The popular TV series Kojak took its name from the character of Lieutenant Theo Kojak, the iconoclastic commander of a detective squad at the Manhattan South precinct in New York City and one of the more memorable characters to appear on 1970s television. With his habitual consumption of lollypops and his trademark line, "Who loves ya, baby?," Lt. Kojak earned a loyal TV following that ultimately led to cult status as one of the small screen's most endearing law enforcers.

At first Telly Savalas, the actor who brought Lt. Kojak to life, might have seemed an unlikely candidate for a television hero. The fortyish Greek-American actor, with his shaven head, substantial nose, and unconventional looks, had generally played villains throughout his career. Among his many portraits of evil, he had depicted Pontius Pilate (The Greatest Story Ever Told), James Bond's nemesis Ernest Stavro Blofeld (On Her Majesty's Secret...