Starsky and Hutch just lost their superior officer.
Bernie Hamilton, the actor best known for playing by-the-numbers boss Capt. Harold Dobey on the classic 1970s cop drama, died Tuesday night at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 80.
As a young actor, Hamilton made his big-screen debut in the 1950 biopic The Jackie Robinson Story, before taking over the role of Chaka in the 1960s TV series Tarzan.
While his tube résumé would eventually include guest roles on The Twilight Zone, Ironside, All in the Family, Sanford and Son and The Love Boat, Hamilton earned his share of TV land immortality as the superior officer on Aaron Spelling's Starsky & Hutch opposite stars David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser.
Funeral services are set for Jan. 8.