(Since this is the first episode of Adam-12, my review is somewhat indepth.)
The opening credits/theme features Dispatch calling on Adam-12 regarding a 415, fight - possible 459 suspects - and Ambulance, sick child. These actually relate to the three calls Adam-12 receives during the episode. This is the only episode in which this occurs.
During the opening theme, when Kent McCord's screen credit comes up, a view through the back window of the squad shows a car parked along the side of the street with it's hazard lights flashing. As the credits go to a two-shot of Reed and Malloy, that car can be seen pulling away from the curb and then following the squad, it's hazard lights still flashing. This was a crew vehicle, used to prevent any other cars from getting into the shot. This car can be seen in the opening credits of every episode of the first two seasons of the show.
We learn straight at the top of the episode that Officer Peter J. Malloy has had seven years on the job and is senior man on the watch. Malloy has been assigned a new partner, James A. Reed, 23 years old, a probationer. Reed finished in the Top 10 in his class. We see from Malloy's behavior that something is troubling him. It seems to involve something to do with a previous probationary Officer who Malloy had trained.
Next is a segment which combines outdoor location filming with indoor studio filming. Here, this clashing technique isn't so bad. It gets much more noticable in the segment that follows. What is actually more jarring in this scene is Malloy's treatment of Reed. All Reed has done so far is look enthusiastic to be there. Malloy seems to think the newbie won't even be able to follow him to the squad car. What follows next is the seeming possession of Officer Malloy by the ghost of "Dragnet" character, Sergeant Joe Friday. Malloy, speaking at a high-rate of speed through practically gritted teeth, gets all nasty and condescending in his demeanor while explaining to Reed that the Adam-12 squad is much more than just "a police car". Malloy tells Reed that if "you take care of it (the squad car), it will take care of you." Malloy will forget all about this in the fourth season episode, "The Search". In that one, Malloy, alone in the squad at night, drives the squad wildly on a dark, seriously twisting, forested road. In fact, he drives so wildly that he loses control and soars off the road, smashing and destroying the squad. Since Malloy certainly wasn't taking care of the squad, it didn't take care of him. Malloy gets seriously injured and the squad and it's 2-way radio is of no help whatsoever. ("The Search" is actually an absolutely outstanding, 10/10 episode of the series.)
At the end of this segment, we learn that whatever it is that's troubling Malloy, it happened two weeks earlier at a warehouse. Malloy plans to speak with the Captain regarding a decision Malloy has made, later in the day. Then, oddly, although just out of the Police Academy, Reed has no idea how to "Clear" the Adam-12 squad for duty. He nervously takes the microphone and reads from a scrap of paper, "This is Unit 1-A-12, we are clear." Malloy grabs the microphone in disgust and gives a correct clearance. This Malloy guy sure seems like a bit of a jerk so far. The scene ends with a very funny, if unintentional mimicing of Malloy, by Reed.
It's then off to that 415, fight. Two guys are fighting while a woman dances in the street. Millie Helper (the nutty neighbor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show") has picked the wrong time to take a trip to Los Angeles, California. Some weird guy has been sticking his fingers in her mouth. In the end it's all innocent and fine. What isn't fine is that same jarring filming technique of switching from a location-shoot to a studio-shoot. The lighting between location and studio is very off-putting. Also, the backgrounds differ very noticably. In studio, Reed and the two men who had been fighting are filmed with a large photograph of a Dump Truck behind them. But the location-shoot shows Reed no where near the truck and the two men are standing with the squad car right behind them and the truck beyond the squad car. Happily, this combining of location and studio filming is put to a stop right away. It pops up again about 18 episodes later, but that's because segments of that episode had actually been filmed to appear in this episode. Very strange!
