So then, there’s a new The Naked Gun sequel out. This means that, by law, I have to do a retrospective of the franchise. That law being one that I just made up. Anyway, It’s time to look at the career of detective lieutenant Frank Drebin… and his son. This first part will explore Police Squad!, the TV show that started it all.

I’d better get this lengthy retrospective started. To do that, I need to go back to the beginning, and before The Naked Gun existed. If you’re a fan on the films, then you already know this, if you’re not a fan… then why are you reading a retrospective about a film series that you don’t like? Anyway, before The Naked Gun films, there was the TV show Police Squad! Funnily enough, the concept of Police Squad! began as a feature film due to the success of Airplane! The writer/directors of that flick, ZAZ (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker) wanted to spoof the old police TV show, M Squad (and others) but they felt that they didn’t have a long enough plot to last the runtime of a feature film. Instead, the idea to make several shorter stories came about and the movie idea was dropped for a TV show instead. Thus, Police Squad! was born.

Police Squad!

Lasting only six episodes (though only four were originally shown, I’ll get to all of that later) in 1982, Police Squad! was a spoof in the style of classic police/crime dramas that aired on the ABC network. What Airplane! did for the popular airport disaster flicks of the 1970s, Police Squad! did for 1950s and ’60s police procedural TV shows. With Leslie Nielsen being such a fan favourite from Airplane!, it made perfect sense to cast him in the lead role of detective lieutenant Frank Drebin. I’m going to take a look at the entire Police Squad! show, all six episodes. Each episode had two titles, an audible one and a written one as a running joke. The episodes also had a guest star that would be killed in the opening credits. As well as looking at each episode, I’m going to be picking my favourite gag from each of them too.

A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)

Special guest star Lorne Greene is killed by being thrown from a speeding car after being stabbed.

Sally Decker is in debt to her orthodontist and to pay that debt off, she shoots and kills her boss, Jim Johnson the manager of a credit union office. Sally also kills Ralph Twice, a worker who came into the office to cash his pay cheque after being fired from his job at a tire company by his boss, Wunce. After stealing some money to pay off her orthodontist, Sally then tries to set the murder scene up to look like Ralph Twice shot Jim first, and Sally then shot Twice in defence as he tried to rob the place. With Sally as the only witness to this supposed robbery and self defence killing, Frank Drebin and his boss, Ed Hocken begin to suspect that Sally is not as innocent as she makes herself out to be.

Favourite joke.
The overly convoluted update on the classic Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first?” gag with Frank and Ed talking to Sally to clear up who shot who.

Sally: “Well, I first heard the shot, and as I turned, Jim fell.”
Frank: “Jim Fell’s the teller?”
Sally: “No, Jim Johnson.”
Frank: “Who’s Jim Fell?”
Ed: “Oh, he’s the auditor, Frank.”
Sally: “He had the flu, so Jim filled in.”
Frank: “Phil who?”
Ed: “Phil Din. He’s the night watchman, Frank.”
Sally: “If only Phil had been here…”
Frank: “Now wait a minute, let me get this straight. Twice came in and shot the teller and Jim Fell?”
Sally: “No, he only shot the teller, Jim Johnson. Fell is ill.”
Frank: “Okay, then after he shot the teller, you shot Twice?”
Sally: “No, I only shot once.”
Ed: “Twice is the holdup man.”
Sally: “Then I guess is did shoot Twice.”
Frank: “Oh, so now you’re changing your story?”
Sally: “No, I shot Twice after Jim fell.”
Frank: “You shot Twice and Jim Fell?”
Sally: “No, Jim fell first, and then I shot Twice, once.”
Frank: “Who fired Twice?”
Sally: Wunce!”
Ed: “He’s the owner of the tire company, Frank.”
Frank: “Okay. Wunce is the owner of the tire company and he fired Twice. Then Twice shot the teller once.”
Sally: “Twice.”
Frank: “And Jim fell, and then you fired twice?”
Sally: “Once.”
Frank: “You’ve been very helpful. We think we know how he did it.”
Sally: “Oh, Howie couldn’t have done it. He hasn’t been in for weeks.”
Frank: “Weeks?”
Ed: “Sol Weeks. He’s the controller, Frank.”

