settle old scores. In the years after its cancellation, the show has received a cult following that inspired further works, including three feature films and a re-imagined series.
Contents
Series plot elements
The series stars British actor Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a former covert operations officer of an unnamed American government intelligence organization, which was often referred to simply as "the Agency" or "the Company", who tries to atone for his past by offering, usually free of charge, his services as a troubleshooter, a protector, and an investigator.
People in need found him through a newspaper classified ad: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer: 212 555 4200." When he began the business in the pilot episode, the nickname "Equalizer" was revealed as bestowed on him by an operative named "Brahms", played by Jerry Stiller.
Aided by a group of sometimes mysterious contacts, some of whom date back to his spying days, McCall traverses the streets of New York City, delivering justice upon bullies, corrupt police officials and politicians, hoodlums, mobsters, rapists, racists, murderers, kidnappers, drug dealers, and other "truly deserving" people. "Please don't do anything you will never live to regret," he tells one villain.
His contacts were also prone to human foibles that ranged from egoism to domestic problems.
Many episodes focused on McCall interacting with "Control" (played by Robert Lansing), the unnamed head of the Manhattan office of the secret organization for which McCall used to work. As a general rule, however, the people responding to the newspaper ad were unremarkable, average, and unknown.
McCall's Jaguar XJ saloon car, weapons, and other gadgetry at times featured significantly as elements in the plot.
Cast and characters
Main
Edward Woodward as Robert McCall: A veteran operative of The Company who becomes disillusioned with sacrificing ordinary people for the perceived greater good. He quits and takes out a newspaper advert offering his services to those who need it as The Equalizer. McCall himself is divorced, a "lost dad" long estranged from his son, Scott (William Zabka). Woodward was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series four years in a row but never won, and was also nominated in 1986 and 1987 for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, winning in 1986.
Keith Szarabajka as Michael "Mickey" Kostmayer (Also starring, 56 episodes): a former Navy SEAL, who was thrown in the brig for a crime he did not commit, until McCall cleared him and recommended he join The Company. He is often utilized to surveil suspects and protect clients and witnesses.
Recurring
Robert Lansing as Control (29 episodes). A contemporary of McCall's in The Company who has risen to a senior rank; he and McCall are usually friendly, although at times Control's focus on the mission causes friction with McCall's desire to avoid collateral damage.
Mark Margolis as Jimmy (16 episodes). Another Company veteran, Jimmy is an expert in surveillance, and McCall brings him in when high-tech bugs, wiretaps, tranquilizer guns, and such are required.
William Zabka as Scott McCall (12 episodes). McCall's estranged son when the series begins, their relationship grows over the course of the series.
Chad Redding as Sgt. Alice Shepard (10 episodes). An NYPD detective in the second through fourth seasons, who often assists McCall, recognizing that he can take action where she cannot. Redding appears ten times as Shephard, and once previously as Beth Mackie in season one before her new role.
Richard Jordan as Harley Gage (10 episodes). Another disillusioned Company veteran, Gage was brought in by Richard Dyson (played by Robert Mitchum) to track down McCall when he goes missing in "Mission: McCall." This was done to lighten the load on Woodward after he suffered a heart attack.
Maureen Anderman as Pete O'Phelan (8 episodes). The widow of McCall's former colleague and a former operative. Anderman had previously appeared as Eleanor Griffith in season one before her new role.
Ron O'Neal as Lt. Isadore Smalls (7 episodes). An NYPD detective who assists McCall.
Irving Metzman as Sterno (7 episodes). Another Company man, specializing in computers and finance.
Steven Williams as Lt. Jefferson Burnett (6 episodes). An NYPD detective from the 83rd Precinct who is aware of McCall's past and is initially distrustful of him.
Notable guest stars
The show had quite a number of notable guest stars, including well-established veteran actors, relative new-comers, and those making their television or screen debuts. Some became major stars within a few years of their appearances.
Stewart Copeland, who composed the show's theme song and much of its music, made a cameo as a pickpocket in "Re-Entry." In the same episode, David Johansen (AKA Buster Poindexter), the lead singer of the proto-punk band the New York Dolls, plays a thug named Garnet, who abducts John Goodman's character at gunpoint. Adam Ant played a vile villain in "The Lock Box." In "Bump and Run," Meat Loaf makes an appearance as Sugar Fly Simon, a dealer of illegal guns. Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz of the Beastie Boys made a rare acting appearance along with Alex Winter in "Mama's Boy." Singer Vitamin C, who is credited under her real name Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, appears as a hostage in "Last Call" and as a singer in "Eighteen with a Bullet" who performs despite being manipulated by her dangerous manager, played by Bruce Payne. In "Nocturne", the rhythm and blues singing duo, Ashford & Simpson perform their 1986 #4 hit single "Count Your Blessings" from their Real Love album. Broadway baritone singer Bruce Hubbard plays a club Manager in "Solo," and Detective Warren in "Race Traitors" alongside singer/guitarist Michael Cerveris portraying Nick Kaminsky, who gets caught up with a group of skinheads and an Aryan Leader played by The Velvet Underground founder John Cale. Singer Karen Akers had a supporting role in "China Rain" as Cynthia, a nightclub "Head of Personal Relations." Jasmine Guy, in her first credited on-screen role, plays Gloria in "Out of the Past." In the episode "Inner View," singer Paul Hipp plays Jarret, the lead singer of Archon, baritone singer Terrence Mann is a villain called "Shadow Man", and multi-instrumentalist Tim Cappello appears as an Archon roadie. Cappello also plays an adult shopkeeper in "A Place to Stay."
