''CHiPs'' is an American
crime drama
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
television series created by
Rick Rosner
Richard Rosner (born c. 1941) is an American television producer best known for creating the television show ''CHiPs''.Staff report (September 15, 1977). CHiPs Debuts on NBC. He's also famous for being related to the one and only, Mark Rosner, ...
and originally aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays from May 8 to July 17, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
of the
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is the principal state police agency for the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary jurisdiction, including patrol and Criminal investigation, investigations, over all California Controlled-access highw ...
(CHP). The series ran for 139 episodes over six seasons, plus one reunion
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
in October 1998.
Overview
''CHiPs'' is an action crime drama in a standard hour-long time slot, which at the time required 48 minutes of actual programming. A signature of the show, especially in the later seasons, were frequent over-the-top freeway
pileups. For filming, traffic on Los Angeles freeways that were yet to be opened was non-existent and most chase scenes were done on the back roads.
The show was created by
Rick Rosner
Richard Rosner (born c. 1941) is an American television producer best known for creating the television show ''CHiPs''.Staff report (September 15, 1977). CHiPs Debuts on NBC. He's also famous for being related to the one and only, Mark Rosner, ...
, and starred
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...
as macho, rambunctious Officer Francis ("Frank") Llewellyn "Ponch" Poncherello and
Larry Wilcox
Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer (later captain) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the television series ''CHiPs'', which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A Vietnam vete ...
as his straitlaced partner, Officer Jonathan ("Jon") Andrew Baker. With Ponch the more trouble-prone of the pair, and Jon generally the more level-headed one trying to keep him out of trouble with the duo's gruff yet fatherly immediate supervisor Sergeant Joseph Getraer (
Robert Pine
Robert Pine (born Granville Whitelaw Pine; July 10, 1941) is an American actor. He is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series ''CHiPs'' (1977–1983). Including ''CHiPs'', Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of various tel ...
), the two were Highway Patrolmen of the Central Los Angeles office of the
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is the principal state police agency for the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary jurisdiction, including patrol and Criminal investigation, investigations, over all California Controlled-access highw ...
(CHP, hence the name ''CHiPs'').
As real-life CHP motor officers rarely ride in pairs, in early episodes this was explained away by placing the trouble-prone Ponch on probationary status with Jon assigned as his field training officer. Eventually, by the end of the first season, this subplot faded away (Ponch completed his probation) as audiences were used to seeing the two working as a team.
Cast
*
Larry Wilcox
Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer (later captain) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the television series ''CHiPs'', which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A Vietnam vete ...
as Officer/ Captain Jonathan "Jon" Andrew Baker (1977–1982, 1998)
*
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...
as Officer Francis "Frank Ponch" Poncherello
*
Robert Pine
Robert Pine (born Granville Whitelaw Pine; July 10, 1941) is an American actor. He is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series ''CHiPs'' (1977–1983). Including ''CHiPs'', Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of various tel ...
as Sergeant/Commissioner Joseph "Joe" Getraer
*
Lew Saunders as Officer Gene Fritz (1977–1979)
*
Brodie Greer as Officer Barry "Bear" Baricza (1977–1982)
*
Paul Linke
Paul Linke (born May 6, 1948) is an American actor, known for his role as Officer Arthur "Artie" Grossman in the television series ''CHiPs''. Linke has worked in film and extensively in television, mostly portraying mild-mannered everyman role ...
as Officer/Detective Arthur "Artie Grossie" Grossman
*
Lou Wagner
Lou Wagner (born August 19, 1940) is an American actor. Wagner started out as an actor in his teens, notably appearing in Jack Webb's revival series, '' Dragnet 1967'' several times (in different roles), and the hugely-successful ''Airport'' as ...
as Harlan Arliss, Automobile/Motorcycle Mechanic, CHP (1978–1983)
*
Brianne Leary as Officer Sindy Cahill (1978–1979)
*
Randi Oakes as Officer Bonnie Clark (1979–1982)
*
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon character Worf in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1 ...
as Officer Jebediah Turner (1979–1982)
*
Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner, October 28, 1949), formerly known as Bruce Jenner, is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.
Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yell ...
