MovieChat Forums > Adam-12 (1968) Discussion > why this show was so great

why this show was so great

posted 10 years ago by BDrums1971
20 replies | jump to latest

I've just discovered this show on METv, and have gotten hooked. There are so many things about it that appeal to me, but here are a few. See if you agree.

First, the main characters are so believable, that I constantly forget that I am actually watching actors, and not real officers. I can't think of any scenes where Milner and McCord overacted or "hammed" it up. I doubt very much in this day and age that you could find two actors who could portray the down to earth, realistic cops like Milner and McCord did. And I love the personal interaction that is shown between the two as they are driving between calls. It comes across as very believable and real.

Also, the camera work is great. Yea, the shots of them (filmed from the front of the car) as they are driving are obviously shot in the studio, but it's not that bad, and mixed in with all the other great outdoor camera shots, is not a big deal. I'm constantly surprised at how many scenes there are that are shot from the air (helicopter). That must have cost alot, but it really adds a great perspective on the scene and surrounding area.

The main characters themselves are very enjoyable to me and are multi dimensional. When I first started watching, I though Malloy came off as kind of a jerk, but the more I watch the show, the more I really like him. He is smart, can be caring (in a gruff cop sort of way), fair, honest, has a cool head, and is just an all around good guy (in an understated gruff sort of way). Reed is obviously still the "new guy" and is looking to model himself after Malloy. I think sometimes he comes across as trying too hard to be the perfect, unemotional, strait laced cop. Yet you can tell that he is still unsure of himself at times.

The actual scenes where crimes occur or there is a chase are super realistic. They were obviously shot on location in real life on real streets in the city. Even the occasional car crash is done very well. It constantly amazes how well these outdoor live action scenes are. You really forget that you are watching actors on a set location and it is all "fake". It's almost as realistic as watching an episode of cops. Actually, to be honest, the officers on the show Cops I think "ham it up" more than Malloy and Reed do in Adam-12!

I also love that the show was not fake. The episodes were actually taken from real life police calls from the LAPD.

So, what do you think made the show so great? Let me know.

[–] amyghost 10 years ago

I agree with you totally about the acting--I tend to like the low-keyed style (which isn't a popular style of acting today, at all, at least not in most American film and television), and I enjoy the fact that I'm watching two actors who aren't trying to be pseudo-intense, or 'grittily realistic' (while coming off as looking entirely fake) in every scene. There's a nice veneer of laid-back realism in their performances that compares favorably against a lot of the over-the-top, 'clenched jaw, clenched fist, clenched hair' emoting that's all over the tube these days.

[–] BDrums1971 10 years ago

Yea, you hit the nail on the head with your description. I also enjoy the low-key style of actin.

.........................................
It's all bulls*it - the late, great George Carlin

[–] emncaity 10 years ago

True. Milner was great as Malloy, who was probably my favorite if you held a gun to my head and asked me to pick, but what's really weird about McCord is that he played Reed almost as if distracted a little at times by what's going on outside the car, and also was almost too low-key and deadpan, which has the odd effect of making him seem almost amateurish and a little out of his element (he's not, or at least not after he went on to other things; he was actually a very well-regarded actor and board member of SAG), which had the further effect of almost making him look like a cop that had been recruited for the screen. I have no idea whether any of that was intentional in the least, but it's an effect that come across in every episode, IMHO.

As for the show itself, it's not slick, it's a little hokey at times, etc., but I still love it. Some of that comes from being a little kid growing up in L.A. at the time, I guess, and so many of the locations are so familiar; almost every episode has some street, sometimes multiple streets, where I've been, and even specific places of business I recognized back then and still do today. I also remember very well that shows like this one and Dragnet were aimed at a very specific "the law is still in control, even in the middle of all this upheaval, and we're not bad guys" kind of reassuring vibe.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] emncaity 10 years ago

Yeah, same here.

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

I agree w/ your characterization of Malloy & Reed. I've come to believe that every time Martin Milner is on the screen, he is the character he's portraying. As you indicated, he doesn't just say the words in the script, you really believe that he's Officer Pete Malloy.

Yea, the shots of them (filmed from the front of the car) as they are driving are obviously shot in the studio, but it's not that bad,

This, however, isn't the case. I'm not sure that any of the car scenes were filmed in a studio (altho I guess it's possible if there had to be a re-shoot at the last minute). Instead, the Adam-12 car was towed along with a rig that included mounted cameras, and as the lead tow-car drove around, Malloy would turn the wheel to indicate turns, etc. Here's a pic of the rig.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Mf9ke3x8R9MjNhMWhoVlJ0M2c/edit?usp= sharing

If memory serves, I believe they would spend a couple days filming all "car scenes" for a number of episodes; I've heard that along with their sharp uniform shirts, they often wore shorts and sneakers. Then on other days they would film actual driving scenes and scenes in which they pull up to a location, etc.