It’s a joke that goes on way too long and stops being funny, but then becomes funny again because it’s been going on too long. It may be worth noting that David Schwimmer (of Friends fame) made his TV debut in this episode in an uncredited role as a patient at a dentist surgery. At least, that is what a lot of sites claim. There are several YouTube videos stating as much, even IMDb has David listed in the credits. Here’s a pic from the episode too.

I guess it does kind of look like him. However, David himself has outright said that he was never on the show. It’s not him in the episode. Anyway, this is a top episode that drops you right into the zany humour and nonsense world of Frank Drebin. Leslie Nielsen’s straight-laced acting worked brilliantly in Airplane! and it is even better here. The jokes are abundant and you’re often laughing at one thing so much that you miss something else. It was hard to pick just one great gag here when there so many (Frank: “We would’ve come earlier, but your husband wasn’t dead then”). Not my favourite episode of the six, but for the first of a new series, it’s a very strong opener.

Ring of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment)

Special guest star Georg Stanford Brown is killed by having a heavy safe dropped on him.

In this episode, Frank goes undercover as a boxing manager to learn more about a corrupt boxing promotor, Mr Martin who is making money by getting his fighters to throw matches. When one of Mr Martin’s fighters refuses to take a dive, he soon winds up dead. Undercover Frank becomes the manager of Buddy Briggs, an eager local fighter who never had his big break. Frank gets Buddy a shot at a title fight. To ensure that Buddy throws the fight, Mr Martin has Buddy’s wife kidnapped. It’s time for Frank to save the day and for Buddy to deliver the knockout blow.

Favourite joke.
When Mr Martin tries to get Buddy to take a dive in the 12th round by telling him they have his wife.

Mr Martin: “We’ve got Mary.”
Buddy: “What!?”
Frank: “You’re bluffing.”
Mr Martin: “Oh yeah? [pulls out a silk scarf]”
Buddy: “Mary’s scarf!”
Frank: “Could’ve gotten that anywhere.”
Mr Martin: “How about this? [pulls out a purse]”
Buddy: “Mary’s purse!”
Frank: “There are millions of purses like that.”
Mr Martin: “How about this! [pulls out a toaster]”
Buddy: “Mary’s toaster! [toast pops up]”
Frank: “Oh my God!”

I like this gag because it is multi-layered. Frank dismisses the personal scarf and purse, but is convinced by an everyday toaster that could belong to anyone. Then there’s the comical popping up of the toast… from a toaster that isn’t plugged in. Then you have Leslie Nielsen’s dry and serious “Oh my God!” delivery as the punchline. There’s even a call-back to the joke during the fight when Mr Matin holds up Mary’s blender to remind Buddy that they have his wife. It’s a great gag.

You can tell that this episode was inspired by Rocky. Rocky III was released in 1982 (when Police Squad! aired) so the franchise was doing well and clearly popular. These spoofs often latch onto what is popular and make fun of it. I didn’t find this one as funny as the first episode. Still got a few chuckles out of it, but the jokes are not as good, or as frequent. I guess I had better bring up that this episode was directed by Joe Dante, who would go on to direct Gremlins and Gremlins 2, The ‘Burbs, Small Soldiers and much more. As well as being a writer and producer on many, many other TV shows and movies.

The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)

Special guest star Robert Goulet is killed by firing squad.

During her 18th birthday Terri Burton, the daughter of a rich businessman is kidnaped, so Police Squad are called in. Frank, Ed and officer Norberg learn that the only witness to the kidnapping was   Kingsley Addison, Terri’s boyfriend. The kidnappers are demanding $1 million to release Terri. Frank suspects that Kingsley may know more than he is letting on and that he may have had a hand in the kidnapping as he owes money to a lot of people. But Frank is wrong.

Favourite joke.
At the start of the episode, Frank says that he had been investigating a spate of murders at a zoo and is bringing a suspect in. The camera pans out to reveal that Frank has a chimp, dressed in a suit and hat, in the car with him. Later in the episode, Frank and Ed are talking about the kidnapping case and the ransom money, you can see a couple of police officers in the background questioning the chimp. At the end of the episode and during the epilogue bit, two officers are finally getting around to arresting the chimp but the “freeze frame” gag that happens in every episode begins. Everyone is still, except for the chimp who just starts throwing paper around.

