Bernie Hamilton (Captain Harold Dobey)

Captain Dobey

Captain Dobey is the "The boss" of David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson two, fast moving super cops. Keeping Starsky & Hutch in line isn't easy, because Starsky and Hutch like things done there own way, which doesn't always please Captain Dobey.

A white actor was originally cast to play Captain Harold Dobey. Then Spelling - Goldberg remembered Bernie Hamilton, who played a police captain in a previous Spelling - Goldberg TV show. And thought he'd be just right they already had him on film, he didn't need a screen test. He's been in a lot of films and TV series, including, Tarzan, and co - starred with Zachary Scott in a film called The Young One, which won an award at the Cannes film festival.

"The success of Starsky and Hutch was a surprise to Bernie, but not a big surprise, the series had the elements for success. It had Spelling - Goldberg behind it, who has a great reputation of picking winners, and two very talented actors, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul."

Bernie was working with David and Paul right from the beginning of the series, he had the opportunity of watching them develop from two actors, into two superstars who write much of their own dialogue. And have worked on their roles extremely hard, to make Starsky and Hutch an international institution!

Bernie's seen TV shows come and go, but he's never seen one like Starsky and Hutch. The reason why Starsky and Hutch is successful is because it's "different they spend so much time working on it. And one of the main things that make it so different to any other cop show is the behaviour of, Starsky and Hutch.

"Captain Dobey is strictly a law man," he does everything by the book and sticks to the rules. " If something comes up in the script, which is not the way his character would act, then Bernie will change it, or if he is concerned with the penal code and doesn't technically understand it Bernie will take a trip down to police headquarters and find out about it.

"Paul and David are just as thorough about the characters they play, and write a lot of their own dialogue and Bernie re - writes a lot of his but only in parts where it need's taking up here and there.

Bernie would love to be given the chance to direct like Paul, and reckons he has a good eye and ear for what is dramatic. One of the things he likes about Starsky and Hutch is that everyone is given a chance to voice their opinion about a particular scene and provide their own ideas.

Bernie wishes that the captain could be given a bit more to do in the series, as his average number of appearance in each episode amounts to no more than three or four scenes. He doesn't really complain because he enjoys being part of the series so much

Bernie finds that, he's still his Starsky and Hutch Character, off the set whether he likes it or not. When fans see him in the street, they don't shout here comes "Bernie Hamilton" but "here comes Captain Dobey."

Everyone works very hard on the set, there is a good working atmosphere good humour - and quite a lot of clowning around, too! During the filming "there have been some very funny moments, Bernie got pushed into the swimming pool with his clothes on, and got his watch ruined. The first joke ever to be played on Bernie was when "Paul" swiped his hamburger

Cast and crew, have a great friendship going it's been fantastic working with "Everyone."