During troubled times like we’re all going through not they
say that laughter is the best medicine. I can attest to that statement. I’ve
just sat through the complete series of POLICE SQUAD. There were moments when I
had to pause the disc I was laughing so hard and others where I had to back up
to catch one of the multiple jokes on screen at the same time. You’ve never
heard of POLICE SQUAD?
That’s not a big surprise. Airing on ABC in 1982 (38 years
ago!) the series found itself shifted from one day to another airing only 6
episodes before it was canceled due to the fact “no one was watching it”.
That’s difficult to do when the day it was on switched three times at least. Then
years later, like the other show no one was watching called STAR TREK, the
series found new life on the big screen with three films called NAKED GUN: FROM
THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD. Now it comes back doesn’t it?
Created by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker fresh
from their hits KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE and AIRPLANE, the series used the same
zany comedy found in those items. Double entendre, sight gags, running gags and
more could be found in each and every episode. Some were at the forefront of what
was taking place while others were happening in the background, on signs and
more.
Leslie Nielsen, thought of as a serious actor for years,
found a new career in comedy as Det. Frank Drebin. The series took on the
format of the then well-known series created by Quinn Martin by introducing the
cast and a weekly guest star followed by the title of the episode. Except here
the guest star was always killed during the credits never to show again and the
title on screen never matched what the announcer said.
Describing what transpired in each episode is difficult to
do without ruining the chance to see it for yourself. So here are just a few
tidbits that won’t spoil much. Chalk outlines in one episode are Egyptian
hieroglyphics. A stretcher being carried out the door behind Drebin and his
boss Capt. Ed Hocken (Alan North) goes out the door the entire time their
talking, making the stretcher about 20 feet long. You get the point?
In addition to the sight gags like this another running gag
perhaps overused is when Drebin is interrogating a suspect. Pulling out a pack
from his pocket he taps it and offers them the contents saying “Cigarette?” to
which they always reply “Yes, it is”. The fast patter talking back and forth
like this and more is reminiscent of the classic Who’s on First by Abbott and
Costello.
Each week a new case was taken by the team and at the end of
each episode they mentioned the criminal who was caught going to prison. And
each week they included the criminals caught in previous weeks as well. When
you finish watching these the name Sally Decker will forever be ingrained on
your mind.
The complete series was released on DVD some time back but
they have just upgraded that to blu-ray and the show never looked better. The
need for extras isn’t important here, it is the series itself that makes this
one worth adding to your collection. I can’t begin to tell you just how much
watching this again brought tears to my eyes I was laughing so hard. If you
loved THE NAKED GUN then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up to see
where it all began. It is a must have for the collection of comedy fans.
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