I just love the absurdity of a wave of murders… at a zoo, and that’s just the start of this gag. To have the suspect be a chimp, and one wearing a suit, is another layer. Then having the chimp in the background as the main plot plays out to keep continuity over a throwaway joke. Finally, using the chimp in the “freeze frame” at the end is the icing on the cake. It’s an episode-long joke that is born from nonsense and has nothing to do with the story. Plus, chimps are awesome.

This episode was directed by Georg Stanford Brown, who was the guest star who was killed in episode two. This one has some really good jokes. There was a different and audible joke that almost made my favourite pick for this one… but it didn’t feature a chimp. I also like how this episode sets up a mystery, and even Frank suspects the wrong person, but the episode title tells you who done it anyway.

Revenge and Remorse (The Guilty Alibi)

Special guest star William Shatner gets shot at and survives, but is then killed by being poisoned after drinking some wine.

Following a bombing at the courthouse that killed a judge, Frank and Ed are on the case to find the culprit. Their main suspect is Eddie Casales, a known bomber who spent time in jail for his crimes, especially as the judge who was killed at the courthouse was the judge who put Eddie behind bars. Then, the DA who helped to put Eddie away is also killed by a bomb. Everything points to Eddie being the bomber. However, the case is too clear cut and Frank suspects that Eddie may be getting set up.

Favourite joke(s).
The opening with the mysterious bomber plating the bomb. They’re filmed only showing their feet and even though we don’t see much, they still cram in multiple jokes. Like the over-the-top footsteps sound effect, or the door number being on the bottom of the door because of how the shot is framed by only showing the feet. But the best joke is when the bomber walks through the courtroom and floats over the chairs, and even though they’re walking on air, you can still hear the footsteps sound effect. It’s that stupid humour that Police Squad! does so damn well.

Another good episode that throws a lot of gags at you and a bit of a mystery to solve with finding out who the bomber is too. I think that this episode feels the most like a genuine TV police procedural that the show is making fun of. You could see this as a real episode of M Squad.

Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)

Special guest star: Florence Henderson is gunned down in her own home while cooking.

Frank has to go undercover (again), this time working in a locksmiths store and teamed up with Norberg, a fellow officer at Police Squad. Frank and Norberg are investigating a protection racket being run by local mobsters who are forcing small businesses to hand over money under the threat of violence. When the mobsters pay a visit to the locksmiths, Frank refuses their “kind” offer of protection, and this just enrages the mob boss, Dutch, who wants Frank killed.

Favourite joke.
Not an audible/dialogue joke this time, more of a plot-running one (a bit like the chimp from the last episode). All the time Frank and Norberg are using the locksmiths as cover, Norberg is actually taking it seriously and trying to run the business as a real business. He comes up with offers to keep customers happy, goes though the books to make sure everything is okay, takes on big orders and such. It’s like he’s forgotten he is a police officer working undercover and just become a genuine locksmiths owner. He seems really happy about it too.

This is a great episode, mainly because of that episode-long running gag of Norberg legitimately running the locksmiths place, Norberg is a really funny character. It’s not just about Norberg though, there’s a ton of fantasic gags in this one (Dutch: “Who are you and how’d you get in here?” Frank: “I’m a locksmith and I’m a locksmith.”). Yeah, this one is packed with great jokes and Leslie Nielsen gets involved in some fighting action too… with more gags. This could be my favourite episode.

Testimony of Evil (Dead Men Don’t Laugh)

Special guest star William Conrad meets the same fate as Lorne Greene in episode one, as he is killed by being thrown from a speeding car after being stabbed.

Joey Koldys is a stand up comedian in a club, but he is drugged by his boss and dies in a car crash on his way home because he double-crossed a mysterious Frenchman. It turns out that Joey was a courier for a drug runner, but also a police informant. Ed suspects that this is a case of murder, but needs proof. So Frank goes undercover (once more) as a comedian at the club and tries to learn more about the place being used as a front for the drug dealing, just how involved the owner of the club is and who the mysterious Frenchman is.