Funny note which some people may not know: the script supervisor (or whatever the title was) would lie on the floor of the back seat of the patrol car. She would verbally speak all the dispatcher's lines ("One Adam-12, see the man, 486 West Chestnut Street, code two," etc.) and Malloy and Reed would react to that as if the words came from the car radio. The voice of dispatcher Shaaron Claridge would be added in later. (One of the script supervisors with this task was Cynnie Troup, daughter of Bobby Troup.)

[–] BDrums1971 10 years ago

Yea, the shots of them (filmed from the front of the car) as they are driving are obviously shot in the studio, but it's not that bad,

This, however, isn't the case.

Interesting. Maybe I am wrong. It just seemed to look to me like some of the scenes are shot "in studio", but I could be wrong. Doesn't really matter all that much to me, though if it was shot "in studio" as far as detracting from the quality of the show itself.

It's all bulls*it - the late, great George Carlin

[–] charcas67 10 years ago

I got hooked on the show a couple of years ago when it was running on Antenna. I promptly bought all 7 seasons on DVD and watched it in order. YOu are spot on about Millner and McCord's low key, yet realistic acting. Their partnership evolves from Season 1 (mentor-trainee)to that of being pretty much equal partners who know they can totally rely on each other by the end. Also helped that Millner and McCord got on well in real life and that probably helped informed their on screen rapport as Malloy and Reed. Also as the show went on, more and more actual locations and interiors were used instead of the Universal backlot and interior sets and that helped enhance the show as well. Also if you are into LA of the early 70s, the location shots of LA are a joy to behold.

[–] BDrums1971 10 years ago

You know, I think it makes a real difference that the actors in any tv show or movie get along in real life. It really comes across on the screen. I heard that the cast of Seinfeld got along really well, and I think that really contributed to the success of that show as well.

Wish there were more good shows with this kind of acting, cop shows or not.

.........................................
It's all bulls*it - the late, great George Carlin

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

I too love the relationship between Malloy & Reed. But I have to admit, every time I hear people say "it's because they got along so well in real life," I have to laugh. There have been instances in which TV co-stars played the perfect couple (or best of friends, or loving family) all very believably, when in real life they didn't get along at all or didn't actually like each other. So it seems that viewers really can't always tell whether actors' 'real' relationship or feelings come across on the small screen.

(But, happily, in the case of this show, the friendship seen on screen was real.)

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] charcas67 10 years ago

I agree; in the end they are actors and even if they don't like each other or don't get on in real life, when the camera starts rolling (or they take to the stage) they should, as professional actors, put that aside and "act" like they are friends if they are portraying friends.

But that being said, I'm sure it's a lot easier for performers if they get on in real life to work together, especially on a long lasting series.

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

I agree too. Since the actors are professionals, viewers really shouldn't be able to tell at all whether they get along or not in real life. And based on the well-known examples, it really is possible that viewers completely believe (or "buy") the onscreen relationship.

[–] psedge 10 years ago

I too just happened to catch this show on METV and dropped by here to give my 2 cents with 2 more reasons why I think the show is so great (in addition to all the other comments made here)...

First, I like how the stories in the episodes usually have a moral or try to highlight some kind of principal or ethic (like the episode I just watched where the kid is taught to give back money he found). It's cool to see the old school golden rule stuff. Things are very different today!

Second, I'm a lover of classic 1960-1970's American autos, and this show is a treasure trove for those... not just the cars that play a role in the episodes, but even the cars that are just parked on the street!

[–] wflipsejr 10 years ago

It's good to find a group of people who appreciate Adam 12. Its production values were really good for the time it was made, although I have seen lengthy discussions in other threads of the hokey generic rock music. Jack Webb was trying to promote respect and appreciation for cops, something that was sorely needed in the late 60's and early 70's.

The chemistry between Malloy and Reed is undeniable and really makes the show. That Milner and McCord were just as good friends off-screen is a plus but ultimately has no bearing on their performances.

The big difference between me and the other posters here is I did not discover Adam-12 on METV. I watch it these days on ME but I have been a fan since the show was in first run. I still hope that most police officers are just like Malloy and Reed.

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

I think you'll find a lot of people on this forum remember the show (and were fans of it) from back in the day; most simply haven't seen it again until it came back to TV on one "oldies" channel or another. As you indicate, though, there are some who have only discovered Adam-12 in the current reruns. What's interesting is that a lot of them are too young to have watched it the first time around, so it's like a new generation of fans for a good, classic show.

[–] jonkennedy 10 years ago

I was 8 to 14 when this show first aired and it was appointment TV for me back in the day. Being from a small town in Pennsylvania, it was also cool to see what the big city of L.A. was like and the problems they had there, as socially my little town was about 10 years behind the times (thankfully). And, of course, my pals and I played "Adam-12" on our bicycles all over the neighborhood.