Next, the new partners are off to deal with those 459 suspects. The owner of a liquor store had spotted a couple of guys sitting in a green 1959 Buick sedan who were "up to something." The store's had three recent robberies and the store owner could feel it in his bones that the guys in the Buick were up to no good. What follows is an absolutely awesome car chase. The guys in the Buick decide to "rabbit" (take off speeding) when Adam-12 pulls up behind them. Turns out, via a license plate check, the occupants of the Buick are considered armed and dangerous. They're to be apprehended and held for burglary, Auto-Division. This is a great chase scene, very creatively filmed and directed. A fantastic area is used in which to crash the bad guys' car. Oddly, as the car crashes, it has no windshield. Then, as the camera angle changes and the car's engine catches fire, large broken pieces of the windshield are back in place. The two bad guys as well as Malloy and Reed get to go for a nice walk in ankle deep water. Reed should remember this watery location for a future episode when his feet get terribly sunburned. Ah... so soothing!
Stopping for "7" (time to eat), Reed tells Malloy that he's been married for three years and that his wife is pregnant. Malloy tells Reed that he's never found anybody who could put up with him. Reed struggles, but is able to get Malloy to tell him what it is that's troubling Malloy. Malloy tells Reed that Reed won't see him again after this first night. Malloy is leaving the job. Here, Malloy says that about three weeks earlier, a nice young kid about Reed's age got blown-up. He'd been married and had a six-month old baby. It tore Malloy up pretty bad. That "kid" had been Malloy's previous partner. It does seem rather odd that although Malloy has been incredibly affected by his former young partner's death, he never speaks that Officer's name.
Next, it's off to that Ambulance, sick child call. M & R get to the home with the sick child before the ambulance. Here we get to see that Malloy, who again hasn't been the nicest guy interacting with his new partner, can in fact be very caring and indeed, quite heroic. This is a very much needed scene. Without it, the Malloy character really wouldn't have been shown to have any redeeming characteristics in this first episode. (Could this scene have been brought forward from a later episode? This would explain why another scene containing pertinent information for this pilot episode was cut and moved to a much later episode, "A Jumper, Code 2". That scene also features the jarring combination of location/studio filming. Just a theory of a possibility.) It is interesting to think that as I write this, again in 2023, the little baby Malloy saves, named Gladys, would now be 55 years old.
Malloy and Reed are then sent out from the Station House to a major 415 at a park. Shots have been fired. Late at night, 30 kids are holed up in a Barbecue Hut in the darkness of a large park. Three have guns. They'd been terrorizing the surrounding neighborhood, shooting off their guns, destroying property. They've even slugged and robbed a woman, Thelma Martin. One of the kids is said to be wearing a nazi uniform. (Thelma Martin and the "kid" in the nazi uniform will both be seen in that later episode mentioned above.)
The Officer in charge at the scene, Sergeant MacDonald, sends the partners into the pitch black to block off any means of escape for the bad bunch of hippie rowdies. All that can be seen of the group are the flashes from their guns as they shoot in the direction of the police. Malloy gives Reed one thing, and one thing only to do. He tells "Junior" to run to a nearby tree and stay there. He even has Reed repeat back to him the order. Reed repeats the order back to Malloy and then proceeds to ignore the order. Reed ends up single-handedly capturing the shooters. The three gun shooters stopped, other Police move in and subdue all of the "kid" hippie rowdies.
After a humorous moment in which Reed rather nervously "marries" a tree (at Malloy's insistance) Malloy has a conversation with his Lieutenant. Malloy describes Reed to the Lieutenant as "too head strong, too eager, too young, not loose enough." Malloy continues, "Reed listens good when he wants to, but all the time you can hear those wheels spinning, figuring a better way than he's been told, he talks too much when he shouldn't, not enough when he should, his radio procedure is rough as a cob, but he wears the uniform right." The Lieutenant responds, saying that he himself once told his Watch Commander the same things about a youngster that he rode with when he first came on the job. That youngster's name was Malloy.
As the episode raps up, Malloy tells Reed he couldn't let Reed loose on the citizens of Los Angeles. Malloy has very obviously changed his mind about quitting. A relieved and super-enthused Reed is so happy to know that Malloy is going to be sticking around to guide and mentor him on the job, that he begins to cheerfully walk back to the Adam-12 squad car, but in the very obvious wrong direction. Yes, Reed is going to need a whole lot of that guidance and mentoring!
Regardless of the "jarring/clashing" filming techniques used in some segments, this pilot episode of "Adam-12" is truly excellent. Writing, Production, Direction and Acting are stand-out terrific. This will ultimately prove to be one of the finest Police drama series' ever created for television. 10/10.
