A Man Called Hawk, 1989

God, you really have to love the '80s (and the early '90s, which was basically still the '80s). An ABC spin-off of Spenser for Hire, the Robert Urich series based on the Robert B. Parker character, A Man Called Hawk, lasted little more than six months. It's hard to imagine why. Look at this show! Hawk (Avery Brooks, later of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame) is a badass. He has one name. He wears nothing but black. He wears sunglasses at night. Also, his name is Hawk. Incredibly, all those things may also explain why the show didn't last. It was grim and violent, though not without an occasional xylophone interlude (watch the opening sequence again). Then it was canceled.