Kojak (1973): 30 WEIRD Facts Fans Never Knew!

The Queen of England personally requested him at the White House. Marlon Brando almost became Kojak before CBS said no. And the lollipop that made Telly Savalas famous was never written into the script. This is the strange, untold story of Kojak, the classic crime series that ruled television from 1973 to 1978 — and the man behind the badge, Telly Savalas. In this video, we uncover 30 weird and unbelievable facts about Kojak: the real wrongful conviction that inspired the pilot, the accidental birth of “Who loves ya, baby?”, the Hollywood legends who almost changed the show forever, the future stars who appeared before they were famous, and the private tragedy Savalas carried long before he became America’s most famous TV detective. From a stagehand’s lollipop to a royal request at the White House, Kojak’s real history is stranger than anything that happened on screen. And the bonus fact at the end reveals why Telly Savalas was more than just a bald detective with a catchphrase — he was a man trying to protect people long before the cameras ever rolled. Watch until the end, because the final story changes the way you see Kojak forever. Who loves ya, baby? #Kojak #TellySavalas #ClassicTV #TVHistory #CrimeDrama #OldHollywood #RetroTV #BehindTheScenes #ClassicTelevision #HollywoodSecrets #TVDetective #1970sTV #ThenAndNow #WhoLovesYaBaby