A great show, but thanks to shows like Cops & Live PD, has aged.

The_Light_Triton

Jack Webb had a real gem when he created Dragnet in the 50's. His goal was to show the common man a realistic creation of police work, and back then, Dragnet was how most people got to know police procedures and at the same time, got to see the serious, Jokes not included Sgt. Joe Friday.

Then in the late 60's Webb created a show that was Cops before that show was even a concept. The idea was to show people the daily routines of police officers working on the beat. In practice, it was a great idea, and still is. Adam-12 was that show. A simple, straightforward show about police work. The show was aimed at a universal audience, which by today's standards would be unacceptable because no one over the age of 12 would take it seriously. Because today we've been treated to shows like Cops & Live PD which gives us no filters, no drama, just straight police work. And considering how we all know how real confrontations between police & people go thanks to these shows it makes Adam-12 humorous when you see how the drama plays out and you know as a viewer that the people in the show don't have their bad words bleeped out. It's also from a time when the police had a black & white view of drug use and to watch episodes where people get busted on marijuana possession is hilarious to how serious Malloy is when he tells the suspects about how dangerous marijuana is.

Officer Pete Malloy is an LAPD officer who has witnessed his partner get killed in the line of duty. Considering retiring, He is given a new partner, a fresh out of the academy 23 year old by the name of Jim Reed. Over 7 seasons, Malloy takes Reed under his wing and the 2 men maintain law & order in Los Angeles, and confront a variety of people who range from psychotic killers to troubled teens. Over time, Reed goes from a young father to an experienced beat cop who takes other police under his wing while Malloy takes more responsible roles within the department.

This one's truly a gem of it's time, but you cannot take it as seriously as you could have back when it initially aired. It's the kind of show where viewers will be hung up on Anachronisms and the fact the show is over half a century old. Regardless, I still enjoy it for what it is.

score 9/10

The_Light_Triton 11 May 2009

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2065258/