The Mod Squad

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For other uses, see The Mod Squad (disambiguation).
The Mod Squad
File:Mod Squad.jpg
Title screen, 1970 to 1973
Genre Crime drama
Created by Bud "Buddy" Ruskin
Developed by Tony Barrett
Harve Bennett
Sammy Hess
Starring Michael Cole
Clarence Williams III
Peggy Lipton
Tige Andrews
Theme music composer Earle Hagen
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 124 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Aaron Spelling
Danny Thomas
Running time 60 minutes
Production company(s) Thomas-Spelling Productions
Distributor Worldvision Enterprises
(1973–1999)
Paramount Domestic Television
(1999–2006)
CBS Paramount Domestic Television
(2006–2007)
CBS Television Distribution
(2007–2021)
CBS Media Ventures (2021-present)
Release
Original network ABC
Original release September 24, 1968 (1968-09-24) –
March 1, 1973 (1973-03-01)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

The Mod Squad is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973.[1] It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, and Tige Andrews as Captain Adam Greer. The executive producers of the series were Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas.[1][2]

The counterculture police series earned six Emmy Award nominations, four Golden Globe nominations plus one win for Peggy Lipton, one Directors Guild of America Award, and four Logies.[3] In 1970, the second-season episode, "In This Corner . . . Sol Alpert," script by Rita Lakin and Harve Bennet, was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for an Edgar Award in the category of Best Mystery Teleplay, losing to the TV-Movie Daughter of the Mind. In 1997, a 1970 episode "Mother of Sorrow" was ranked #95 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[4]

Plot

The main cast in 1971 from left: Clarence Williams III, Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole

They were The Mod Squad ("One black, one white, one blonde"), described by one critic as "the hippest and first young undercover cops on TV".[5] Each of these characters represented mainstream culture's principal fears regarding youth in the era:[6] long-haired rebel Pete Cochran was evicted from his wealthy parents' Beverly Hills home, then arrested and put on probation after he stole a car; Lincoln Hayes, who came from a family of 13 children, was arrested in the Watts riots, one of the longest and most violent riots in Los Angeles history; flower child Julie Barnes, the "canary with a broken wing,"[7]:64 was arrested for vagrancy after running away from her prostitute mother's San Francisco home; and Captain Adam Greer was a tough but sympathetic mentor and father figure who convinced them to form the squad.[1][8][9]

The concept was to take three rebellious, disaffected young social outcasts and convince them to work as unarmed undercover detectives as an alternative to being incarcerated. Their youthful, hippie personas would enable them to get close to the criminals they investigated. "The times are changing," said Captain Greer. "They can get into places we can't." Examples included infiltrations of a high school to solve a teacher's murder, of an underground newspaper to find a bomber, and of an acting class to look for a strangler who was preying on blonde actresses.[1][9]

More than a year before the release of the film Easy Rider, The Mod Squad was one of the earliest attempts to deal with the counterculture. Groundbreaking in the realm of socially relevant drama,[2] it dealt with issues such as abortion, domestic violence, child abuse, illiteracy, slumlords, the anti-war movement, illegal immigration, police brutality, student protest, sex education, soldiers returning from Vietnam and PTSD, racism, euthanasia, and the illegal drug trade.[10] Spelling intended the show to be about the characters' relationships and promised that the Squad "would never arrest kids...or carry a gun or use one."[7]:63

The show was loosely based on creator Bud "Buddy" Ruskin's experiences in the late 1950s as a squad leader for young undercover narcotics cops, though it took almost 10 years after he wrote a script for the idea to be green-lighted by ABC Television Studios.[8]

Impact

The shows Star Trek (1966–69), I Spy (1965–68), The Bill Cosby Show (1969–71), Room 222 (1969–74), Mannix (1967–75), Mission: Impossible (1966–73), Julia (1968–71), The Flip Wilson Show (1970–74), and The Mod Squad (1968–73) were among the first programs to feature African-Americans as stars since the stereotyped roles of Amos 'n' Andy and Beulah (ABC, 1950–53).[11] Significantly, The Mod Squad presented an African-American character (Linc) as being on an equal footing, as roles went, to the Caucasian characters (Barnes and Cochran). In one Mod Squad episode, the script called for Linc to give Barnes a "friendly kiss". Since the first interracial kiss on an American television show was in 1968, this was still fairly new territory in popular culture.[12] The studio was frightened of a negative public reaction, so they asked Spelling to cut it:[7]:67–68

"You can't do that," I was told. "You can't have a black man kissing a white girl." I won and ABC agreed to let it in, but they warned me I'd receive thousands of complaint letters. I didn't get one.[7]:68

Linc's famous "solid" and "keep the faith" were among the current-day slang used on the show, which included "pad", "dig it", and "groovy."[8][13]

The "kids" traveled in Pete's famous "Woody", an old green 1950 Mercury Woodie station wagon, until it burned up in a fire after going over a cliff during a chase at the end of the second-season episode "The Death of Wild Bill Hannachek".

