The grooviest gang of fuzz who ever wore a badge.
The grooviest gang of fuzz who ever wore a badge.
Not before, nor since, has a television detective show been more indicative of its time than
the Mod Squad. While all crime drama shows incorporate ideas of their time, most
could be made 'contemporary' with a few simple updates in fashion and technology. Not so
with The Mod Squad. The show worked because of its clothes, its language, its attitudes and,
of course, its timing. The show's topics, such as student unrest and anti-war statements could only
have worked in the late 60s. That's why, despite being one of the better tv reunion
movies with a perfectly suited and reasonably well-written storyline, the 1979 reunion
movie wasn't successful. That's also why the big screen movie was one of the worst movies ever. That's
all that will be said here about the movie - this site is dedicated to the grooviest gang
of television fuzz that ever wore a badge: Michael Cole, Clarence Williams III and Peggy
Lipton as Pete, Linc and Julie.The Mod Squad consisted of three troubled kids who had dropped out of straight society and had had a run-in with the law. Pete had been kicked out by his wealthy Beverly Hills parents and stolen a car, Linc was raised in the Watts ghetto and was arrested in the Watts rioting; Julie was the daughter of a San Francisco prostitute who had run away from home and had been arrested in L.A. for vagrancy. All three were on probation when they were approached by Captain Adam Greer to form a special 'youth squad' to infiltrate the counter-culture and catch the adult crime-lords who preyed on the young kids, but never the kids themselves. While the Mod Squad were "fuzz", they certainly weren't "pigs". Being from the Flower-Children era, they didn't carry guns; instead, they wore beads and hip clothing and used the slang of the day: "groovy", "keep the faith" and, most notably, "solid". | ||||
A number of other factors make the show memorable as well: Julie's psychedelic pad,
Linc's afro and his flying leaps to catch runaway criminals, the Woody station wagon they
rode around in, car explosions, motorcycle action and the trademark ending where a
crane/helicopter pans far away from the Mod Squad, all remain strong in the minds of fans.
The music to the was show innovative and perfectly chosen. At a time when
the hammond organ was synonymous with hip psychedelic music, the show's soundtracks featured this
instrument predominantly, always keeping a groovy mood.
When the Mod Squad hit the airwaves it was an instant success, running on ABC for five years between 1968 and 1973. Particularly popular amongst young viewers, the show spawned comics, books, puzzles, bubblegum cards and other merchandise to cash in on its success. But the Mod Squad was also recognized and well-regarded by adults as well, receiving numerious Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations each year it was on the air. After the 1972-73 season, once hippies and 60's counter-culture were a thing of the past, the series was cancelled. All in all, the show was an incredible groundbreaker. Peggy Lipton was almost certainly television's first female police officer in a successful leading role, years before Police Woman first aired. Of course, the show's soundtrack music was probably the first to have a rock and roll sound - more than 10 years before Miami Vice. The series is available from Paramount for any tv station that wants to run it in syndication, but sadly, despite being remembered fondly by many people, it seldom appears in re-runs anymore. But if you're ready to relive the non-stop action that was the Mod Squad here, carry on...
Site last updated 14Oct06
Previous Updates:
16Jan06:
My Other Classic TV Website:
page as a Starting Point Hot Site. 
This is a fan site only - it is not affiliated with Viacom, Paramount, ABC or any other
person or organization
who has ownership rights to the Mod Squad name, logo, pictures, sounds or videos herein. This site is 100% non-commercial. Anyone who feels their copyright has been infringed by this site may email me for a speedy resolution. Thanks to ModBot for help with the pics!
Information on this site was gathered from: :Copyclaim: ~1997~2008: Graeme: Smith.
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The series was created from the true experiences of creator Bud Ruskin, a former
police officer. While a member of the Los Angeles Sheriff's
Department in the 1950's, he was a part of an undercover narcotics squad made up of young
officers which served as the inspiration for the series. He first wrote a pilot script
for the show in 1960 - it took eight years before it reached the air. Produced by Aaron
Spelling, who of course has gone on to incredible success, the Mod Squad was his
breakthrough hit.
