September 15, 1977 - July 17, 1983
NBC Police Drama - 139 Filmed Episodes
Cast:
| Officer Ponch Poncherello: | Erik Estrada |
| Officer Jon Baker: | Larry Wilcox |
| Sergeant Joseph Getraer: | Robert Pine |
| Officer Arthur Grossman: | Paul Linke |
| Officer Jebediah Turner: | Michael Dorn |
| Officer Kathy Linahan: | Tina Gayle |
| Officer Benjamin Webster: | Clarence Gilyard Jr. |
| Officer Barry Baricza: | Brodie Greer |
| Officer Sindy Cahill: | Brianne Leary |
| Officer Bonnie Clark: | Randi Oakes |
| Cadet/Officer Bruce Nelson: | Bruce Penhall |
| Officer Bobby 'Hot Dog' Nelson: | Tom Reilly |
| Officer Gene Fritz: | Lew Saunders |
| Harlan Arliss: | Lou Wagner |
CHiPs -- California Highway Patrols -- was a mainstay
of disco-era TV, and still stands today as an immensely
enjoyable throwback to the period. Created in 1977 by
producer Rick Rosner, the show followed a troupe of
California motorcycle cops as they patrol the Golden
State's freeways looking for ne'er-do-wells of all stripes
(the formula was about five cases per one-hour episode).
Leading the way is Officer Francis "Ponch" Poncherello,
a carefree cop with a devestating, lady-killing smile and
an easy-going (but not TOO easy-going) attitude to match
the SoCal lifestyle. His partner through most of the series'
six year run was blonde-haired Officer Jonathan Baker,
who balanced Ponch's free spirit with a healthy dose of
reason and logic. Wilcox left the show in 1982, and was
replaced by Tom Reilly, playing Officer
Bobby "Hot Dog" Nelson.
Essential to the action on CHiPs was Sergeant Joe Getraer,
a bemused, oft-decorated officer with a firm grip on the
action on his highways. For the entirety of the show's run,
Getraer lorded over Ponch, Jon, and fellow officers Turner,
Clark, Baricza, and Fritz, among many others.
With John Carl Parker's memorably brassy theme greeting
viewers each week, CHiPs began spearheading NBC's
Thursday night "family hour" schedule, but after a while,
moved to weekends, where it flourished, breaking into
the top 25 highest-rated shows for three years straight.
Its chief weapon: a very family-friendly attitude with
still enough room left for plenty of car chases,
motorcycle wipeouts, jack-knifing trucks, frantic
or wise-cracking motorists, and disco dancing.
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Click HERE to download theme song.
Click on the images above to purchase seasons one and two on DVD!
Click HERE to purchase TV books and videos!
CHiPs
From TV.com
CHiPs
From Wikipedia
CHiPs
By Spanky
CHiPs Online
By Patrick Delahanty & Tim Lewis
Episode Guide
From EpGuides.com
CHiPs'99 Portuguese Site
By Philippe Maia
Erik Estrada
An Official Website
These links were last tested September 2001.
Check out these classic TV Guide covers...
