When his revived version of Dragnet proved surprisingly successful in the mid 1960s, actor/producer Jack Webb lost no time in coming up with another series singing the praises of the Los Angeles Police Department. But instead of focusing on plainclothes detectives, Adam-12 dealt with uniformed cops traversing the city in patrol cars. Like Dragnet, the new show eschewed flamboyant, melodramatic plots in favor of more realistic situations, and technical advisors ensured that Webb's scriptwriters incorporated actual police procedure into their storylines, which often spotlighted the mundane aspects of community policing. Martin Milner played Pete Malloy, the experienced officer who takes rookie Jim Reed (Kent McCord) under his wing. Other regulars include William Boyett as Sergeant MacDonald, Gary Crosby as Officer Ed Wells, and William Stevens as Officer Jerry Walters. Debuting in 1968 (the show ran through 1975), most of the first season episodes of Adam-12 are good, and a couple are standouts. In “You're Not the First Guy's Had This Problem,” Reed gets his dander up while confronting an obstreperous drunk, and while still agitated struggles to cope with the shocking news that his best friend at the police academy has been critically wounded. Even better is “It All Happened So Fast,” in which the partners come under fire while driving through a tough neighborhood at night. Reed quickly fires at the suspected shooter, killing him—and then undergoes a rigorous questioning when doubts about the victim's culpability are brought up. Presenting all 26 initial episodes on an extra-less double-disc set, this is recommended for larger TV-on-DVD collections. (E. Hulse)
Adam-12: Season One
Universal, 2 discs, 647 min., not rated, DVD: $39.98 December 12, 2005
Adam-12: Season One
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