Notable news and talk show hosts, disc jockeys, comedians, and other personalities from the television and radio include:
Sally Jesse Raphael and Bobby Rivers both interview a gun-control advocate, Sylvia Thorton, played by Barbara Williams in "Making of a Martyr."
New York WNBC news anchor Roger Grimsby reports on the assault of a night watchman at the zoo, and an escaped timber wolf roaming Manhattan in "The Mystery of Manon" (Part 1)."
Music
The show's theme music was created by composer/performer Stewart Copeland. The track is called "Busy Equalizing". An extended version appears on his album The Equalizer and Other Cliff Hangers.
Six episodes in the 1988 season were scored by Joseph Conlan and the final season was scored by Cameron Allan. Other episodes were scored by John Cacavas.
Episodes
The show ran for four seasons of 22 episodes each. It was initially renewed for a fifth season (causing Keith Szarabajka to turn down a role on Midnight Caller). However, the show was later canceled due to a row between CBS and Universal Studios over the renewal of Murder, She Wrote.
In The Story of The Equalizer, created for the DVD box set, executive producer Coleman Luck also stated that Universal requested a script for a crossover episode with Magnum, P.I. despite the objections of the Equalizer crew as its dark tone was much different than Magnum's much lighter and sunnier style. Ultimately the episode was never filmed, but its script was adapted and changed, airing as the episode "Beyond Control".
Reception
Critical response
After the broadcast of the first episode in September 1985, the show received mixed reviews. Critic Tom Shales wrote in The Washington Post that "to judge from this very attractively atmospheric premiere, [the show] could become a welcome guest in many an American home". However, for People, Jeff Jarvis wrote, "The plot’s confusing and the show's as erratic as a pacemaker on low batteries".
Localizations
The series was translated into Afrikaans for broadcast through South Africa's SABC as Die laaste uitweg.
The series was broadcast throughout the Arab World with Arabic subtitles during the 1990s, like in Egypt through Channel 2 and Saudi Arabia through Saudi 2.
Home media
On February 12, 2008, Universal Studios released Season 1 of The Equalizer on DVD in Region 1 (US only).
On May 15, 2013, it was announced that Visual Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series in Region 1. They subsequently released season 2 on DVD on August 26, 2014. Season 3 was released on October 25, 2014, followed by season 4 on November 24, 2014.
Visual Entertainment also released a limited edition complete series set on DVD on August 19, 2014. The Equalizer Complete Collection Limited Edition set contains all 88 episodes plus 12 hours of bonus content including CI5: The New Professionals; the last film ever done by Edward Woodward, A Congregation of Ghosts; and The Story of The Equalizer featuring interviews with cast and crew.
In Region 2, Universal Playback UK released season 1 on DVD on April 21, 2008. In late 2011, Fabulous Films announced that they had acquired the rights to the series. They have subsequently released seasons 2–4. On May 27, 2013, Fabulous Films released The Equalizer: The Complete Collection on DVD. This 24-disc box set contains all 88 episodes of the series as well as bonus content including an all-new documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew.
For the Region 1 DVD's many of the music apart from the theme and scoring by Stewart Copeland has been replaced by cover versions due to the costs for music licensing. In contrast, the Region 2 version contains all of the original music intact.
In Region 4, Umbrella Entertainment has released all four seasons on DVD in Australia.
Adaptations
Film series
A film starring Denzel Washington in the title role, very loosely based upon the series, was released in September 2014. It was followed by a sequel, The Equalizer 2, which was released on July 20, 2018. A third film, titled The Equalizer 3, with Washington and director Antoine Fuqua returning was released on September 1, 2023.
2021 television revival series
In November 2019, CBS announced that a reboot was in development with Queen Latifah in the lead role as Robyn McCall. Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller were named as showrunners with Latifah herself as an executive producer. On January 27, 2020, CBS issued a pilot order for the new version.
The series was among the 14 pilots ordered by CBS in February 2020 and was fast tracked to series the following March, as they are unable to film their pilots where Universal Television was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 8, 2020, CBS picked up the series and they added Chris Noth as William Bishop, a quirky ex-CIA director who is the opposite of Latifah. It premiered on February 7, 2021, after Super Bowl LV.
Literature
Michael Sloan wrote a series of novels about the character. The first is The Equalizer, published in 2014, followed by Killed in Action: An Equalizer Novel, released in 2018. The novels are a modern reimagining of the original series and focus on McCall leaving The Company and eventually becoming a private investigator in New York. They feature a number of original recurring characters from the television series such as Mickey Kostmayer, Control, and Scott McCall. A third novel, Equalizer: Requiem was released in 2020.