The opening credits/theme features Dispatch calling on Adam-12 regarding a 415, fight - possible 459 suspects - and Ambulance, sick child. These actually relate to the three calls Adam-12 receives during the episode. This is the only episode in which this occurs.
During the opening theme, when Kent McCord's screen credit comes up, a view through the back window of the squad shows a car parked along the side of the street with it's hazard lights flashing. As the credits go to a two-shot of Reed and Malloy, that car can be seen pulling away from the curb and then following the squad, it's hazard lights still flashing. This was a crew vehicle, used to prevent any other cars from getting into the shot. This car can be seen in the opening credits of every episode of the first two seasons of the show.
We learn straight at the top of the episode that Officer Peter J. Malloy has had seven years on the job and is senior man on the watch. Malloy has been assigned a new partner, James A. Reed, 23 years old, a probationer. Reed finished in the Top 10 in his class. We see from Malloy's behavior that something is troubling him. It seems to involve something to do with a previous probationary Officer who Malloy had trained.
Next is a segment which combines outdoor location filming with indoor studio filming. Here, this clashing technique isn't so bad. It gets much more noticable in the segment that follows. What is actually more jarring in this scene is Malloy's treatment of Reed. All Reed has done so far is look enthusiastic to be there. Malloy seems to think the newbie won't even be able to follow him to the squad car. What follows next is the seeming possession of Officer Malloy by the ghost of "Dragnet" character, Sergeant Joe Friday. Malloy, speaking at a high-rate of speed through practically gritted teeth, gets all nasty and condescending in his demeanor while explaining to Reed that the Adam-12 squad is much more than just "a police car". Malloy tells Reed that if "you take care of it (the squad car), it will take care of you." Malloy will forget all about this in the fourth season episode, "The Search". In that one, Malloy, alone in the squad at night, drives the squad wildly on a dark, seriously twisting, forested road. In fact, he drives so wildly that he loses control and soars off the road, smashing and destroying the squad. Since Malloy certainly wasn't taking care of the squad, it didn't take care of him. Malloy gets seriously injured and the squad and it's 2-way radio is of no help whatsoever. ("The Search" is actually an absolutely outstanding, 10/10 episode of the series.)
At the end of this segment, we learn that whatever it is that's troubling Malloy, it happened two weeks earlier at a warehouse. Malloy plans to speak with the Captain regarding a decision Malloy has made, later in the day. Then, oddly, although just out of the Police Academy, Reed has no idea how to "Clear" the Adam-12 squad for duty. He nervously takes the microphone and reads from a scrap of paper, "This is Unit 1-A-12, we are clear." Malloy grabs the microphone in disgust and gives a correct clearance. This Malloy guy sure seems like a bit of a jerk so far. The scene ends with a very funny, if unintentional mimicing of Malloy, by Reed.
It's then off to that 415, fight. Two guys are fighting while a woman dances in the street. Millie Helper (the nutty neighbor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show") has picked the wrong time to take a trip to Los Angeles, California. Some weird guy has been sticking his fingers in her mouth. In the end it's all innocent and fine. What isn't fine is that same jarring filming technique of switching from a location-shoot to a studio-shoot. The lighting between location and studio is very off-putting. Also, the backgrounds differ very noticably. In studio, Reed and the two men who had been fighting are filmed with a large photograph of a Dump Truck behind them. But the location-shoot shows Reed no where near the truck and the two men are standing with the squad car right behind them and the truck beyond the squad car. Happily, this combining of location and studio filming is put to a stop right away. It pops up again about 18 episodes later, but that's because segments of that episode had actually been filmed to appear in this episode. Very strange!
Next, the new partners are off to deal with those 459 suspects. The owner of a liquor store had spotted a couple of guys sitting in a green 1959 Buick sedan who were "up to something." The store's had three recent robberies and the store owner could feel it in his bones that the guys in the Buick were up to no good. What follows is an absolutely awesome car chase. The guys in the Buick decide to "rabbit" (take off speeding) when Adam-12 pulls up behind them. Turns out, via a license plate check, the occupants of the Buick are considered armed and dangerous. They're to be apprehended and held for burglary, Auto-Division. This is a great chase scene, very creatively filmed and directed. A fantastic area is used in which to crash the bad guys' car. Oddly, as the car crashes, it has no windshield. Then, as the camera angle changes and the car's engine catches fire, large broken pieces of the windshield are back in place. The two bad guys as well as Malloy and Reed get to go for a nice walk in ankle deep water. Reed should remember this watery location for a future episode when his feet get terribly sunburned. Ah... so soothing!