Among the series guest stars were Spelling's ex-wife Carolyn Jones, Leslie Nielsen, William Windom, Ed Asner (three episodes in three different roles), Vincent Price, Sammy Davis Jr. (three episodes in three different roles), Andy Griffith, Joe Don Baker, David Cassidy, Richard Pryor, Lee Grant, Richard Dreyfuss (two episodes in two different roles), Jo Van Fleet, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Danny Thomas (as well as being co-executive producer of the show), Tyne Daly (two episodes in two different roles), Anthony Geary, Sam Elliott, Martin Sheen, Desi Arnaz Jr., René Auberjonois, Stefanie Powers, Robert Reed, Cesar Romero, Meg Foster (two episodes in two different roles), Jack Cassidy, Tony Dow, Vic Tayback, Fritz Weaver, Harrison Ford (uncredited role), Clint Howard, Louis Gossett, Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson, Bobby Sherman (two episodes in two different roles), Billy Dee Williams, Victor Buono, Jim Backus, Fernando Lamas, Cleavon Little, Daniel J. Travanti (three episodes in three different roles), Barbara McNair and Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr. (three episodes in three different roles).[14]

Episodes

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Main article: List of The Mod Squad episodes

This is a list of episodes for the television series The Mod Squad.

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 26 September 24, 1968 (1968-09-24) April 15, 1969 (1969-04-15)
2 26 September 23, 1969 (1969-09-23) April 7, 1970 (1970-04-07)
3 24 September 22, 1970 (1970-09-22) March 23, 1971 (1971-03-23)
4 24 September 14, 1971 (1971-09-14) March 7, 1972 (1972-03-07)
5 24 September 14, 1972 (1972-09-14) March 1, 1973 (1973-03-01)
TV-movie 1 May 18, 1979 (1979-05-18)

