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CHiPs

WELCOME TO SATURDAY lunchtime and the cracko exploits of two Californian Highway Patrol cops on their bikes, namely Ponch and John, played by raw egg-swallowing LARRY WILCOX and the famously porn-related ERIK ESTRADA. Sub-disco orchestral theme did the business, title-wise.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Tom Ronson

    April 27, 2021 at 12:41 am

    I used to love this as a kid – as much a part of my Saturday ritual as Play Away, the Pink Panther Show, Russ Abbot’s Madhouse and fish fingers and chips. Revisited the first series on DVD a few years ago, and needless to say, time hasn’t been kind. Best left as a fond memory, really.

  2. Richardpd

    April 27, 2021 at 11:40 am

    Forces TV has been showing this recently.

    I was quite amused to find it on French TV when I was on holiday there in 1993. Dubbed but still with the very 1970s music cues intact.

  3. THX 1139

    April 29, 2021 at 2:23 pm

    That theme tune goes from top funk groove to ear-splitting horn section in the space of about a minute.

    One thing you could rely on: the stunts were going to be great, they must have had one of the best stunt teams in the business. Just ask Moltar.

  4. Richardpd

    April 29, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    The highway scenes were filmed on sections of interstate around LA that hadn’t yet opened.

    Supposedly one of the reasons it ended was because all the construction was coming to an end & they would have to travel further to be able to newer bits of road.

    The main reason was Erik Estrada getting hard to work with, & Larry Wilcox finding it tricky to keep up the buddy cop vibe with him.

    Almost every episode was guaranteed a big pile up & something blowing up.

    Amazingly for an American cop show the main characters never used a gun in the entire time it was on air.

    • THX 1139

      April 29, 2021 at 11:41 pm

      That must be why speedway champion Bruce Penhall was drafted in to replace Larry Wilcox for the last few episodes. Interesting choice of career move, there…

      • Richardpd

        April 30, 2021 at 10:31 am

        Tom Reilly also replaced Larry Wilcox in the last season, who left as he felt Estrada was hogging the limelight.

        Earlier on Erik Estrada missed some episodes due to a dispute over royalties, and Bruce Jenner filled in.

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