Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a six-part American TV show released in 1982. Created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. The trio is well known for the movie Airplane!
The Show
Mainly based on Lee Marvin’s show, M Squad, it was however a mashup of various television shows. The show was canceled after six episodes but nevertheless spawned The Naked Guns films from 1988.
The TV Guide ranked the production at number 17 of 60 TV shows that were canceled too soon. At the end of each episode, the credits ran while the actors stood around, doing silly things, like watching a convict escape and a chimpanzee throwing paper around, etc.
Leslie Nielsen played the role of Detective Frank Drebin. The Canadian actor was famous for his role in wordplay and sight gags. Nielsen died on 28 November 2010. He appeared in more than 100 films and 150 TV shows.
The comedy show was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1982. One for Nielsen as Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, and one for Outstanding Writing in a comedy series.
The Cast
- Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin
- Alan North as Captain Ed Hocken
- Peter Lupus as Officer Norberg
- Ed Williams as Ted Olson, Scientist
- William Duell as Johnny the Snitch
- Ronald “Tiny Ron” Taylor as Al
Police Squad! Episodes (Youtube)
- A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)
- Ring Of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment)
- Rendezvous At Big Gulch (Terror In The Neighborhood)
- Revenge And Remorse (The Guilty Alibi)
- The Butler Did It (A Bird In The Hand)
- Testimony Of Evil (Dead Men Don’t Laugh)