{"id":11867,"date":"2024-02-16T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=11867"},"modified":"2024-02-17T14:43:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T14:43:54","slug":"media-police-squad-dvd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=11867","title":{"rendered":"MEDiA: Police Squad (DVD)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I binge-watched the entire Police Squad <\/em>tonight. Only six episodes. The show was cancelled by dumbass execs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leslie Nielsen is sublimely ridiculous as straight-faced clown, detective lieutenant Sgt. Frank Drebin. Alan North is his boss, Capt. Hocken. Other regulars inc. police scientist Doc. Olson (Ed Williams), officers Norberg (Peter Lupus), and Al (\u2018Tiny Ron\u2019 Taylor), and \u2018word on the street\u2019 guy, Johnny (William Duell).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sgt. Drebin and Capt. Hocken.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Each episode has a pointless celebrity guest star, who expires during the credits. The humour is very broad, and both visual and verbal. It\u2019s great fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gags are often very formulaic. But the formulae are hugely enjoyable. Drebin is always crashing his beautiful and very long green car (a \u201873 Plymouth Continental?) into trash cans, bicycles, other cars, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For a greenback, Johnny always has the word.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whenever he gets word from his source in the street, shifty shoe shine Johnny, the next customer is a specialist of some sort, and Johnny always has the required \u2018info\u2019, be it gossip column advice or heart-surgery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe the show only really works as well as it does because in Leslie Nielsen the Zucker Abrahams Zucker team found the perfect actor for their brand of humour. All the other actors are like lesser planets in orbit around the sun that is Nielsen\u2019s gift for comedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The end credits \u2018freeze-frame\u2019, always fun.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s such a shame the Columbia TV dullards axed the show. As it\u2019s a simple but effective premise; the TV \u2018Cop Show\u2019 being absolutely ripe for spoofing. And as slight as the ingredients may be, it could\u2019ve run forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I love Frank\u2019s car!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I just love the whole green vibe!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a wee footnote\u2026 I love Frank\u2019s wheels! Green is my favourite colour. I think the paint colour of his Plymouth is Amber Sherwood (metallic). Whatever it is, I adore it! I\u2019d love to have a car like this! It\u2019s pretty huge though. And left-hand drive, of course. And no doubt a real gas-guzzler. Oh well\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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