One Adam-12, a 415 fight, group with chains and knives.
-Opening lines of Adam-12
One of the things I am doing while I've away is watching episodes of the old television show Adam-12 on Hulu. Hulu is an free Internet video provider owned by the NBC broadcast network. The catch is that you have to sit through some commercials. Not only do they have current television shows but older one like Adam-12.
Adam-12 is a cop show that ran on American television in the late 1960's early 1970's and followed the daily work lives of two Los Angeles patrol officers. One, Officer Pete Malloy, was a seven year veteran of the force while the other, Office Jim Reed, is a newbie. Since this was a Jack Webb production it was very pro-cop and reflected Webb's obsession with portraying exact police procedure; just like he had done in his previous TV show, Dragnet.
In all of Jack Webb's shows he made no attempt to hide his scorn for anyone who did not see the world in black and white, right or wrong terms. His contempt for the hippies of the time produced laughable cartoon characters on screen. His rabid hatred of drug use veered very close to Reefer Madness histrionics on his part. Marijuana use is as heinous as heroin use in Webbland.
The main attraction of this show for me is waiting to see who is going to pop up on the screen next. Hey, isn't that Jodie Foster! Hey, isn't that Eddie from The Munsters? Hey, isn't that Grandma Walton? Hey, isn't that Greg from The Brady Bunch? Hey, isn't that the great supporting actress Juanita Moore?
What is great about Hulu is that all four seasons of Adam-12 are available for viewing. That will keep me busy for awhile.
Watch episodes of Adam-12 here.
Find a good book about Jack Webb and his television shows and movies here.
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