Favourite joke.
While Ed and Frank are talking about Joey Koldys and looking over his file.

Ed: “Yeah, yeah, it’s a complete detailed report. Born 1942 in Philadelphia. In and out of foster homes ’till the age of 15. Then he moved into Smith’s home, he wasn’t happy there either. Then he fought Larry Holmes. Last knows address was a mobile home in Alabama. Married, one child. But that didn’t work out so he married a grown woman.”

The build up isn’t very good, and now very dated. But that last gag is gold. This last ever episode was directed by Joe Dante (again), the only person to direct more than one episode of Police Squad! This is quite bizarre because Leslie Nielsen trying to be funny as a stand up comic isn’t very funny. I don’t know if it was intentional that he would be a crap comic (though the audience love him) and that this was meant to be a joke. Or whether the writing of the jokes as a stand up were just bad and this was the best that the writers could do.

The original guest star death was John Belushi and he filmed a scene where he was drowned while tied to concrete blocks. However, John actually did pass away on the 5th of March 1982, the day after Police Squad! aired its first episode. So this new guest star death was filmed and used as a last minute replacement instead (before the show was cancelled). Now, there seems to be some debate over which episode the John Belushi death was filmed for. Some sources claim it was the Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood) one with Florence Henderson being killed in the opening. Others claim it was this last episode. It seems much more likely that it was this episode given that special guest star death here is the same method as in the first episode and could’ve been shot quickly Either way, it is believed that the John Belushi footage is either lost or was destroyed.

Why Only Six Episodes?

Before I answer that question, I just want to point out that I’ve covered the episodes in the order they were originally aired. The air order was wrong though as some episodes featured continuity that references previous villains. Due to airing them out of order, sometimes we were introduced to a villain who had not yet appeared in the show. To get the continuity correct, the right order that the episodes should have aired is one, two, five, four, three and six.

As I mentioned before, only four of the filmed six episodes were originally shown. Police Squad! was pulled from the air before the last two episodes were broadcast. The first four were shown between the 4th of March and 25th of March in 1982. The final two episodes were eventually shown several months later on the 1st and 8th of July 1982 when the whole show was repeated by ABC, and all six were eventually released on home media. When the show was repeated again later in 1991 on CBS (due to the release of The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear), they wanted to show the previously mentioned John Belushi guest star death, but nobody could find the footage. Anyway, I guess the question is, why was Police Squad! cancelled? The “official” reason is probably one of the most stupid reasons to cancel a show. It has been said (by Leslie Nielsen) that the studio executives (namely ABC’s president, Tony Thomopoulos) pulled the show from air because they felt that the viewers had to watch the show to get it.

Due to how the show and its humour worked, with so many gags, jokes in the main action, in the background, running gags, jokes within jokes and such, you really did have to watch the show, pay close attention and not just look at the screen. TV viewing was very different in 1982 when compared to now in 2025. No streaming, the episodes would be shown weekly, and very rarely repeated. Plus, TV was something that was (usually) just on in the background. Unless it was some kind of compelling documentary or major news event, the TV was just background noise. To get the most out of Police Squad!, you really do have to watch, re-watch, watch again and take it all in. You couldn’t do that in 1982 because of how “disposable” TV shows were. So yeah, the show was axed because you had to watch it.

While it is true that only six episodes of Police Squad! were filmed, there was another. TV shows often wrote more episodes than they need. Sometimes those episodes would be “holdovers” for another possible season. As covered, Police Squad! never got that chance because it was canned after only four of the six episodes were aired. However, at least one other episode was written, but never produced. Called Testimony of Terror (A Kitten For Amy), this “lost” seventh episode of the show had never been seen outside of the production. That was until writer/producer/director David Misch uploaded it to his website, which you can read right here.

I guess it is a bit funny how ZAZ didn’t want to make a Police Squad! into a movie because they felt that they couldn’t come up with a story that would last the runtime of a feature film… and then we got three (original) feature films anyway. Oh, and apparently, ZAZ were more than happy that the show was cancelled because they felt that they were running out of jokes for another season, which is probably why a lot of jokes from the show were reused for the films. And speaking (well, writing) of the films… there’s more in the second part of this retrospective.