21 Jump Street

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

21 Jump Street
thumb21 Jump Street Cast
Clockwise from top: Peter DeLuise, Holly Robinson, Johnny Depp, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams. Image copyright, usage restricted.
Genre Crime/Drama
Running time 44 minutes per episode
Creator(s) Patrick Hasburgh
Stephen J. Cannell
Starring Johnny Depp
Peter DeLuise
Holly Robinson
Dustin Nguyen
Steven Williams
et al.
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
Original channel FOX, Syndicated
Original run April 12, 1987April 27, 1991
No. of episodes 103
IMDb profile

21 Jump Street was an hour long police drama television series, developed by Fox Television Network. It ran from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes.

It was produced by the studio of Stephen J. Cannell Productions (which also produced The A-Team and The Rockford Files) and was aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company from 1987-1990; some speculate that it was Johnny Depp's exit that caused the program to be cancelled from Fox. The final season aired in first-run syndication on local Fox affiliates. It was later completed in rerun syndication on Fox's FX cable network from 1996 to 1998 and was distributed by Twentieth Century Television.

The series provided a spark to Johnny Depp's nascent career in acting, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status an irritant, but he was under contract from which he was released after the fourth season.

Sherilyn Fenn, Jason Priestley, Josh Brolin, David Paymer, Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Eric West, Vince Vaughn, Pauly Shore, Blair Underwood, John Waters, Shannen Doherty, Rosie Perez, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Thomas Hayden Church are among the actors who guest starred on 21 Jump Street.

IDT's Anchor Bay Entertainment released the complete first season of the show on DVD in October 2004 and released the complete second season on DVD in March 2005, season three followed in September 2005 and season four followed on November 1, 2005. The final season was released on 21st March, 2006. The criticism on the DVD release has been the substitution of soundtrack music from that used on the original episodes, as that the music originally used was often notably linked to the themes of each episode.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The show is about a group of young cops whose youthful appearances enabled them to work undercover to catch troubled youths. As with most teenage shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the show covered typical plots, such as hate crimes, drug abuse, racism, homophobia, AIDS, drinking, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, each problem was often solved by the end of the hour long show, giving an implicit moral about the impact of a particular activity. When the show originally aired, some episodes were followed immediately by public service announcements featuring cast members.

[edit] Cast

The show starred prominent actors and actresses at the time, including:

[edit] Episode guide

[edit] Season 1

  1. "21 Jump Street (part 1)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 1") (Apr. 12, 1987)
  2. "21 Jump Street (part 2)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 2") (Apr. 12, 1987)
  3. "America, What a Town" (Apr. 19, 1987)
  4. "Don't Pet the Teacher" (Apr. 26, 1987)
  5. "My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" (May 3, 1987)
  6. "The Worst Night of Your Life" (May 10, 1987)
  7. "Gotta Finish the Riff" (May 17, 1987)
  8. "Bad Influence" (May 24, 1987)
  9. "Blindsided" (May 31, 1987)
  10. "Next Generation" (June 7, 1987)
  11. "Low and Away" (also known as "Running on Ice") (June 14, 1987)
  12. "16 Blown to 35" (June 21, 1987)
  13. "Mean Streets and Pastel Houses" (June 28, 1987)

[edit] Season 2

  1. "In the Custody of a Clown" (Sept. 20, 1987)
  2. "Besieged (1)" (Sept. 27, 1987)
  3. "Besieged (2)" (Oct. 4, 1987)
  4. "Two For the Road" (Oct. 11, 1987)
  5. "After School Special" (Oct. 18, 1987)
  6. "Higher Education" (Oct. 25, 1987)
  7. "Don't Stretch the Rainbow" (Nov. 1, 1987)
  8. "Honor Bound" (Nov. 8, 1987)
  9. "You Ought to Be in Prison" (Nov. 15, 1987)
  10. "How Much is That Body in the Window?" (Nov. 22, 1987)
  11. "Christmas in Saigon" (Dec. 20, 1987)
  12. "Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins" (also known as "Doin' The Quarter Mile In A Lifetime") (Dec. 27, 1987)
  13. "A Big Disease With a Little Name" (Feb. 7, 1988)
  14. "Chapel of Love" (Feb. 14, 1988)
  15. "I'm OK- You Need Work" (Feb. 21, 1988)
  16. "Orpheus 3.3" (also known as "The Convenience Killer") (Feb. 28, 1988)
  17. "Champagne High" (Mar. 6, 1988)
  18. "Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond" (Mar. 13, 1988)
  19. "Raising Marijuana" (Apr. 17, 1988)
  20. "Best Years Of Your Life" (May 1, 1988)
  21. "Cory and Dean Got Married" (May 8, 1988)
  22. "School's Out" (May 22, 1988)
Judy Hoffs as Officer Milk Carton.
Enlarge
Judy Hoffs as Officer Milk Carton.

[edit] Season 3

  1. "Fun With Animals" (Nov. 6, 1988)
  2. "Slippin' Into Darkness" (Nov. 13, 1988)
  3. "The Currency We Trade In" (Nov. 20, 1988)
  4. "Coach of the Year" (Nov. 27, 1988)
  5. "Whose Choice is it Anyways?" (Dec. 11, 1988)
  6. "Hell Week" (Dec. 18, 1988)
  7. "The Dragon and the Angel" (Jan. 15, 1989)
  8. "Blu Flu" (Jan. 29, 1989)
  9. "Swallowed Alive" (Feb. 5, 1989)
  10. "What About Love?" (Feb. 12, 1989)
  11. "Woolly Bullies" (Feb. 19, 1989)
  12. "The Dreaded Return of Russell Buckins" (Feb. 26, 1989)
  13. "A.W.O.L." (Mar. 19, 1989)
  14. "Nemesis" (Mar. 26, 1989)
  15. "Fathers and Sons" (Apr. 9, 1989)
  16. "High High" (Apr. 23, 1989)
  17. "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light" (Apr. 30, 1989)
  18. "Next Victim" (May 7, 1989)
  19. "Loc'd Out (part 1)" (also known as "Partners (part 1)") (May 14, 1989)
  20. "Loc'd Out (part 2)" (also known as "Partners (part 2)") (May 21, 1989)