(credited as Bruce Jenner) as Officer Steve McLeish (1981–1982)
*
Tom Reilly as Officer Robert "Bobby Hot Dog" Nelson (1982–1983)
* Tina Gayle as Officer Kathy Linahan (1982–1983)
*
Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Hea ...
as Cadet / Officer/ Sergeant Bruce Nelson (1982–1983, 1998)
*
Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Officer Benjamin Webster (1982–1983)
Cast changes
In the fifth season (1981–82), Estrada went on
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
*Strike (surname)
* Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
* Airstrike, ...
over a dispute over syndication profits. As a result, he did not appear in three episodes; for that period he was replaced by Bruce Jenner (Officer Steve McLeish).
Despite their successful pairing on-screen, Wilcox and Estrada did not always get along behind the camera. Wilcox fell out with the producers over what he saw as continual favoritism toward Estrada, and did not return for the sixth and final season. Wilcox was replaced by
Tom Reilly (Officer Bobby Nelson).
Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Hea ...
, a native of
Balboa Island, Newport Beach
Balboa Island is a harborside community in Newport Beach, California, accessible to the public via bridge, ferry and several public docks. The community is surrounded by a paved concrete boardwalk open to pedestrian traffic.
Balboa Island's ...
, and a
motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
rider who had won the
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
and
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest-ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world, run under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The first official championsh ...
s, was also introduced as cadet–probationary officer Bruce Nelson, Bobby's younger brother in 1982–83. The season 6 episode "Speedway Fever" (aired November 7, 1982) centered on Penhall's character Nelson winning the 1982 Speedway World Final at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...
, with scenes filmed in the pits during the meeting. The episode also used television coverage of the final, with dubbed commentary. Penhall later admitted that having a bodyguard and having to have makeup done in the pits in full view of his competitors at the World Final only added to the pressure he was under both as a rider and a rookie actor and that it felt weird having to "buddy up to Ponch" in front of the other riders while the World Final was taking place. In order to become a full-time member of the ''CHiPs'' cast, Penhall had officially announced his retirement from speedway racing on the podium of the 1982 World Final.
Production
According to a 1998 ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' article, show creator Rick Rosner was a reserve deputy with the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
. During a coffee break on an evening patrol shift in the mid-1970s he saw two young CHP officers on motorcycles which gave him the idea for this series. He later created ''
240-Robert
''240-Robert'' is an American drama television series that ran on ABC from August 28, 1979, to March 21, 1981. The series title is a reference to the call-sign designation for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's search and rescue/paramedic tea ...
'', which seemed like a hybrid of ''CHiPs'' and ''
Emergency!
''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...
''. Episodes occasionally mention Jon Baker's service in
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. This makes his character one of the earliest regular (and one of the more positive) portrayals of a
Vietnam veteran
A Vietnam veteran is an individual who performed active Army, ground, Navy, naval, or Air force, air service in the South Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed fo ...
on television. Larry Wilcox himself served 13 months in Vietnam as a
Marine artilleryman.
Production made use of freeways in the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
area that had been recently completed but were not yet opened to the public. For season 1, the intersection of
Interstate 210 and
California State Route 2
State Route 2 (SR 2) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects the Los Angeles Basin with the San Gabriel Mountains and the Victor Valley in the Mojave Desert. The highway's southwestern end is at the intersection of ...
in
La Canada Flintridge was used often (along with a short stretch of Highway 2). For season 2, a section of
Interstate 210 five miles to the west in
La Crescenta, California
La Crescenta-Montrose () is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The community is bordered by Glendale, California, Glendale to the south and west, La Cañada Flintridge, California, La Cañada Flintridge to ...
, was used, until it too was opened to the public. For seasons 5, the filming location was moved another 10miles to the west, to the intersection of the
Interstate 210 and
California State Route 118
State Route 118 (SR 118) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs west to east through Ventura and Los Angeles counties. It travels from State Route 126 at the eastern edge of Ventura immediately northwest of Saticoy, the ...
in
Sylmar, California
Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and the northernmost neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past t ...
. When that section of freeway was finally opened, production shifted again to a short section of the 710 Long Beach Freeway in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, as well as a long stretch of Pershing Drive, near
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
. The only time production moved out of Los Angeles was for the episode ''Drive, Lady, Drive'' and used the
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as Riverside, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Riversid ...
in
Moreno Valley for the racing scenes.