Episodes

Season 1: 1968–69

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1 1 "The Teeth of the Barracuda" Lee H. Katzin Tony Barrett September 24, 1968 (1968-09-24)
90-minute pilot: Greer puts his newly-formed squad to work investigating a cop killing, which the evidence suggests was the work of young people.
2 2 "Bad Man on Campus" Earl Bellamy Robert Heverly October 1, 1968 (1968-10-01)
Pete, Linc and Julie work undercover in a high school to break up a juvenile car theft ring.
3 3 "My, What a Pretty Bus" Gene Nelson Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov		 October 8, 1968 (1968-10-08)
A wily ex-con, unaware that Pete, Linc and Julie are cops, recruits them for a big counterfeiting caper.
4 4 "When Smitty Comes Marching Home" George McCowan Tony Barrett,
Harve Bennett		 October 22, 1968 (1968-10-22)
When a Vietnam veteran turns to Linc, his boyhood pal, while being sought by police on a homicide charge, Linc tries to prove his friend's innocence.
5 5 "You Can't Tell the Players Without a Programmer" Earl Bellamy Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov,
Stephen Kandel		 October 29, 1968 (1968-10-29)
Julie serves as a decoy as the Squad attempts to sting a computer-dating service operating in blackmail.
6 6 "A Time to Love, a Time to Cry" Michael Caffey Mel Goldberg,
Warren Hamilton Jr.,
Donald Wrye		 November 12, 1968 (1968-11-12)
A probation officer joins the Squad in its search for a young photographer accused of murder.
7 7 "Find Tara Chapman!" Gene Nelson Harve Bennett,
Arthur Weingarten		 November 19, 1968 (1968-11-19)
The Squad tries to track down a dying girl on the run who may set off a meningitis epidemic. Guest Stars: Yvonne Craig, Della Reese.
8 8 "The Price of Terror" Earl Bellamy Tony Barrett November 26, 1968 (1968-11-26)
Greer is the target of an unknown assailant who has rigged a number of "close calls" to intimidate him.
9 9 "A Quiet Weekend in the Country" Jack Arnold Tony Barrett,
Jackson Gillis		 December 3, 1968 (1968-12-03)
Pete, Linc and Julie infiltrate a rural trailer camp to investigate the death of a narcotics informant.
10 10 "Love" Lee H. Katzin Tige Andrews,
Tom Carota,
Jack Marlando,
Henry Rosenbaum		 December 10, 1968 (1968-12-10)
Pete's favorite cousin turns to crime in an attempt to win the concern of her wealthy parents.
11 11 "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Starlet" George McCowan Jerome Ross December 17, 1968 (1968-12-17)
With Pete and Linc close by, Julie poses as a Hollywood starlet to lure the assailant of young actresses.
12 12 "The Guru" Richard Rush Leigh Chapman December 31, 1968 (1968-12-31)
Pete, Linc and Julie pose as hippies in order to investigate the bombing of an underground newspaper.
13 13 "The Sunday Drivers" Gene Nelson Edward J. Lakso January 7, 1969 (1969-01-07)
Linc joins an automobile thrill circus in Las Vegas to investigate the death of a stunt-driver friend.
14 14 "Hello Mother, My Name Is Julie" Jack Arnold Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov		 January 14, 1969 (1969-01-14)
Julie's mother, a former prostitute, arrives in Los Angeles to introduce Julie to the man she plans to marry.
15 15 "Flight Five Doesn't Answer" George McCowan Stephen Kandel January 21, 1969 (1969-01-21)
While transporting a prisoner by commercial airline, Pete, Linc and Greer face death in a forced plane crash.
16 16 "Shell Game" Gene Nelson Edward J. Lakso January 29, 1969 (1969-01-29)
Investigating a policeman's death, Pete and Linc infiltrate a gang of thieves, only to find it has kidnapped Julie.
17 17 "Fear Is the Bucking Horse" George McCowan Tony Barrett February 4, 1969 (1969-02-04)
The Squad works a rodeo undercover to protect a TV cowboy star whose life has been threatened.
18 18 "A Hint of Darkness, a Hint of Light" Earl Bellamy Edward J. Lakso February 11, 1969 (1969-02-11)
The Squad moves into a blind woman's home, posing as houseguests, to offer protection against a mysterious assailant.
19 19 "The Uptight Town" Earl Bellamy Norman Katkov February 18, 1969 (1969-02-18)
The Squad searches for Greer, who has disappeared while vacationing in a little desert town.
20 20 "A Reign of Guns" Gene Nelson Tony Barrett,
Daniel B. Ullman		 February 25, 1969 (1969-02-25)
The Squad tangles with a wealthy arch-conservative who is forming a private militia armed with stolen guns.
21 21 "A Run for the Money" Harvey Hart Edward J. Lakso March 11, 1969 (1969-03-11)
Pete, romantically involved with a girl whose father is in prison for robbery, faces a dilemma when he finds the stolen cash.
22 22 "Child of Sorrow, Child of Light" Gene Nelson Cliff Gould March 18, 1969 (1969-03-18)
Posing as an unwed expectant mother, Julie infiltrates an extortion racket that blackmails parents of adopted babies.
23 23 "Keep the Faith, Baby" Gene Nelson Harve Bennett March 25, 1969 (1969-03-25)
The Squad is assigned to protect the life of a militant black priest (Sammy Davis, JR), threatened by a murderer (Robert Duvall) who is afraid he will break his seal of confession.
24 24 "Captain Greer, Call Surgery" Earl Bellamy Anthony Lawrence April 1, 1969 (1969-04-01)
Pete, Linc and Julie get undercover jobs in a hospital to block a narcotics robbery.
25 25 "Peace Now – Arly Blau" Gene Nelson William Wood April 8, 1969 (1969-04-08)
Linc and Pete go undercover as prison inmates to protect the life of a convicted draft dodger.
26 26 "A Seat by the Window" Michael Caffey Edward J. Lakso April 15, 1969 (1969-04-15)
The Squad is split up and assigned to separate charter vacation buses in an attempt to catch a bus station killer.

