The Equalizer aired on CBS in the United States and ITV in the UK. Its original run on CBS lasted four seasons, from 1985-1989. The show starred Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a former government operative for "The Agency" who resigns abruptly. This act nearly gets him killed because of the danger he poses as a potentially rogue agent with a quarter century of knowledge and experience.

 

His colleague Control, portrayed by Robert Lansing, manages to call off the wolves but McCall's position with the Agency remains tenuous.

 

McCall decides to try to atone for the sins of his work as an operative by helping people in desperate situations who have nowhere else to turn. To this end, he places an ad in the newspaper that reads, "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer. 212-555-4200."

 

A variety of clients, most of them ordinary people who find themselves in situations they don't have the means to get out of, turn to McCall who typically offers his services for free. McCall walks a fine line with the police, some of whom don't like what he does and his growing list of shooting incidents, but they ultimately come to trust him and even benefit from his knowledge in many cases.

 

McCall has a son, Scott McCall, played by William Zabka. One of McCall's goals in retiring from the Agency is to close the emotional chasm between them caused by McCall's work and his commitment to it at the expense of his family.

 

Famously, McCall's car was a black Jaguar XJ Series III, and he usually carried a Walther PPK/S sidearm. For those interested in the firearms used in the show, there is a detailed listing on the Internet Movie Firearms Database. Another chief characteristic of the character was his excellent wardrobe. All around, McCall had style.

 

A unique, quirky, and talented troupe of Agency contractors make a little side money from the wealthy McCall when he needs an extra hand helping his clients. They include Mickey Kostmayer (Keith Szarabajka), Sterno, Jimmy (Mark Margolis), Jacob Stock, Sonny Raines, Jonah, Dana, Logan, and Ginger. Kostmayer clearly has a strong bond and great respect for McCall even though they have different attitudes about people and about their work. He remains a constant friend and colleague to McCall throughout the series.

 

Well-known guest stars, some of them finding fame after their appearances on The Equalizer, abound in the series, including Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, Hector Elizondo, Christopher Meloni, Melissa Sue Anderson, Christian Slater, John Goodman, Bradley Whitford, Telly Savalas, Oliver Platt, Patricia Richardson, E.G. Marshall, Laurie Metcalf, Macaulay Culkin, Jerry O'Connell, Terrence Mann, Meatloaf, Anthony Zerbe, Ed O'Neill, Giancarlo Esposito, Theodore Bikel, Robert Mitchum, Cynthia Nixon, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Moriarty, Maureen Stapleton, Tim Woodward, Michele Dotrice, Roy Dotrice, and Adam Ant.

 

Stewart Copeland of The Police wrote the dark, pulsing theme song and scored much of the show's music, a major element in the unique look and feel of the show, especially for the time. The extensive location shooting all around New York City also provided a unique backdrop and the show did a good job of capturing the character of the city at that time.

 

Even as he attempts to "balance the books" morally in his life, McCall struggles continuously with his past as he tries to reconcile his skills and life with his morality and compassion for others.

 

Producer and writer Coleman Luck has said that McCall's story is not one of revenge but of redemption. McCall touches on this theme when he tells a client's vengeful son, "my services in particular come with a very high price, but you see, I've already paid it."