The Failure of Police Squad!: "One Of The Most Violent Shows On ABC"?

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Our latest episode looks at Police Squad!, the early 80s comedy series that turned an old-school police drama into one of the strangest and sharpest sitcom failures of its time.

What started as a TV version of an idea from the team behind Airplane! soon became something much more unusual, mixing serious actors, deadpan stupidity, visual gags, spoof detective work, and a lead character in Frank Drebin who somehow made complete incompetence look almost official.

This episode offers a detailed Police Squad! TV show analysis, exploring the Police Squad! television history and Police Squad! behind the scenes stories of this short-lived cult comedy series. It looks at how Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker brought Police Squad! to ABC, how Leslie Nielsen turned Frank Drebin into a comedy icon, and why the network gave up on the show after only 6 episodes.

From its unusual development and brilliant casting to its quick cancellation, home media afterlife, cult reputation, and eventual rebirth through The Naked Gun movies, Police Squad! remains one of the biggest examples of a TV failure that became far more important after it was binned.

If you grew up watching Police Squad!, discovered it through The Naked Gun, or just love classic TV history, this episode looks back at the rise, cancellation, and lasting legacy of one of the most misunderstood comedies of the '80s.