Adam-12

Adam-12 is a police procedural television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons from 1968 to 1975. Co-created by Jack Webb, it starred Martin Milner and Kent McCord as LAPD police officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, respectively, who are assigned the call sign "1-Adam-12."

Jim Reed had been introduced as a minor character on Webb's Dragnet series the year prior; the shows had occasional crossovers and featured similar tones and acting styles. The primary difference was the Adam-12 unit responded to multiple calls, ranging from actual crimes to traffic hazards or comedic disturbances. The series was revived in 1990 with the title The New Adam-12.

References

• A 1970s PBS pledge drive promo features Kermit the Frog talking to a young girl named Cathlin. Kermit says that Cathlin is a spokesperson for Sesame Street and asks what her favorite television programs are. The shows Cathlin names at first (before finally getting to Sesame Street) include Adam-12, Emergency! (another Webb series, which it occasionally crossed over with), and The Waltons.

• In a January 2000 Scifi.com online chat with Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon, he is asked what Aeryn Sun said to Jack Crichton (played by Kent McCord) in "A Human Reaction." O'Bannon joked that it was "Can you get me Martin Milner's autograph...?" in reference to McCord's Adam-12 co-star.

• In the Farscape episode "Wait for the Wheel," when it is revealed that the serpent-like creature can no longer turn invisible, John Crichton alerts the Moya crew, telling them, "1-Adam-12, guys! The critter's part of our reality now. Be careful out there."

Connections

• Alvin Alexis played Theodore in "The Bully" (1990 series)
• Dick Clark played J. Benson in "Who Won"
• Micky Dolenz played Oiler in "Dirt Duel"
• Jodie Foster played Mary Bennett in "Missing Child"
• Bryan Joseph wrote several episodes
• Cloris Leachman played Judy in "The Color TV Bandit"
• Kent McCord played Officer Jim Reed
• Hal Smith played Edward Brown in "A Jumper, Code 2"
• Harry Dean Stanton played Henry Fletcher in "So This Little Guy Goes into This Bar, and..."