The Mod Squad

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The Mod Squad ranks 3,817 out of the 18,228 shows on TV.com.

The 96 users who count themselves as The Mod Squad fans have written a total of 1 reviews.

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They were three hipper-than-hip undercover cops with a touch of menace and plenty of attitude. They walked the walk and talked the talk--and an entire generation stepped into line. Julie, Linc and Pete--Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III and Michael Cole, respectively--changed the television landscape. Now, take... more »

They were three hipper-than-hip undercover cops with a touch of menace and plenty of attitude. They walked the walk and talked the talk--and an entire generation stepped into line. Julie, Linc and Pete--Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III and Michael Cole, respectively--changed the television landscape. Now, take a journey back to the turbulent '60s and relive the phenomenon known as The Mod Squad, a bold TV series that redefined fashion, from hairstyles to language. "Solid."

One Black, One White, One Blonde..................

The early cop show format, as defined by shows like Dragnet, was certainly entertaining, but let's face it…sometimes those flatfoots could be a bit square. The cops doled out justice, but they didn't have a lot of fun doing it. It seemed that the description of TV cops might never include the word "cool," until (whew!) The Mod Squad showed up to save the day. This influential action drama brought the cop show into the era of flower power by making its cops young, hip, and full of attitude. As a result, it became a big hit and one of the few cop shows with a big audience of youngsters.

The "Mod Squad" of the title was a trio of fashion-forward juvenile delinquents: Pete had stolen a car, Linc had been arrested during a riot, and Julie was a runaway from San Francisco. All three were on probation when they met Captain Adam Greer, a tough but sympathetic cop. Greer proposed that they join forces to form a special "youth squad"—they would go undercover in the thriving Southern Californian youth subculture and ensnare adult criminals who preyed on the kids. The three hipsters agreed, and The Mod Squad was born.

Although they did the work of police detectives, the Modders didn't do things in conventional police officer style: they didn't carry badges or carry guns, and they didn't "fink" on kids their own age. They also got to carry out their police work against colorful and exciting backdrops like go-go clubs, motorcycle rallies, and (of course) the beach. They spoke in the cool slang of the day, the most notable example being Linc's habit of saying "Solid" to show his approval of something cool.

The premise of The Mod Squad might have seemed too good to be true, but it did have a basis in fact. The show was inspired by the experiences of creator Bud Ruskin, a former L.A. policeman who had been part of undercover narcotics squad made up of youthful cops. His experiences turned out to be a goldmine, as The Mod Squad became an instant hit on ABC's television lineup in the fall of 1968. The show won Peggy Lipton a Golden Globe Award for her performance as Julie, and its revolving cast of scenesters introduced plenty of new talent like Louis Gosset Jr., Anne Archer, Harrison Ford, Tyne Daly, Richard Dreyfuss and Lesley Ann Warren.

The Mod Squad continues to make its influence felt today in many ways. It remains a favorite of syndication, is frequently mentioned in surveys of influential television shows, and has even inspired 1999 big-screen remake. The trio wasn't kidding when they called themselves The Mod Squad. They never went out of style, never became un-mod.less «

• Pete and Julie

  Did anyone sense the 'tension' between Julie and Pete? I am so happy to be able to view these episodes again, but ...more »

  Did anyone sense the 'tension' between Julie and Pete? I am so happy to be able to view these episodes again, but I wonder if they ever really spoke of their 'love' for each other. I always wanted that to happen when I was little....now I am like 'come on....i can feel it when they look at each other'. Yes, I am a sucker for this show. Michael Cole and my cousin were best friends in High School and after, so I met him and he was around a lot. I was little, so of course, nothing but a HUGE crush. :lol: less «

  dnvrsangel1 Last online Jul 27, 2008
  3 comments, last one Jun 30, 2008 + Add Comment

• Coming out on Region 2 DVD soon

  Paramount Home Entertainment (UK) are releasing The Mod Squad on Region 2 DVD later this year. I went on DVD Times (a DVD n...more »

  Paramount Home Entertainment (UK) are releasing The Mod Squad on Region 2 DVD later this year. I went on DVD Times (a DVD news and reviews website) last Friday to see if there were any updates, and saw a new article had been posted regarding further seasons of TV shows coming out on R2 DVD and TV shows making their debut on R2 DVD, from Paramount Home Entertainment (UK). The Mod Squad was one of the releases mentioned in the article. They're releasing the first part of season 1 of The Mod Squad. less «

  SunSpeed Last online 4 days ago
  2 comments, last one Jun 12, 2008 + Add Comment

• Tige Andrews

  Tige Andrews, Captain Adam Greer on The Mod Squad , passed away Jan. 27 of cardiac arrest. He was 86 years old.

  Tige Andrews, Captain Adam Greer on The Mod Squad , passed away Jan. 27 of cardiac arrest. He was 86 years old.less «

  crazyrhythm
  2 comments, last one Feb 24, 2007 + Add Comment

•  

  9 Superb

  The Mod Squad were three troubled kids who dropped out of society and had a run-in with the law. All three were on probation when approached by Captain Adam Greer to form a special squad to infiltrate the counter-culture and catch adult crime-lords w hide « show »

  One Black, One White, One Blonde: The series had a cool trademark ending: a crane / helicopter shot panning away from the Mod Squad and freezing. The music to the show was also brilliantly chosen. Hammond organ music was synonymous with nightclubs and acid parties, the show's soundtracks featured this instrument predominantly, keeping things groovy.

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  ModBot Added Jun 15, 2005 All my reviews