A superb Telly Savalas made his first appearance as the no-nonsense detective Theo Kojak in this gritty pilot episode of the influential 1970s police series. Providing the magnetic driving force in an otherwise slow-moving affair, he finds himself fighting for justice after suspecting department colleagues of trying to frame a black youth for a double murder. Though fictionalised, the true-story events and the lax law enforcement methods that they highlight are astounding, offering a window to a dark past that's tainted with grime, prejudice and corruption. Yet while TV film-maker Joseph Sargent (subsequent director of the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) excels in capturing the atmosphere, look and attitude of 1960s New York, poor dialogue and sluggish pacing reduce the drama's overall impact.