Motor officers in ''CHiPs'' rode
Kawasaki Z1-P and
Z900-C2 police motorcycles in seasons 1 and 2, and
KZ1000-C1 motorcycles from season 3 onwards. Despite the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
's credit as a vehicle provider for four of the series' six seasons, cars and trucks were supplied by several manufacturers. All police cars were made by specifically 1974 and 1978
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco is an automobile that was marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation. Introduced as the flagship of the Dodge product line, the Monaco was introduced for the 1965 model year to replace the Custom 880, then later joined ...
as they were actual CHP cruisers bought at police auction for the show. In the third-season episode, ''Hot Wheels'' (episode 8) the show featured
AMC Matador
The AMC Matador is a series of mid- and full-size automobiles produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1971 through 1978 model years. Initially positioned as a mid-size family car, the Matador spanned two distinct generations: the fir ...
police cars in a one-off appearance.
Wilcox and Estrada did a great deal of their own motorcycle riding and performed many smaller stunts themselves, though doubles were used for far-off shots and various stunt or action sequences. Although Wilcox emerged relatively injury-free, Estrada suffered various injuries several times throughout the run of the series. In several early first-season episodes, a huge bruise or scab can be seen on his arm after he was flung from one of the motorcycles and skidded along the ground. His worst accident came when he was seriously injured while filming a season three episode in August 1979, fracturing several ribs and breaking both wrists. The accident and Estrada's subsequent hospitalization was incorporated into the series' storyline. Estrada had no experience with motorcycles prior to being cast in ''CHiPs'', and underwent an intensive eight-week course learning how to ride. In 2007 it was revealed that he did not hold a motorcycle license at the time ''CHiPs'' was in production, and only qualified for a license after three attempts while preparing for an appearance on the reality television show ''Back to the Grind''.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
aired reruns of this series on its 1982 daytime schedule from April 26 to September 10. During the original run of the series, syndicated
rerun
A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. The two types of reruns are those that occur during a hiatus and those that occur when a program is syndicated.
Variations
In the United Kingdom, the word "repe ...
s of older episodes were retitled ''CHiPs Patrol'' to avoid confusion. Later syndicated reruns after the show went out of production reverted to the original title.
Episodes
''CHiPs'' episodes were usually a combination of light comedy and drama. A typical episode would start with Ponch and Jon on routine patrol or being assigned to an interesting beat, such as
Malibu or the
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...
. In roll call briefing, Sgt. Getraer would alert his officers to be on the lookout for a particular criminal operation, such as people staging accidents as part of an insurance scam, or punks breaking into cars. A few interesting, unrelated
vignettes often transpired during "routine" traffic enforcement.
A light-hearted subplot would also be included, such as Harlan trying to hide a stray dog from Getraer at the office. A more serious theme, such as Ponch trying to keep a kid from his old neighborhood out of a potential life of crime, might also be included. After a few failed attempts to apprehend the gang that had been menacing L.A.'s freeways, the episode would invariably culminate in Ponch and Jon leading a chase of the suspects (often assisted by other members of their division), climaxing with a spectacular series of stunt vehicle crashes.
The show then typically featured a ''
dénouement
A story structure, narrative structure, or dramatic structure (also known as a dramaturgical structure) is the structure of a dramatic work such as a book, play, or film. There are different kinds of narrative structures worldwide, which have be ...
'' of Ponch and Jon participating in a new activity (such as
jet skiing
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called Jet Ski or water scooter, is a primarily recreational watercraft that is designed to hold only a small number of occupants, who sit or stand on top of the craft, not within the craft as in a boat.
P ...
or
skydiving
Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes.
For hu ...
), designed to showcase the pair's glamorous
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
lifestyle. Often, Ponch would attempt to impress a woman he had met during the episode with his athletic prowess or disco dancing, only to fail and provide Jon, Getraer, and others with many laughs. As the preliminary end credits would start, the image would freeze multiple times, showing various characters laughing or otherwise enjoying the social scene.
Broadcast history
''(all times Eastern/Pacific Time; subtract one hour for Central/Mountain Time)''
* September 1977 – March 1978: NBC Thursday, 8–9PM
* April 1978: NBC Saturday, 8–9PM
* May – August 1978: NBC Thursday, 8–9PM
* September 1978 – March 1980: NBC Saturday, 8–9PM
* March 1980 – March 1983: NBC Sunday, 8–9PM
* April – May 1983: NBC Sunday, 7–8PM
* May – July 1983: NBC Sunday, 8–9PM
NBC aired reruns of the series weekdays at 3PM EST between April 26, 1982 and September 10, 1982.