[edit] Season 4

  1. "Draw the Line" (Sep. 18, 1989)
  2. "Say It Ain't So, Pete" (Sep. 25, 1989)
  3. "Eternal Flame" (Oct. 2, 1989)
  4. "Come from the Shadows" (Oct. 9, 1989)
  5. "God is a Bullet" (Oct. 16, 1989)
  6. "Old Haunts in a New Age" (Oct. 30, 1989)
  7. "Out of Control" (Nov. 6, 1989)
  8. "Stand by Your Man" (Nov. 13, 1989)
  9. "Mike's P.O.V." (Nov. 20, 1989)
  10. "Wheels and Deals Part Two" (Nov. 27, 1989) (Part One aired as part of the spin-off series Booker)
  11. "Parental Guidance Suggested" (Dec. 4, 1989)
  12. "Things We Said Today" (Dec. 18, 1989)
  13. "Research and Destroy" (Jan. 8, 1990)
  14. "A Change of Heart" (Jan. 15, 1990)
  15. "Back from the Future" (Jan. 29, 1990) A clip show framed by interviews of the retired cops
  16. "2245" (Feb. 5, 1990)
  17. "Hi Mom" (Feb. 12, 1990)
  18. "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom" (Feb. 19, 1990)
  19. "La Bizca" (Feb. 26, 1990)
  20. "Last Chance High" (Mar. 19, 1990)
  21. "Unfinished Business" (Apr. 9, 1990)
  22. "Shirts and Skins (also known as "A New Breeze Blowing") (Apr. 30, 1990)
  23. "How I Saved the Senator" (May 7, 1990)
  24. "Rounding Third" (May 14, 1990)
  25. "Everyday is Christmas" (May 21, 1990)
  26. "Blackout" (also known as "Business as Usual") (Jun 18, 1990)

[edit] Season 5

  1. "Tunnel of Love" (Oct 13, 1990)
  2. "Back to School" (Oct. 20, 1990)
  3. "Buddy System" (Oct. 27, 1990)
  4. "Poison" (Nov. 3, 1990)
  5. "Just Say No! High" (Nov. 10, 1990)
  6. "Brothers" (Nov. 17, 1990)
  7. "This Ain't No Summer Camp" (Nov. 24, 1990)
  8. "The Girl Next Door" (Dec. 1, 1990)
  9. "Diplomas for Sale" (Dec. 8, 1990)
  10. "Number One with a Bullet" (Dec. 22, 1990)
  11. "Equal Protection" (Jan. 5, 1991)
  12. "The Education of Terry Carver" (Jan. 14, 1991)
  13. "Baby Blues" (Jan. 21, 1991)
  14. "Film at Eleven" (Feb. 9, 1991)
  15. "In the Name of Love" (Feb. 16, 1991)
  16. "Cop Love" (also known as "Coppin' Out") (Feb. 23, 1991)
  17. "Under The Influence" (Mar. 23, 1991)
  18. "Crossfire" (Mar. 30, 1991)
  19. "Wasted" (Apr. 6, 1991)
  20. "Bad Day at Eagle Rock" (also known as "Bad Day at Blackburn") (Apr. 13, 1991)
  21. "Homegirls" (Apr. 20, 1991)
  22. "Second Chances" (Apr. 27, 1991)

[edit] Miscellaneous information

  • A spin-off called Booker was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco), but it ran only one season from September 1989 to June 1990.
  • The show's filming location, Vancouver, is given away in the series' opening. A shot of a city bus with destination "East Hastings" is shown briefly, as well as a SkyTrain with a British Columbia logo barely visible on the side. This was featured in the opening in Seasons 1-3. There also has been a scene filmed inside the main office of local Vancouver high school, David Thompson Secondary.
  • Currently, the show is syndicated on the FOX network and available on DVD.
  • The show is referenced numerous times in A Night at the Roxbury. The film also features Richard Grieco playing himself.
  • Captain Jenko, played by Frederic Forrest, left the show after the fifth episode of the first season. Peter DeLuise cited creative differences between Forrest and the show's writers as the primary reason he was killed off in the show's sixth episode.
  • On the show, Jenko is killed in a freak drunk driving accident. However, because he often ad-libbed his lines, the writers considered having him shot in the throat and leaving him to die a slow painful death where he would be unable to speak for an entire episode.
  • The character of Officer H.T. "Harry" Ioki was revealed in the episode "Christmas in Saigon" to actually be named Vinh van Tran, and to be a Vietnamese refugee, not from Japan as he had been claiming. There is a hearing about whether or not he will be suspended for fraud, and the hearing determines that he is allowed to stay on the force.
  • In the episode: "Best years of your life" which deals with suicide in young people, Doug Penhall reveals that his alcoholic mother killed herself when he was six and that he had tried to kill himself when he was eight. An explanation for his quirky sense of humour.
  • The theme tune was sung by Holly Robinson. She had a minor singing career before starring in the show and Cannell graciously let her try a number of different theme songs, before picking the one that was eventually used. Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise also chimed in with the words "Jump Street" in the song.
Season # DVD release date Notes
1 October 26, 2004
2 March 8, 2005
3 September 6, 2005
4 November 1, 2005
5 March 21, 2006

[edit] External links