Kojak was an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police DepartmentDetectiveLieutenant Theo Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular Cannon series, it aired on CBS from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978. In 1999 TV Guide ranked Theo Kojak number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.