Season 2: 1969–70

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
27 1 "The Girl in Chair Nine" Gene Nelson William Bast September 23, 1969 (1969-09-23)
A mother receives a note that her daughter has been kidnapped, but the Squad soon discovers the girl was trying to cover up an illegal abortion.
28 2 "My Name Is Manolette" Robert Michael Lewis Margaret Armen September 30, 1969 (1969-09-30)
The Squad "adopts" a 9-year-old Mexican waif who has been abandoned by a gang of American thieves.
29 3 "An Eye for an Eye" Earl Bellamy Tony Barrett October 7, 1969 (1969-10-07)
Greer falls in love with an attractive widow, unwittingly making her the kidnapping target of a narcotics gang.
30 4 "Ride the Man Down" George McCowan William Clark October 14, 1969 (1969-10-14)
Pete finds himself framed for murder after he helps a young woman who claims to be in trouble.
31 5 "To Linc – with Love" George McCowan Carol Sobieski October 21, 1969 (1969-10-21)
Linc falls in love with an attractive young woman, but their romance is threatened when a man from her past turns up.
32 6 "Lisa" Robert Michael Lewis Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 November 4, 1969 (1969-11-04)
The Squad is called in to protect a successful woman writer with a split personality whose life has been threatened.
33 7 "Confrontation!" Gene Nelson George Bellak November 11, 1969 (1969-11-11)
As dissident students prepare to demand changes in a school policy, a black student is found murdered on campus and the Squad is called in to investigate.
34 8 "Willie Poor Boy" George McCowan Richard H. Landau November 18, 1969 (1969-11-18)
Pete befriends a young man caught in a robbery after learning that the suspect is illiterate.
35 9 "The Death of Wild Bill Hannachek" Earl Bellamy Mark Saha November 25, 1969 (1969-11-25)
Julie poses as a singer at a wayside inn as the Squad investigates the death of a fading country-western singer.
36 10 "A Place to Run, a Heart to Hide In" Earl Bellamy Robert Heverly,
Edward J. Lakso		 December 2, 1969 (1969-12-02)
Pete, Linc and Julie pose as college students for the campus investigation of a young man's mysterious death.
37 11 "The Healer" Earl Bellamy Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov		 December 9, 1969 (1969-12-09)
Pete, Linc and Julie investigate the activities of a faith-healer after one of his patients dies.
38 12 "In This Corner – Sol Albert" Robert Michael Lewis Harve Bennett,
Rita Lakin		 December 16, 1969 (1969-12-16)
Pete, Linc and Julie try to find the landlord responsible for conditions in a rundown slum neighbourhood.
39 13 "Never Give the Fuzz an Even Break" Earl Bellamy Malvin Wald December 23, 1969 (1969-12-23)
The Squad tries to gain the confidence of the top con man in the business and catch him by becoming involved in a caper.
40 14 "The Debt" Jerry Jameson Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 December 30, 1969 (1969-12-30)
After a young man helps Pete when he is attacked by hoodlums, Pete learns the man's father may be plotting a serious crime.
41 15 "Sweet Child of Terror" Earl Bellamy Edward J. Lakso January 6, 1970 (1970-01-06)
Julie, mistaken for someone else, is kidnapped by an embittered handyman who threatens her life when he realizes his mistake.
42 16 "The King of Empty Cups" Robert Michael Lewis Sonya Roberts January 20, 1970 (1970-01-20)
Assigned to find Chief Metcalf's daughter after she disappears, the Squad's investigation leads to a pop singing idol.
43 17 "A Town Called Sincere" Earl Bellamy Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov		 January 27, 1970 (1970-01-27)
A sleepy Mexican town becomes a prison for Pete and Linc, captured by a savage motorcycle gang. The bikers center their terror tactics on the townspeople as they try to learn who killed two members of their gang.
44 18 "The Exile" Robert Michael Lewis Harve Bennett,
Don Richman		 February 3, 1970 (1970-02-03)
Julie falls in love with an exchange student, not knowing he is a Middle Eastern prince and in danger following a military coup.
45 19 "Survival House" George McCowan Joanna Lee February 10, 1970 (1970-02-10)
The Squad tries to help an ex-dope addict accused of attempted rape, a crime he claims he didn't commit.
46 20 "Mother of Sorrow" Gene Nelson Rita Lakin,
William Wood		 February 17, 1970 (1970-02-17)
Pete tries to clear an old school buddy of the murder of his girlfriend.
47 21 "The Deadly Sin" Jerry Jameson Robert M. Young February 24, 1970 (1970-02-24)
The Squad's investigation of a syndicate killing leads to a young postulant nun who witnessed the crime and is now a target.
48 22 "A Time for Remembering" Gene Nelson Harve Bennett March 3, 1970 (1970-03-03)
Shortly after Pete announces his plans to quit his undercover work, Linc is critically shot by an ex-convict seeking revenge.
49 23 "Return to Darkness, Return to Light" Robert Michael Lewis Edward J. Lakso March 17, 1970 (1970-03-17)
A blind woman's plans to marry are wrecked when Pete and Linc discover her husband-to-be is a man of many aliases.
50 24 "Call Back Yesterday" Gene Nelson John W. Bloch,
Robert M. Young		 March 24, 1970 (1970-03-24)
Pete's mother re-enters her son's life when the Squad investigates a murder attempt on a friend of Pete's family.
51 25 "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot!" Robert Michael Lewis Harve Bennett,
Rita Lakin		 March 31, 1970 (1970-03-31)
Posing as production personnel at a movie studio, the Squad probes a series of mishaps and a twenty-year-old murder.
52 26 "The Loser" Gene Nelson Sheldon Stark April 7, 1970 (1970-04-07)
The Squad investigates a hit-and-run accident involving a stolen car when the suspect pleads his innocence.

