DATE STAMPS

"I'm talking about the sweet sounds of springtime, and all you can relate to is this two-ton hunk of junk." (Partners)

also see, Timelines, also see, What Time is It?, also see, How Long? Time

While some dates are very clear and on the mark, some are very fluid. Many dot fit together, by airdate, by seasonality, by order on the DVDs and by common sense. The wall calendar date stamps are the most suspect.

However, each date stamp is some sort of little bit of clue and if nothing else, an illuminating careless set design.

Use at your own risk.

Visual, audible and speculation by context
• Starsky and Hutch collar Coley on March 17th, which in 1975, was a Monday. This means Zane and Canelli shot up the Torino on a Sunday night. (Pilot)
• It appears Starsky and Hutch come onto the Spenser case in late November or December. Two clues: Starsky talks of Beaujolais wine. It comes out the third Thursday of November. The guard sleeps in the car due to cold weather. (Heavyweight)
• Starsky and Hutch meet up with Colby on what seems to be a Friday. Hutch is having a party at his place. Colby has only the weekend in town and has to leave for Germany on Monday. (Deadly Imposter)
• Hutch mentions it is the middle of summer when he comments on the “snow” he and Starsky find in the shack. Trout Season in California appears to be the end of April until the middle of November. So, Hutch’s trout season clue doesn’t match his comment. (Snowstorm)
• Starsky and Hutch meet with Tallman in the steam room on a Tuesday, March 18th. He mentions that tomorrow is Wednesday’s trial. (Pilot)
• Don Widdicombe goes to see Pinky on a Friday, five days after the bust. (Blindfold)
• Huggy Bear gets in his mess with Dewey Hughes near the end of the year. “End of the Year Clearance Sale” is on a banner at Farn Street Automotive. (Kill Huggy Bear)
• Obviously this happens the end of December. It is mentioned it is a few days before Christmas. (Little Girl Lost)
• It is springtime. (Partners)
• Leo Moon escapes NOT in September. Douglas was killed right before September 8th, and Starsky comments he was killed "over a year ago." (Captain Dobey, You're Dead)
• Starsky carries a newspaper with the start of the Lockheed Strike as headlines, putting their hunt for Cunningham on or shortly after October 4, 1977. (Collector)
• in October, see Halloween card display at card shop (Groupie)
on either the 3rd or the 4th of the month, depending on the continuity error in the appointment book (Class in Crime)
• Henny and Sarah Wilson have their car stolen on a Sunday in October as per comments and title
• Harry Wheeling kills Elena on a Monday as per Starsky’s comment to Dobey about the diet, and Dobey’s comment about it being Thursday by the time phone tag is completed. (Velvet Jungle)
• Janice Drew is killed in a year Alex and Carl toast the Bicentennial. Officer McDermont is killed on a Wednesday. He has his daughter Wednesdays and every other Saturday and was going to pick her up from school that night. (Specialist)
• Emily is shot on a Sunday morning. While seen through a Minnesota filter, it could also be in the fall, as there is one scene of lots of leaves on the ground under a tree at the park. The Esquire magazine at the hospital behind Sharon is the February 1978 edition, with the cover “California vs. the U.S.A.” and has Governor Jerry Brown and President Jimmy Carter on it. This could be a current magazine, but seeing how it is in a hospital waiting room, could also be very old. In any case, Emily is shot at some point on a Sunday after February of 1978. (Blindfold)
• Jimmy Shannon’s body is found on a Wednesday. He was killed two days earlier. (Vendetta)
• Blaze comments, “It’s a new year…Year of the Dog” date stamping it as 1979. (Targets 2)
• Clayburn calls Oates to have McClellan killed, Starsky and Hutch rescue Allison on a Tuesday. (Targets 3)
• January 13, 1979 is the day Starsky tells Hutch of his inheritance. This is a Saturday. Episode aired on January 19, 1979, which is a nice touch. One odd thing though: Starsky is looking at “Fall” catalogs for cars. They must have been last Fall. Golden Angel)
• Webster follows Arlene home on a Tuesday, and he kills her on a Wednesday. (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• Bagley lures Starsky and Hutch to the barn sometime in December. Note the fake Christmas trees on the public street signs. It is also a Monday, as seen on Starsky’s watch. (Trap)
• Dan Slate’s license plate tabs are coming up due January 1979. (Strange Justice)
• There are 1977 calendars for sale on the wall of the Stardust Adult Bookstore. (Gillian)
• The first day of some hot month, according to the radio, is when John Blaine’s case takes off. (Death in a Different Place)
• Lancaster is going to leave for Hong Kong on a Saturday. (Sweet Revenge)
• Gunther’s shipping capacity will double in June, putting his assassination attempt on Starsky shortly before. This contradicts the wall calendar in the squad room, which shows September. (Sweet Revenge)
• The fur coats are stolen on a Sunday. (Groupie)
• According the arrest report, Artie Solkin was last arrested during a September. (Vendetta)
• Starsky and Hutch harass Amboy at Andre’s on a Tuesday. (Bust Amboy)
• Starsky buys tickets for Friday’s Springsteen concert. (Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• Doris signs her contract on October 20, 1978, which was a Friday. Her first payment, as per the contract, is due on Monday October 23, 1978. (Birds of a Feather)
• Starsky and Hutch hatch the Carlyle plot on Tuesday. They find the note that has the Sid meeting for tomorrow, which is a Wednesday. (Ninety Pounds of Trouble)
• There is a banner at the bowling alley informing bowlers about “Winter League.” (Gillian)
• “A week ago Monday” was the 14th. In 1975, this could be April or July. (Death Notice)
• The Coles are kidnapped during rhubarb season as per the advertisement seen at Von’s. It is also a Friday according to the radio. The waning or waxing moon is in couple of days. And it is near Christmas, as per the holiday decorations on the street signs. (Hostages))
• The cases start on a night with a full moon. (Vampire)
• Parkins vanishes on the 25th of month, two weeks ago. This puts Starsky and Hutch’s first day on the case about 11th of the next month. (Discomania)
• The vigilante case heats up for Starsky and Hutch near the beginning of March as per the event board at Dirty Nellie’s. Willits is shot on a Sunday, as per Starsky’s remark to Hutch after the phone call to Garner. (Committee)
• There is a flyer for a June or July event on Cameron’s office wall. Assuming he would take it down after it happened, it puts the Las Vegas case in the spring. (Las Vegas Strangler)
• Charlotte mentions the “All Saints Charity Ball” that night. This puts Starsky and Hutch’s visit to Playboy Island on November 1st. (Playboy Island)
• Jimmy Shannon has an LP cover or poster for Point Blank on his wall, which was released January 1, 1976. (Vendetta)
• Isaac Douglas was killed September 7th , the day before the September 8th March. The march was to advocate hiring more minorities. (Captain Dobey, You’re Dead)
• Three horror movies are seen on a marquee as Starsky and Hutch chase Nick Hunter. One of the movies is “Suspiria,” an Italian film with an American release date of August 12, 1977. (Death in a Different Place)
• There are red, green and white garlands wrapped around the pillars of Darcy’s Department Store, marking this time as near Christmas. (Iron Mike)
• Mrs. Walters, walking outside at night with Starsky, comments on how cold it is. (Manchild on the Streets)
• Harry invades the Kanen house on a Wednesday. Laura says it is the day Hutch works at County General. (Deckwatch)
• Joey Webster kills Arlene on a Tuesday. (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• Starsky and Hutch move in on the Nick Dombarris bust on a Saturday as per their comments. (Jojo)