In the United Kingdom, the series was broadcast by
ITV but was not screened nationally. The series started in January 1979 in the London region, but began with season two (the first episode shown was episode 2x02 "The Volunteers") by February most other
ITV regions originally screened in the Saturday teatime slot around 17:35 but moved to the Sunday teatime slot in 1980. By 1981, as with many imported programmes of the era, the series was being broadcast at different times during the weekend throughout the year by the different ITV regions. The series shared its Saturday teatime slot with other series such as ''
The A-Team
''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...
'',
''Knight Rider'', ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...
'', and
''Whiz Kids''. During 1984, most ITV stations continued with the Saturday teatime slot except for
Anglia Television
ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated b ...
,
Scottish Television
Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchisee for Central Belt, Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation si ...
(STV) and
Television South West
Television South West (TSW) was the ITV (TV network), ITV franchise holder for the South West England region from 1 January 1982 until 31 December 1992, broadcasting from studios at Derry's Cross in Plymouth, Devon.
History
Origins and Launc ...
(TSW), who broadcast episodes during the weekend mornings or Sunday afternoons. By early 1985, the series was being broadcast during Saturday mornings by Anglia,
Central,
Grampian
Grampian () was one of nine local government regions of Scotland. It was created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and took its name from the Grampian Mountains. The regional council was based in Aberdeen.
The region was abol ...
,
Granada
Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
, STV and
Tyne Tees. In other regions it had a Saturday lunchtime slot of 13:20 where, from September 1985, it rotated the slot with episodes of ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series. It centers on a high-technology attack helicopter, code-named '' Airwolf'', and its crew. They undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War the ...
''. Most ITV areas completed the series by 1986, while
LWT,
TVS, and
TSW finished series six in 1987 after starting in 1985. A few companies repeated the series in 1987.
The entire series was shown in New Zealand on
TVNZ
Television New Zealand (, "Te Reo Tātaki" meaning "The Leading Voice"),
more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a New Zealand state-owned media company and Crown entity. The company operates a television network, streaming service, and news se ...
from 1978. The Seven Network broadcast the series in Australia in its entirety, with one episode per week and usually in the prime 7.30PM timeslot.
The show aired on
MeTV
MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television progra ...
from December 19, 2013 to May 26, 2017. The show currently airs on
Charge!.
Home media
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...
released the first two seasons of ''CHiPs'' on DVD in Regions 1, 2, and 4 between 2007 and 2008. On March 3, 2015 (over six years later), the third season was released on DVD in Region 1. The fourth season was released in Region 1 on March 15, 2016.
The fifth season was released in Region 1 on March 14, 2017.
The sixth season and the complete series were released in Region 1 on June 6, 2017.
All 139 episodes are at the
iTunes Store.
Other media
''CHiPs '99''
''CHiPs '99'' is a 1998 American
made-for-television
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
and a
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to the series. It was directed by
Jon Cassar
John Francis "Jon" Cassar (born 27 April 1958) is a Maltese-Canadian television director and producer, known for his work on the first seven seasons of '' 24''. In 2006, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Seri ...
. Several cast members from the original series reprise their roles. Original cast with promotions were Jon Baker as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
and Joe Getraer as the
CHP Commissioner. Other original cast members were Officer Frank Poncherello returning from a 15-year hiatus from the CHP, Officer Barry Baricza and Arthur (Artie) "Grossie" Grossman as a Detective. Bruce Penhall also returns as newly promoted Sergeant Bruce Nelson.
*
Larry Wilcox
Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer (later captain) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the television series ''CHiPs'', which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A Vietnam vete ...
as Captain Jonathan "Jon" A. Baker
*
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...
as Officer Francis Llewelyn "Frank Ponch" Poncherello
*
Robert Pine
Robert Pine (born Granville Whitelaw Pine; July 10, 1941) is an American actor. He is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series ''CHiPs'' (1977–1983). Including ''CHiPs'', Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of various tel ...
as CHP Commissioner Joseph "Joe" Getraer
*
Paul Korver
Paul Korver (born November 18, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, filmmaker, and producer, who currently resides in Los Angeles. After working as an actor in his twenties, in 2002 he turned to cinematography, founding Fifty Foot Films and late ...
as Officer Peter Roulette
*
David Ramsey
David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', and ''Batwoman'' as John Diggle / Spartan, portraying Diggle and Bass Reeves i ...
as Officer Sergeant McFall
*
Brodie Greer as Officer Barry "Bear" Baricza
*
Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Hea ...
as Officer/Sergeant Bruce Nelson
*
Paul Linke
Paul Linke (born May 6, 1948) is an American actor, known for his role as Officer Arthur "Artie" Grossman in the television series ''CHiPs''. Linke has worked in film and extensively in television, mostly portraying mild-mannered everyman role ...
as Detective Arthur "Artie Grossie" Grossman
*
Claudette Mink
Claudette Mink (born April 4, 1971) is a Canadians, Canadian former actress.
