[TV] What's your favourite 1970s American TV cop series?

[The Clamp]

Serpico was a shortlived TV series. Only ran for 15 episodes between 1976-77 before being cancelled. The Pacino film was 1973.

Well I’ll be blowed. I really liked the film.

 

[Stat Brother]

Didn't Ironside, Columbo and Hawaii Five-0 all start in the 60s

The Rockford Files didn't September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980.

 

[marlowe]

Edit, wrong decade.

Cannon wasn't a policeman either

My mistake, you're right, he wasn't. I had memories of him being called Detective Frank Cannon. I also thought I remembered scenes of him at the station having set tos with his colleagues and superiors. He was an ex cop so maybe he just visited and liaised as part of his PI work. But as you say he shouldn't be on the list.

 

[NooBHA]

This - Coz the theme tune was brilliant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1rSomuGs_w

 

[Boys 9d]

Why isn't my favourite "Hill Street Blues" on the list ?

 

[marlowe]

The Rockford Files didn't September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980.

Can you please stop going on about the Rockford Files. I quite clearly made the distinction that it had to be a cop show and in the accompanying post I even pointed out that Rockford was a PI not a cop in anticipation of people like you piping up. Admittedly I inadvertently included Cannon in my list who was a PI but I have already acknowledged that mistake and apologised for it, but it was an easy mistake to make given how young I was at the time of watching it. But at least Cannon was an ex cop whereas Jim Rockford never was. He was actually an ex con. He would never have gone anywhere near the police voluntarily in his previous life.

So if you want to satisfy your fixation with the Rockford Files please start your own poll on 1970s American Private Detective TV series (although you could broaden the decade span to give more options). I would also suggest not to be too specific so don't include the ex con bit or anything about living in a mobile home or having a close relationship with their father as this might seriously limit your option choice. The trick is don't be too specific but make clear what is excluded as I did.

 

[marlowe]

Why isn't my favourite "Hill Street Blues" on the list ?

1980s (81-87) not 1970s so didn't fit the criteria. At least some of the episodes had to be screened in the 70s but was ok if they also spanned the 60s and 80s as long as they were partly in the 70s. At least it was a cop series though not a PI series so I'll forgive you for mentioning it as long as you don't keep harping on like some posters I could mention.

 

[Stat Brother]

Can you please stop going on about the Rockford Files. I quite clearly made the distinction that it had to be a cop show and in the accompanying post I even pointed out that Rockford was a PI not a cop in anticipation of people like you piping up. Admittedly I inadvertently included Cannon in tmy list who was a PI but I have already acknowledged that mistake and apologised for it, but it was an easy mistake to make given how young I was at the time of watching it. But at least Cannon was an ex cop whereas Jim Rockford never was. He was actually an ex con. He would never have gone anywhere near the police voluntarily in his previous life.

So if you want to satisfy your fixation with the Rockford Files please start your own poll on 1970s American Private Detective TV series (although you could broaden the decade span to give more options). I would also suggest not to be too specific so don't include the ex con bit or anything about living in a mobile home or having a close relationship with their father as this might seriously limit your option choice. The trick is don't be too specific but make clear what is excluded as I did.

I don't see the point of another thread which is basically:-

Name a show from the 1970's worse than The Rockford Files.


After all we've got this thread for that!

 

[marlowe]

Well I’ll be blowed. I really liked the film.

So did I. I even got my mum to make me a home made Serpico style green flak jacket which I proudly wore to a few Albion games in the mid seventies. You may remember seeing me in it.

I later got my aunt to knit me a homemade Starsky cardigan but that was less successful and remained unfinished with the pockets, although knitted, left unattached, probably due to my less than enthusiastic reaction to how the rest of the cardigan had turned out. Ironically the Starsky cardigan has since had quite a lot of use as I use it to this day as my sitting on the toilet first thing in the morning wear on chilly winter mornings, much to my wife's dismay. I have never worn it out and certainly never to any Albion matches which is in itself fortunate because the only time I wear it is when I am naked from the waist down. I hope I haven't ruined your breakfast with that image.

To help cleanse your mind here's a pic of Serpico in his jacket which mine was based on.

View attachment 111384

 

[The Clamp]

So did I. I even got my mum to make me a home made Serpico style green flak jacket which I proudly wore to a few Albion games in the mid seventies. You may remember seeing me in it.

I later got my aunt to knit me a homemade Starsky cardigan but that was less successful and remained unfinished with the pockets, although knitted, left unattached, probably due to my less than enthusiastic reaction to how the rest of the cardigan had turned out. Ironically the Starsky cardigan has since had quite a lot of use as I use it to this day as my sitting on the toilet first thing in the morning wear on chilly winter mornings, much to my wife's dismay. I have never worn it out and certainly never to any Albion matches which is in itself fortunate because the only time I wear it is when I am naked from the waist down. I hope I haven't ruined your breakfast with that image.

To help cleanse your mind here's a pic of Serpico in his jacket which mine was based on.

