Your other comment: Spenser for Hire is based on Robert Parker's novels. Bing research is often pretty good at answering questions like that.
Jesse Stone needed Tom Selleck. Selleck, in all three of his major characters, is so great at bringing out the complexities of his character.
Jesse Stone is wonderful. He's so self-aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He has such a strong concept of right vs wrong. He accepts people as they are. He doesn't blame anyone or anything else for his flaws. He's a problem solver. And he's imperfect. Credit also to the other characters. I don't think there have been more than a half dozen big-screen movies that have better than those Jesse Stone made-for-TV movies since they were first aired.
Kathy Baker does a great job in those Jesse Stone movies, too. I love her in anything. Her character really develops in the movies; not so much in the books.
I can’t believe all the TV, film and stage productions she’s been in! It’s fun to spot her in other crime TV shows. Loved the one where she was a CongressCritters wife having an affair with a VERY young man AND she was the murderess! (A ‘Law & Order’ episode, I think?)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000834/