Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: The Naked Gun, "Police Squad," Zucker-Abrahams Productions
Likes: Leslie Nielsen
Dislikes: That's there's only six episodes
Hates: The Nielsen ratings

The Show
Growing up in a house with HBO and a VCR, movies were a big part of my childhood, none moreso than the films of the Zucker brothers, namely Airplane, Top Secret and The Kentucky Fried Movie. Since this was before the age of DVD and the internet, I had no way of knowing that they had done a TV show, until I found a VHS tape of three episodes down at Video Plus. I probably rented that tape two or three times a month, until the store burned down, and I haven't seen the show since.

Sitting down with this series so many years later, I don't think it's as hysterical as I did when I was younger, but it's still fun way to kill a few hours. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is a serious-as-a-heart-attack cop working the silliest beat in the city. It's not that the cases, which include murder, robbery and kidnapping, aren't serious, it's just that nothing else is. Adhering to the Airplane style of wall-to-wall jokes means there's no part of the show that isn't played for laughs, be it the opening credits, the signs in the backgrounds or the final frame. Small bits like each episode's special guest star, whose time on-screen might be 5 seconds at most, and the comedic take on TV's old tradition of ending on a freeze frame, add up to a great deal of comedy.

Though the majority of the gags are tremendously telegraphed and obvious, they still work, because the actors aren't playing the lines for laughs. They are playing the lines as cops, even when Drebin's reminiscing about his roommate like he's remembering an old flame. It doesn't matter how silly it gets, the show, which doesn't have a laugh track, never blinks, making the ridiculous nature of the jokes stand out even more. When you've got people trying to change their lives and get out of the sewer, and then physically climb out of a sewer, you know it's a show that's going to do what it needs to get a laugh.

Nielsen was the perfect choice to play Drebin, as he lends this utter moron the gravity of a noir detective, making the gags work brilliantly. As he offers a smoke to a witness with a simple "Cigarette?," you know what the response will be, but it still works. They could have made Drebin a stumbling boob, but because he carries himself as a hard-edged cop, his character has the inner respect needed to sell the show's comedy. After all, if Drebin tripped down the stairs, flailing like a Kramer-esque loon, it would be just another wacky moment. Instead, when it happens, it's an out-of-character moment that elicits laughs.

Nielsen isn't the only reason the show works, as the cast is so good at playing it straight. Alan North, who plays Drebin's boss Ed Hocken, with a bewildered sense of frustration at how Drebin manages to misunderstand so much of what's said. Hocken is every end-of-his-career cop you've seen, having spent too many years on the beat, and now he just works the crime scene like an administrator, giving the scenes more realism. He's joined by child endangering lab scientist Ted Olsen (Ed Williams) and Nordberg (Peter Lupus), whose numbskull character was made infamous in the films by O.J. Simpson. Nordberg's the only fool whose actions are actually viewed as being foolish, which makes it more ridiculous, considering everything that goes on around him.

It's interesting to see how much of the series ended up in the films, but it makes sense, since the plan was originally to make a movie. You can sit and watch each episode and check off your list of jokes carried over to the big screen. Surprisingly, considering it's a parody, and the fact that so much of what's in the ZAZ films has become dated over time, there's very little here that doesn't still work today. Part of why it's still relevant is the fact that it's was made as a period piece, calling back to the days of the gumshoe who used street informants and roughed up suspects. "Police Squad" will likely always be relevant thanks to a hilarious cast, a good-natured sense of humor and enough jokes that even when they don't always hit, there's another one right around the corner.

The DVD
Packed in a standard keepcase, this one-disc release includes an animated, full-frame main menu that has episode selections, a play-all option, special features and a set-up choice. There are no subtitles, but there is closed captioning, and audio options include Dolby Digital 5.1 and 1.0 tracks.

The Quality
The full-frame transfers on this series are very nice, looking a little too nice for such an old and disrespected series. Though the image is slightly soft, and there's some noticeable grain and minor dirt and damage in spots, the overall look of the episodes is really solid, with good, if slightly dull, color.

The original Mono soundtrack is a quality presentation, though it sounds a bit thin. A newly constructed 5.1 mix is a bit more powerful, thanks to the enhanced sound in the sides and rear, though it feels artificial, especially during the opening titles, during which the music drops out slightly during the voice-over. Dialogue is very clean and the music sounds as good as it could for the show's age.

The Extras
Things start with three episode-length audio commentaries, two by producer Robert Weiss, Abrahams and the Zuckers and one by Robert Wuhl (a writer on the show.) As has been the case in the past with ZAZ tracks, the guys get caught up in watching their stuff, but some background info comes out anyway. Unfortunately, the audio mix is awful, with the brothers heard cleanly, and Weiss and Abrahams sounding like they were recorded in another room with pillow cases on their heads. Wuhl's track feels slightly bitter, and is too subdued to be a good time.

A gag reel runs about five minutes, with plenty of amusing screw-ups from Nielsen and company. The material is in a bit of rough shape, but it's fun anyway. I'm almost certain the nine-minute interview with Nielsen that follows is an outtake from the Airplane DVD, as he's sitting in a row of airplane seats, with a greenscreen behind him. Despite the repurposing, it's a good inclusion, as Nielsen reminisces about the show, ruminates on its failure and talks about the evolution into a movie.

The five-minute "Behind the Freeze Frame" featurette wasn't as in-depth as hoped for, as it's just footage of one of the most involved free-frame endings attempted on the show, with a short commentary about the concept from Abrahams and the Zuckers. The idea was such an iconic part of the show, so you'd think they could say a bit more about it, or have some flubs from the shoots.

Some odds and ends are found here also, including a pair of screen tests with North and Williams. They are mainly curiosities, though it's interesting to see how North's role was going to be much different in the beginning. A fascinating look at production memos relating to the show gives great insight into how the show was made, before an animated scroll of set photos from the producers and a list of planned methods of celebrity deaths for the opening credits wraps things up.

The Bottom Line
"Police Squad" was well ahead of its time, asking viewers to actually pay attention to get the jokes, something that didn't come into vogue until decades later. On the other hand, if this show aired today, it might have been yanked after the third episode, instead of six. Either way, it's a silly series with a lot of laughs for anyone willing to just let go and enjoy. The DVD looks and sounds very nice for a forgotten series, and a surprising amount of extras provides some additional entertainment. Fans of the Naked Gun films will certainly enjoy these episodes, as will anyone who's into the sillier things in life.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.