Ten (well, technically 11) Starsky & Hutch fanvids you need to watch right now
OK, so I really should make this list like 50 vids, or maybe 100, but in the interest of efficiency, I’ll keep it to 10 (well, okay – 11, since True Love has 2 parts). Most of these are songvids, with the exception of the blooper reel.
You can read about the history of S&H songvids here on Fanlore.
There are soooo many S&H vids to choose from that it was almost impossible to narrow it down to just ten. Which is why I also included a bonus list 😁.
I also have a list of recommended vids on my Vid Recs page, which in addition to vids that are posted on YouTube, also includes links to S&H vids that are hosted on Vimeo, the Internet Archive, and self-hosted sites.
To see even more S&H vids, head over to my S&H playlist on YouTube where I’ve compiled more than 500 vids and counting.
Ready? Here we go:
1. The infamous Starsky & Hutch blooper reel – Warning-NSFW! Made for the 4th season wrap party and shown only to the cast and crew, it was never intended to be seen by fans. It was supposed to have been destroyed after the party, but some enterprising crew member grabbed it out of the trash, and fortunately, the contents hadn’t been fully erased. Unfortunately, only a little more than 4 minutes survives (out of the original 20 minutes), and it’s very grainy, but we’re soooo blessed to have it. It’s chock full of cursing, kissing, simulated fellatio, and more. See if you can guess which episode each outtake is from. This vid is NOT part of the official DVDs. For years, a copy of the videotape was passed around by fans until it was eventually digitized and posted on the Internet by kassidyrae.
2. Discovery Channel by Flamingo – this classic, hilarious S&H slash vid was made in 2000 with 2 VCR decks and VHS clips and premiered at the ConneXions 2000 vid show where it got a standing ovation. From the beak of Mama Bird herself, “No computers were used (or abused) in the making of this vid. It took 6 weeks to find all the animal clips, and ironically, none of them came from the Discovery Channel.” Probably the greatest Starsky & Hutch fanvid ever made, you can read more about this vid on its Fanlore page.
3. If I Had a Million dollars by Moondroplette. Song by Barenaked Ladies. I just adore this vid, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. The link will take you to a page containing several older S&H vids which aren’t on YouTube. To watch this classic vid, you’ll have to download the .wmv file (Windows Media file, 33MB). This vid premiered at SHareCon 2006. My favorite part is the “Picasso” and the “Garfunkel.”
4. I Hope You Dance by kat-byrd – this beautiful, romantic love story set to music by Lee Ann Womack is interspersed with Mortmere’s brilliant artwork and is NSFW (Not Safe for Work) as some of the artwork is sexually explicit (for which we are eternally grateful). To see the full artwork in all its glory, see Mortmere‘s page on AO3.
5. Take Me The Way I Am by AncastaR – this vid brings a smile to my face whenever I watch it, while melting my heart at the same time. This is the vid that has the guys sharing the orange sweater and the line, “I love you more than I could ever promise.” There’s lots of Starsky & Hutch smiles, too.
6. True Love, Part 1 and True Love, Part 2 by Amber Raine, music by P!nk. Starsky & Hutch love each other. And hate each other. And love each other. And it’s hilarious and adorable. And these two vids are just the tip of the iceberg of what you’ll find at Amber Raine’s website, including some of my favorite S&H vids: the adorable What Makes You Beautiful, vids with all the feels: Bigger than Us and Bonfire Hearts, and the absolutely heartbreaking constructed reality vid Say Something. Aaaand now I’ve gone way over 10 vids on this list 😁.
7. Living on the Edge by TM Songvids– Starsky and Hutch question what they do and if they have enough control to do it. This vid was shown to David and Paul on a big screen at Surcon 2014. How cool is that? TM has so many vids it was hard to choose which one to include here, but have a look at TM’s entire catalog on YouTube and Vimeo.
8. Still the One by Laura McEwan – This humorous slash vid which premiered at SHareCon 2008 was third place at the 2008 Torino Awards and winner of the 2018 Marian Kelly award at SHareCon 2018. Read more about the vid here on its Fanlore page.
9. Time by Zebra3Girl – This poignant vid has scenes from every episode in order, each one showcasing S&H’s unique friendship. The stirring theme music by Hans Zimmer adds to the feels.
10. Hey Na Na by autumnburn – This is my go-to happy vid! In fact, I’m probably listening to it right now! This fun fan video won the “2021 Marian Kelly Best Vid” award at Virtual SHareCon 2021. Grab your dancing shoes for this one!
Bonus vids (because like I said, I couldn’t stop myself at just 10):
What Would I Do Without You by luvthatblueeyedSoul – it was difficult to choose which vid to include from luvthatblueeyedSoul’s extensive list of vids that she’s made over the years, but I decided on this beautiful, romantic, hurt/comfort one with scenes told from each of the guys’ perspectives. What would Starsky & Hutch do without each other? The song answers that question: “I will never make it if I’m on my own.” You can see luvthatblueeyedSoul’s entire vid catalog here.
Something to Talk About by Laura McEwan (raynebow68) – there’s a reason Starsky & Hutch is known as the “gay cops” show. Read about the history of the vid here.
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Luvzebra3 – a great example of how there’s an S&H clip to go with any song lyric, even the line “And if I grow old, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who’s growing old with you” using a clip of David and Paul from the 2004 movie.
The 2004 interview where Paul and David joke about and acknowledge the homoeroticism in the show, starting at around 6:26. The interviewer mentions how people have talked about the homoerotic streak in the show. Paul laughs and says “Yes, that was where I thought you were going” and then David says, laughing, “I don’t know where anybody gets THAT idea, huh Paulie?” while he SQUEEZES Paul’s thigh.
The 1978 Photoplay awards where S&H executive producer Aaron Spelling (along with S&H Executive Producer Leonard Goldberg) talks about how they didn’t want to do just another cop show, but a show “where two men can care and love each other…we want to thank Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul for doing exactly that, and you the viewing audience for accepting it.”
1976 People’s Choice Awards – the one where David talks about how Starsky & Hutch could be anything.
The Genuine Hutchinson Original by Thandie777 – a hilarious 6 minute, 46 second compilation of Starsky and Merl the Earl making fun of Hutch’s car, the horn going off whenever the driver’s side door is opened, Starsky saying “cah” multiple times, Hutch looking adorably annoyed, and more.
Eating Habits: lion vs hyppopotamus by Thandie777– a compilation of slashy scenes showcasing just how often the guys like to share each other’s food.
Classic by AncastaR – the vid that pimps all that is wonderful about Starsky & Hutch using clips from the show and quotes from various magazine and newspaper articles which talk about the chemistry between the guys, such as this quote from the New York Times: “the glorious love between two partners who couldn’t help but strip down regularly and wrestle like puppies.”