Wall calendar date stamps, notoriously sloppy
• The hijacks with Kira happen in June, according to the wall calendar at Metro. (Starsky vs. Hutch)
• If we are to trust the calendar in Ted Banks’ dad’s apartment, Ted wears those shoes for the last time either in January 1976 or July 1976 (Terror On the Docks)
• The calendar in the squad room during Kate’s case is of April. (Cover Girl)
• The wall calendar in the squad room when Starsky gets coffee for Allison appears to be April. (Targets 3)
• The calendar in the squad room places Starsky and Hutch’s game of hide and seek as February. As for the day itself, Starsky and Hutch begin their game on a Friday, as per their comments in the locker room. (Game)
• As per the calendar behind Dobey’s back, Simon kidnaps Starsky in January. (Bloodbath)
• Monty Voorhees has a full year 1976 calendar on the wall behind him. (Bounty Hunter)
• The wall calendar in Dobey’s office puts Henny and Sarah’s terrorist plot in January. (Savage Sunday)
• There is a calendar on the wall in the squad room shows Februar, putting Starsky and Hutch’s adventures with Marcie Fletcher in that month. (Photo Finish)
• According to the wall calendar in the squad room, Nick comes to visit Starsky during April. (Starsky’s Brother)
• According to the wall calendar in the squad room, Harry Ashford kills his second and third victim in February. (Avenger)
• Hutch is shot during the month of April. (Black and Blue)
• According to the wall calendar in the squad room, Leslie Slate is raped in either April or July. (Strange Justice)
• Assuming 1978: Vanessa calls Hutch from the airport on either Wednesday the 22nd or Thursday the 23rd of either February, March or November, according to Hutch’s flip calendar on his desk. Both support it is chilly enough for her to be prancing about in a big fur coat. (Hutchinson for Murder One)
• Starsky’s kitchen wall calendar appears to be June, 1977. (Starsky vs. Hutch)