One thing I like to do now, watching the re-runs on MeTV using my DVR, is to try and spot any street names, or even better intersections where you can see both street names and then go to Google Maps street view and see how things have changed. It's pretty hard to make out the street signs as the show is not on a HD channel on my cable company. But I've been successful a few times. One memorable occasion was S3E6 "Log 55: Missing Child" - the one with Jody Foster, age 5. It was easy to make out the street names and see how the intersection they were at talking to Foster at the time looks today. Also, if I can make out a business name (that's obviously real in the background and not made-up for the episode) to Google them. Most turn up nothing, but I have found a building supply company still going, a florist, and, IIRC, a real estate agency, too. Kinda fun.

[–] jf_moran49 10 years ago

Hello BDrums1971:

Your comments about "Adam-12" are very accurate and succinct. Although production techniques in film and television have obviously evolved since the era of "Adam-12," the series still holds up very well in terms of the superb acting by series' leads Martin Milner and Kent McCord, as well excellent writing and (for their time) believable and representative production values, the shows brought in by the very capable executive producer and actor-director Jack Webb on time and at or, sometimes, under budget. This is why production companies (namely, Universal) loved Webb, and would have probably bought a series of his sight unseen (without a filmed pilot), because Webb was as dependable and thoroughly professional as those emergency workers whose lives his productions portrayed.

McCord (real name Ken McWhirter) was a best friend of the late actor and singer Ricky Nelson, having met when McWhirter portrayed a frat brother of Nelson's on "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet," another excellent and much misrepresented (by the post-Modernist, lefty crowd) TV series that predated "Seinfeld" as the first TV comedy truly "about nothing," nothing but a real-life family playing out the the fantastic foibles and interactions of a fictional TV family with each other and their extended family and friends. In fact, such was the closeness between McWhirter and the Nelsons (as well between philosophically-simpatico TV execs Webb and Ozzie Nelson) that Rick Nelson's ex-wife, Kristin Harmon Nelson, portrayed "Jean Reed" (the wife of "Officer Jim Reed") in the final season of "Adam-12."

Martin Milner was already a seasoned player by the time he strapped on the badge and holster of "Officer (eventually 'Sergeant') Pete Malloy," having co-starred as "Tod Stiles" in the critically praised, popular TV road drama "Route 66," as well roles in dozens of films and other radio and TV episodes, including the radio and early (1950s) TV version of producer Webb's original "Dragnet"

It just may not be underestimated how important Jack Webb was in the development of not only "Adam-12," but emergency workers (firefighters, paramedics, police) as portrayed in film, radio and television generally. Film and TV dramas about cops and rescue workers may have progressed to the point of showing even more realistic and incredibly graphic scenes of brutal horror and violence. But it was Webb who first introduced the reality of routine, grunt police work to these mediums, showing not every day is loaded with shoot 'em ups and gratuitous displays of bodies requiring forensic specialists. Indeed, in both "Adam-12" and "Dragnet," as well the hugely successful "Emergency!," Webb's productions also displayed the sometimes boring work all public service jobs require--filling out paperwork, interviewing suspects and witnesses, pounding pavement in search of evidence, life at the firehouse/station, interactions with other public service employees, etc.

Webb's shows were also a mentoring ground and virtual employment agency for hundreds of aspiring and veteran film and TV actors (Webb was notorious for utilizing a stock company of well-recognized character actors who appeared in all his productions over and over again; faces such as Virginia Gregg, the comical Ann Morgan Guilbert, perpetual "old codger" Burt Mustin, and Herb Vigran, among others), technicians, writers and even future producers of the police drama genre, including Stephen J. Cannell.

Like yourself, "BDrums1971," I have also become a devoted viewer of "Adam-12," as well the other Jack Webb dramas being aired again on MeTV. While I recall sometimes watching (I have always been more a fan of multi-camera sitcoms) the odd episode of "Adam-12" and the revived "Dragnet" series when I was a boy of about 10 years old, back in the late 1960s, it has been these rebroadcasts on MeTV that have made me a true fan of these very well-made TV dramas about the emergency and public service workers so essential to our everyday survival.

Would that more TV series' of the caliber and class of "Adam-12" were still being produced in the present time!

[–] SealordJohn 8 years ago

There are lots of great explanations here that I concur with. The actors that were chosen were believable to me. Many times I thought I was watching real police officers and not actors.
I also liked the show because it did not have to rely on sensational story lines to keep us watching. It reflected reality by including real life incidents from the real police files that provided a well balanced mixture of exciting crimes-in-progress calls to the simple and mundane calls. It is no wonder why police departments all over have a respect for this program.
It makes me wonder just how many young men and women have been influenced by this program to become law enforcement officers?
Thank you to the produces, the crew, the actors and to Jack Webb.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (36898391) 8 years ago

I know one cop and one fireman from my neighborhood that we grew up with and we all played Emergency and Adam 12 in our yards when it came to cops and robbers and rescue...so I'm sure the shows helped a bit. They were great shows for kids to follow because of the action and the likable characters.

Mistake your silence for aloofness, your shyness for snobbery