View attachment 111384

Excellent. Everyone has to have "toilet wear". I, Despite my relatively young age, am a pyjama man but I'm not adverse to throwing on a loose knit on a cold morning.

Good jacket.

 

[marlowe]

I don't see the point of another thread which is basically:-

Name a show from the 1970's worse than The Rockford Files.


After all we've got this thread for that!

I bet you were envious of Jim Rockford's hair and sat there gazing admiringly at the screen thinking "I wish I had hair like that".

I think this might be the real root (excuse the pun) of your Rockford fixation. Although he also had very good hair in Maverick so you might want to give that series a try, although unfortunately it was mainly hidden by a hat. The Rockford Files was the first leading role series which gave him the opportunity to fully showcase his hair in all its unfettered glory.

As you can see the effect isn't quite as alluring and he would have obviously had to rely more on his acting skills.

View attachment 111385

 

[METALMICKY]

So did I. I even got my mum to make me a home made Serpico style green flak jacket which I proudly wore to a few Albion games in the mid seventies. You may remember seeing me in it.

I later got my aunt to knit me a homemade Starsky cardigan but that was less successful and remained unfinished with the pockets, although knitted, left unattached, probably due to my less than enthusiastic reaction to how the rest of the cardigan had turned out. Ironically the Starsky cardigan has since had quite a lot of use as I use it to this day as my sitting on the toilet first thing in the morning wear on chilly winter mornings, much to my wife's dismay. I have never worn it out and certainly never to any Albion matches which is in itself fortunate because the only time I wear it is when I am naked from the waist down. I hope I haven't ruined your breakfast with that image.

To help cleanse your mind here's a pic of Serpico in his jacket which mine was based on.

View attachment 111384

Ah yes the Starsky cardigan. Can recall two kids turning up at school in them. They only ever wore them once due to the slaying they got from everyone else who were sporting Harrington jackets and brown yellow stitched doc martens!

 

[marlowe]

Excellent. Everyone has to have "toilet wear". I, Despite my relatively young age, am a pyjama man but I'm not adverse to throwing on a loose knit on a cold morning.

Good jacket.

It makes ideal toilet wear because as it was made when I was about 14 it's now a tad too short so I don't have to hitch it up as I would have to do with my dressing gown or bathrobe.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I liked the episode of Ironside when he was wheeled to meet a fellow wheelchairee who had seen a woman murdered in a block at the reverse of his flat. The croaky witness ended the episode by having to blind Ironside and the murderer with a series of flashes from his camera until the able bodied police arrived to make the arrest.

PS - i hate Columbo for knowing who did it from the off. And it usually being someone from Star Trek.

 

[marlowe]

CHiP's for me! Loved the theme tune too

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chips+tv+show+theme+song&view=detail&mid=1AB3D2603417D51655D41AB3D2603417D51655D4&FORM=VIRE

I couldn't get on with CHIPS as I harboured a strong irrational (or maybe not so very irrational) dislike of Eric Estrada.

I went for years wondering if Frank Zappa harboured the same dislike as I thought he had namechecked him in the live version of his song the Illinois Enema Bandit. I only realised years later he was referring to his bass player Roy Estrada which cleared that up.

 

[Stat Brother]

I bet you were envious of Jim Rockford's hair and sat there gazing admiringly at the screen thinking "I wish I had hair like that".

I think this might be the real root (excuse the pun) of your Rockford fixation. Although he also had very good hair in Maverick so you might want to give that series a try, although unfortunately it was mainly hidden by a hat. The Rockford Files was the first leading role series which gave him the opportunity to fully showcase his hair in all its unfettered glory.

As you can see the effect isn't quite as alluring and he would have obviously had to rely more on his acting skills.

View attachment 111385

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I couldn't get on with CHIPS as I harboured a strong irrational (or maybe not so very irrational) dislike of Eric Estrada.

Wash your mouth out sir!!

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

I used to like the way Starsky closed the door with his foot

 

[Gwylan]

I went for years wondering if Frank Zappa harboured the same dislike as I thought he had namechecked him in the live version of his song the Illinois Enema Bandit. I only realised years later he was referring to his bass player Roy Estrada which cleared that up.

Yeah, Roy Estrada is currently serving a very long sentence for having sex with a child (after having served one term for a similar offence). Can't imagine why FZ would harbour a dislike of him,

 

[marlowe]

Yeah, Roy Estrada is currently serving a very long sentence for having sex with a child (after having served one term for a similar offence). Can't imagine why FZ would harbour a dislike of him,

Yeah I saw that. The album on which he referenced Roy Estrada was Live in New York recorded in 1978. The song in which he was referenced was about a man who performed a type of sexual assault (administering enemas)on his victims. Zappa says, near the end of the song, "this is for Roy Estrada where ever he is". I wonder if Zappa knew something of Estrada's proclivities which is why he made the reference. However Estrada did go on to work with Zappa again in the 1980s and he didn't receive his first conviction for abuse until 1994. So I just wonder what the refence was to at the time it was made.