Stopping for "7" (time to eat), Reed tells Malloy that he's been married for three years and that his wife is pregnant. Malloy tells Reed that he's never found anybody who could put up with him. Reed struggles, but is able to get Malloy to tell him what it is that's troubling Malloy. Malloy tells Reed that Reed won't see him again after this first night. Malloy is leaving the job. Here, Malloy says that about three weeks earlier, a nice young kid about Reed's age got blown-up. He'd been married and had a six-month old baby. It tore Malloy up pretty bad. That "kid" had been Malloy's previous partner. It does seem rather odd that although Malloy has been incredibly affected by his former young partner's death, he never speaks that Officer's name.
Next, it's off to that Ambulance, sick child call. M & R get to the home with the sick child before the ambulance. Here we get to see that Malloy, who again hasn't been the nicest guy interacting with his new partner, can in fact be very caring and indeed, quite heroic. This is a very much needed scene. Without it, the Malloy character really wouldn't have been shown to have any redeeming characteristics in this first episode. (Could this scene have been brought forward from a later episode? This would explain why another scene containing pertinent information for this pilot episode was cut and moved to a much later episode, "A Jumper, Code 2". That scene also features the jarring combination of location/studio filming. Just a theory of a possibility.) It is interesting to think that as I write this, again in 2023, the little baby Malloy saves, named Gladys, would now be 55 years old.
Malloy and Reed are then sent out from the Station House to a major 415 at a park. Shots have been fired. Late at night, 30 kids are holed up in a Barbecue Hut in the darkness of a large park. Three have guns. They'd been terrorizing the surrounding neighborhood, shooting off their guns, destroying property. They've even slugged and robbed a woman, Thelma Martin. One of the kids is said to be wearing a nazi uniform. (Thelma Martin and the "kid" in the nazi uniform will both be seen in that later episode mentioned above.)
The Officer in charge at the scene, Sergeant MacDonald, sends the partners into the pitch black to block off any means of escape for the bad bunch of hippie rowdies. All that can be seen of the group are the flashes from their guns as they shoot in the direction of the police. Malloy gives Reed one thing, and one thing only to do. He tells "Junior" to run to a nearby tree and stay there. He even has Reed repeat back to him the order. Reed repeats the order back to Malloy and then proceeds to ignore the order. Reed ends up single-handedly capturing the shooters. The three gun shooters stopped, other Police move in and subdue all of the "kid" hippie rowdies.
After a humorous moment in which Reed rather nervously "marries" a tree (at Malloy's insistance) Malloy has a conversation with his Lieutenant. Malloy describes Reed to the Lieutenant as "too head strong, too eager, too young, not loose enough." Malloy continues, "Reed listens good when he wants to, but all the time you can hear those wheels spinning, figuring a better way than he's been told, he talks too much when he shouldn't, not enough when he should, his radio procedure is rough as a cob, but he wears the uniform right." The Lieutenant responds, saying that he himself once told his Watch Commander the same things about a youngster that he rode with when he first came on the job. That youngster's name was Malloy.
As the episode raps up, Malloy tells Reed he couldn't let Reed loose on the citizens of Los Angeles. Malloy has very obviously changed his mind about quitting. A relieved and super-enthused Reed is so happy to know that Malloy is going to be sticking around to guide and mentor him on the job, that he begins to cheerfully walk back to the Adam-12 squad car, but in the very obvious wrong direction. Yes, Reed is going to need a whole lot of that guidance and mentoring!
Regardless of the "jarring/clashing" filming techniques used in some segments, this pilot episode of "Adam-12" is truly excellent. Writing, Production, Direction and Acting are stand-out terrific. This will ultimately prove to be one of the finest Police drama series' ever created for television. 10/10.
