In addition to spawning the popular Naked Gun movie franchise, Police Squad! had a lasting impact on TV comedy, and it's still a guilty pleasure. Hot from the success of Airplane! two years earlier, the ZAZ team (brothers David and Jerry Zucker and writing partner Jim Abrahams) decided to spoof TV cop shows, using the late '50s Lee Marvin series M Squad and the popular series format of Quinn Martin Productions (e.g., The Streets of San Francisco) as their template for supremely silly, gag-laden satire. With Airplane! star Leslie Nielsen as straight-faced detective Frank Drebin and Alan North as Drebin's befuddled boss, Capt. Ed Hocken, this half-hour series quickly established an irresistible combination of nonstop sight gags, non sequiturs, and repeated routines ("Cigarette?" "Yes, it is") that dared viewers to pay close attention or miss the laughs if they didn't. Ironically, this very quality--you had to actually watch the show instead of casually listening for punchlines--is what ultimately sealed the series' fate. After only six poorly rated episodes, Police Squad! was canceled without fanfare, and six years passed before Drebin returned as the bumbling hero of The Naked Gun.

In addition to the rib-tickling disparity between onscreen episode titles and narrated titles, and "special guest stars" (including William Shatner, Robert Goulet, Lorne Greene, and others) who get killed in the opening credits, loyal viewers could count on a weekly dose of hilarity from Nielsen, North, and their supporting players. Character actor William Duell appeared each week as shoeshine boy "Johnny the Snitch," capable of answering literally any question if you repeatedly greased his palm (a gag that led to info-seeking cameo appearances by Dick Clark, Dr. Joyce Brothers, baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, and others). And while original Mission: Impossible costar Peter Lupus poked fun at himself as the dim-witted Det. Norberg (later played by O.J. Simpson in the Naked Gun movies), Ed Williams--an actual high school science teacher--is hilarious as "Mr. Wizard"-like lab technician Ted Olson, who dispenses dubious science lessons to unsuspecting children. The fast-paced barrage of humour guaranteed that every episode would deliver as many hits as misses, and while some of the jokes have lost their punch, Police Squad! still delivers the belly-laughs... and always will, as long as humans have an appetite for shameless stupidity. --Jeff Shannon

Slight correction to MarmiteMan's review. Police Squad was shown on TV long before 1989, I beleive 1983. I finished school in 1983 and remember 'discussing' it at school. I believe that ITV (it may have just been local ITV in Hampshire)showed it in the early evening.

Ironic that it got cancelled then. This was because 'you had to watch it to understand it', obviously they never watched 'Lost' then cause i don't bloody understand that even now. This type of humour can't help but raise smiles and can get better everytime you view it due to noticing things you didn't see the first time. American comedy for me can sometimes just be rubbish but this is a definate exception, this is laugh out loud stuff which really was meant for the movie screen. This is certainly reflected in The Naked Gun Trilogy (well 1 and 2 1/2 anyway), so is highly recommended.

cant believe there was only 6 in the series.and the outtakes are even worse.a rare thing something from the u.s. that is funny.loved it then and now

Ah yes, I remember it well. Remember first seeing them, remember where I was, remember what I was doing, and remember whom I was not doing it with/to [sigh]. Produced by ABC, the series saw its first US transmission on 4 March, 1982, but I believe its first UK transmission was in 1989 on BBC2, late-evening.

"My name is Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective-Lieutenant, Police Squad, a special division of the Police Department"

Forget done-to-death POLICE ACADEMY, this is the best police drama spoof ever! Yes, you may now have guessed it, I refer to POLICE SQUAD (in colour), that marvellous creation of David and Jerry Zucker with Jim Abrahams, who gave us other classics such as AIRPLANE! and, of course, THE NAKED GUN series - which fans may recall of its subtitle comes "from the files of Police Squad."

Which is the original, featuring Leslie Nielsen parodying his previous 'serious' cop series THE PROTECTORS and THE NEW BREED, delivering puns and non-sequiteurs whilst playing it straight amid an avalanche of sight and sound gags. He had recently done deadpan comedy in AIRPLANE! but in POLICE SQUAD (in colour) he found his niche. The opening credits always featured Drebin, his boss Ed Hocken (Alan North) and Abraham Lincoln (Rex Hamilton) confidently returning fire following an ambush by assailants unknown, and "tonight's guest star" suffering some spectacular death, often after they, too, had confidently returned fire during an ambush. Drebin is then seen in his car, with deliberately-awful backdrops, introducing the flavour of the episode. "I'd just come from the stockyards. We'd gotten reports of hundreds of cows had been senselessly slaughtered in the area, but I couldn't find any evidence. I stopped off for a hamburger and checked in with headquarters. My boss was already there."

There were three regular supports in the series. There was Nordberg (played by Peter Lupus - strongman Willy Armitage in the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE TV series) but who became O.J. Simpson in THE NAKED GUN. There was 'Dr. Olson' in the lab, who was slightly sinister, if not seedy as he explained some physical or chemical procedure to some wide-eyed pre-teen kid amazed to be at the police station ("Run along Jenny, and next week I'll show you why women can't play professional football."). He featured only once in THE NAKED GUN, much toned-down. By my favourite character did not: Johnny the Snitch, who - for a consideration - always has the word-on-the-street, but also advises genuine professionals on tricky technical procedures, eg. Dr. Joyce Brothers (noted psychologist), Dick Clark (noted TV presenter), Tommy Lasorda (celebrated coach of the L.A. Dodgers), et al.

The TV series POLICE SQUAD (in colour) received two Emmy nominations (Nielsen as lead comedy actor and Zucker, Zucker & Abrahams as series writers, 1982), and a Satellite Nomination (best DVD release of a TV show, 2006). Incredibly, however - and I quote from Cult, the strip that used to run down the edge of the Radio Times - "ABC cancelled Police Squad after six programmes, reportedly because it required above-average concentration from US viewers." [am folding it up again, and it's going back in the wallet] Well, we love hearing that of Americans, of course, however unfair, but this apparent 'shortcoming' was elaborated upon during the interview with Leslie Nielsen. It was due to screen size: whilst Nielsen and North were being deadpan in the foreground, both around and behind them there was too much going on for most viewers to follow on a small television screen. So several years later they expanded the format and made THE NAKED GUN. And the rest, as they say, is expenses!

And now finally available on DVD: POLICE SQUAD (in colour) THE COMPLETE SERIES. A single disc, all six classic episodes are backed-up by a great Special Features list: the above-mentioned Leslie Nielsen Interview, "Behind The Freeze Frames" Featurette, Gag Reel (what we call out-takes!), Casting Test - Alan North, Casting Test - Ed Williams, Producers' Photo Gallery Of Scenery Sets And Props, List Of Celebrity Death Shots and Production Memo Highlights. Don't understand why it is rated 15, though; am pretty sure the British censor would rate it 12A or even PG.

POLICE SQUAD, THE COMPLETE SERIES (did I mention it's in colour?) - RECOMMENDED!

one of the funniest things i have seen in a long time. I am not sure why it is a 15 though????