Education
She is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School."First Mate doesn't coast through The Guard; Strong script drew Claudette Mink to character" by Rosalind Duane ...
as Monica
*
Judge Judy Sheindlin
Judith Susan Sheindlin ( Blum; born October 21, 1942), also known as Judge Judy, is an American attorney, jurist, court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge.
For 25 seas ...
as Herself
Feature film
A film remake was released on March 24, 2017, with
Dax Shepard
Dax Randall Shepard (born January 2, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and podcaster. Since 2018, he has hosted '' Armchair Expert'', a podcast in which he interviews celebrities, journalists, and academics about their lives.
Shepa ...
co-producing with Andrew Panay, writing, directing and starring as Officer Jon Baker,
Michael Peña
Michael Peña (; ; born January 13, 1976) is an American actor. He has starred in many films, including '' Crash'' (2004), '' World Trade Center'' (2006), '' Shooter'' (2007), '' Observe and Report'' (2009), '' Tower Heist'' (2011), '' Battle: L ...
as Frank "Ponch" Poncherello and
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
His roles include Private Leona ...
as the film's villain.
Merchandise
A series of 8 inch and 3 inch action figures was released by
Mego in the late 1970s. Due to the materials used to construct the figures, many of them have discolored (typically turning green) or started to decompose over the years, making good conditioned examples quite hard to find on the collectors market. There was also a series of six die-cast model vehicles produced by Imperial Toys.
In the UK, as was common with many popular US series of the era, a series of tie-in
annuals were produced by World International Publishing Ltd, containing stories, photos, puzzles and features on the stars. There are four annuals in total, one each for 1980–83. . A comic strip adaptation was drawn by
Jim Baikie
James George Baikie (; 28 February 1940 – 29 December 2017) was a Scottish comics artist best known for his work with Alan Moore on '' Skizz''. He was also a musician.
Biography
Baikie served as a Corporal with the Royal Air Force in 1956–19 ...
for ''
Look-In
''Look-in'' was a children's magazine centred on ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior '' TVTimes''". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994.soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
was released on CD by Turner Classic Movies' music division via
Film Score Monthly
''Film Score Monthly'' is an online magazine (and former print magazine) founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as ''The Soundtrack Correspondence List''. It is dedicated to the art of film and television sc ...
, featuring the original recordings of the main theme by John Parker (Parker's theme replaced an unused composition by
Mike Post
Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil; September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his television theme music for various shows, including '' The White Shadow''; ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Tea ...
and
Pete Carpenter
Clarence Edward "Pete" Carpenter (April 1, 1914 – October 18, 1987) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and veteran of television theme music sheet music. After a long career playing the trombone in bands and as a studio musician, Carp ...
, who scored the pilot) and in-episode musical scores from many episodes of the second season, as composed and conducted by
Alan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and music producer of film scores. He has received two Grammy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two ...
, the series' primary (and from seasons three to five sole) composer until the final season. Silvestri also arranged the theme as heard from season two onwards, and it is this version that is heard herethe soundtrack album also includes the "Trick or Treat" score composed and conducted by
Bruce Broughton
Bruce Harold Broughton (born March 8, 1945) is an American orchestral composer of television, film, and video game scores and concert works. He has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career and has contributed many ...
, his only work for the series.
[Liner notes, ''CHiPs: Season Two 1978-79'', ]Film Score Monthly
''Film Score Monthly'' is an online magazine (and former print magazine) founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as ''The Soundtrack Correspondence List''. It is dedicated to the art of film and television sc ...
, FSM0910 In 2008, music from the third season was released; an album of music from the fourth season followed in 2010.
References
External links
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''CHiPs'' Online wiki
{{Authority control
1970s American crime drama television series
1977 American television series debuts
1980s American crime drama television series
1983 American television series endings
American English-language television shows
California Highway Patrol
Motorcycle television series
NBC crime dramas
Television series by MGM Television
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Television shows adapted into comics
Television shows adapted into films
Television shows set in Los Angeles