RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Media KOJAK . . . Can Rhames give the love?

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TV News
USA Loves New 'Kojak,' Baby
(Tuesday, October 26 03:43 PM)

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) USA Network is so pleased with the results of its new two-hour "Kojak" movie that the cable network is sending the franchise straight to series. The network has ordered nine weeks of "Kojak," which stars Ving Rhames in the role made famous by Telly Savalas.

The new "Kojak" will launch in March 2005 and the telefilm, which went into production in July in Toronto, will serve as an extended premiere. New episodes of the series will begin lensing in Toronto in January.

Known at the time for its realistic depiction of crime solving, "Kojak" aired on CBS from 1973-78 and Savalas won two Golden Globes for his performance as the lollypop-sucking Lieutenant Theo Kojak. In the new pilot, Kojak goes after a killer who preys on prostitutes with young children.

"Kojak is a perfect USA series," says USA President Bonnie Hammer. "The main character is a true American original, a crime-solver with an incredible mix of charm, street smarts and uncanny intuition. And in the hands of the great Ving Rhames, this is definitely not your father's Kojak."

Rhames, nominated for an Emmy for 1997's "Don King: Only in America," is best known for roles in blockbusters including "Pulp Fiction" and "Mission: Impossible" and for his appearances in a series of Radio Shack commercials. In addition to starring in "Kojak," the actor will also executive produce along with Tom Thayer (A&E's "The Great Gatsby").

"The key to our Kojak is two words -- Ving Rhames," says Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president of original programming. "Ving's a world-class actor who has reinvented Kojak as a prince of his city -- a man who will do whatever it takes to make his world a better place."

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