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The
Mod Squad
aired in the US from September 1968 until August 1973 and starred
Michael Cole as Pete Cochran (a long haired rich kid who had stolen a
car), Clarence Williams III as Linc Hayes (a youth from the ghetto
arrested for rioting in the Watts district) and Peggy Lipton as Julie
Barnes (a daughter of a prostitute who had been arrested for vagrancy).
While on probation for their criminal efforts, Tige Andrews as Captain
Adam Greer offers them work as a special "young police squad” as an
opportunity to avoid jail sentences.
Over five seasons, these
three cops used their youthful images as a disguise to infiltrate and
bring to justice various gangs and other colourful criminals. While
Pete, Julie and Linc ultimately looked a little too old to be taken for
teenagers by the end of the series’ run in 1973 (and certainly for
their return in 1979 in a TV reunion movie, The Return of Mod Squad),
the first few seasons were nothing short of ground-breaking television.
While
the show was obviously popular enough during its initial run to last
five years, it was in Australia that it perhaps found its greatest
success (a recent interview with Working Dog's Santo Cilauro
noted the show as the major inspiration for their series Funky Squad).
In fact, The Mod Squad
won consecutive Logie Awards with Michael Cole even making the trek
over for several infamous personal appearances. Who can forget the
often-repeated clip of Cole using the word “shit” at a Logies ceremony
(a word often used to describe the Awards - but not often muttered during it)?
The
first season of 26 episodes has now been released in two volumes,
rather than one box set. The cynical may suggest that the splitting of
the season into two volumes is a marketing move to maximise profits
but, for the many fans of the series, it is money well spent!
The
more mature TV viewer like myself (who was only 14 when the show first
aired - Groovy!) will remember key scenes that were regularly featured
and kept us watching for more – like Linc's flying leaps to catch
runaway criminals, the Squad’s Woody station wagon and the end credits
where the camera pulls back for a wide shot of the members of the Mod Squad.
However,
I still believe there is some appeal for the younger viewers of today
(if only to laugh at how ‘way out’ the 1960s culture was) something the
recent Starksy
& Hutch remake took plenty of pot shots at.
Highlight
episodes include the extended 70 minute pilot, “The Teeth Of The
Barracuda”; “A Quiet Weekend In The Country” (in which Pete and Julie
pose as a married couple); and “The Sunday Drivers” which was filmed on
location in Las Vegas.
They may have 'Spoke the language of the
streets', they may have been 'groovers', and they may have caused 'the
squares' a good deal of trouble - but they were entertaining.
In a word: Jive!
EXTRAS
The real disappointment here is the lack of
any extras. The show
has been the subject of Entertainment Tonight-type documentaries in the
past (most of which expose the Where Are They Now?
angle) which proves that there are interviews, behind-the-scenes
footage and photos worthy of inclusion on the DVDs floating around
somewhere.
There were early
reports on some fan websites that there were originally to be such
extras, but they appear to have become lost along the way!
What a 'downer'.
Conclusion: Episodes 90% Extras: N/A
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