Season 3: 1970–71

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
53 1 "The Long Road Home" Robert Michael Lewis Edward J. Lakso September 22, 1970 (1970-09-22)
Pete falls in love with a young woman he has injured in an auto chase involving a robbery suspect, only to learn she is the sister of the suspect.
54 2 "See the Eagles Dying" Jerry Jameson Edward J. Lakso September 29, 1970 (1970-09-29)
Pete endangers his life by joining a skydiving group to find out the truth about the death of a wino who was goaded into jumping but died when failing to pull his ripcord.
55 3 "Who Are the Keepers, Who Are the Inmates?" Gene Nelson Richard Landau October 6, 1970 (1970-10-06)
Linc feigns insanity to get into an institution to investigate the death of a friend there.
56 4 "‘A’ Is for Annie" Robert Michael Lewis William Bast October 13, 1970 (1970-10-13)
The Squad investigates when a school teacher, under attack for her views on sex education, becomes the target of violence.
57 5 "The Song of Willie" Gene Nelson Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 October 20, 1970 (1970-10-20)
The Squad tries to protect a heartless black movie star (Sammy Davis, Jr.) whose life has been threatened.
58 6 "Search and Destroy" Philip Leacock David P. Harmon October 27, 1970 (1970-10-27)
The Squad's investigation of a bogus policeman and the murder of a young man is hampered by the brother of the victim.
59 7 "Just Ring the Bell Once" Jerry Jameson Gwen Bagni,
Paul Dubov		 November 3, 1970 (1970-11-03)
Linc befriends an 8-year-old boy whose mother is involved with liquor hijackers.
60 8 "Welcome to the Human Race, Levi Frazee!" Robert Michael Lewis Walter Black November 10, 1970 (1970-11-10)
Pete and the Squad try to clear a young Apache falsely accused of murdering a man in a small desert town.
61 9 "A Far Away Place So Near" Terry Becker Theodore Apstein November 17, 1970 (1970-11-17)
The Squad investigates the mysterious death of a soldier who fails to return from Vietnam.
62 10 "A Time of Hyacinths" Robert Michael Lewis Margaret Armen December 1, 1970 (1970-12-01)
Julie becomes involved with a mysterious stranger (Vincent Price), a man supposed to have died twenty years earlier.
63 11 "The Judas Trap" Robert Michael Lewis Walter Black,
Alvin Boretz		 December 8, 1970 (1970-12-08)
The Squad tries to help a retarded boy who was discovered with the rifle that killed his father.
64 12 "Fever" Jerry Jameson Marty Roth,
Margaret Schneider,
Paul Schneider		 December 15, 1970 (1970-12-15)
Pete and Linc conduct a search for Julie, who has been exposed to disease by a man on the run and the son he doesn't have legal custody of.
65 13 "Is There Anyone Left in Santa Paula?" Lawrence Dobkin Gene L. Coon December 29, 1970 (1970-12-29)
Investigating the death of an immigration agent, the Squad finds a cop involved in the illegal entry of Mexican youths across the border.
66 14 "A Short Course in War" Robert Michael Lewis Mann Rubin January 5, 1971 (1971-01-05)
A group of student activists take over their college campus administration building, with Julie and an elderly teacher as hostages.
67 15 "Kicks Incorporated" Gene Nelson Peggy O'Shea January 12, 1971 (1971-01-12)
The Squad investigates a unique nuisance racket headed by a man who turns out to be a close friend of Greer's.
68 16 "A Bummer for R.J." Philip Leacock Jack Turley January 19, 1971 (1971-01-19)
The Squad investigates when a 40-year-old man who tries the hippie life to recapture his youth is implicated in a murder.
69 17 "The Hot, Hot Car" Robert Michael Lewis Elroy Schwartz January 26, 1971 (1971-01-26)
The Squad learns that an innocent family is driving a stolen car wired with dynamite and set to explode at 5 o'clock.
70 18 "Suffer, Little Children" Lawrence Dobkin Gene L. Coon February 9, 1971 (1971-02-09)
The Squad attempts to help a minister find out who murdered his brother, a psychologist who ran a clinic for troubled youngsters.
71 19 "Is That Justice? No, It's the Law" Philip Leacock David H. Vowell February 16, 1971 (1971-02-16)
The Squad helps an overzealous detective get the goods on a known dope pusher, but the pusher swears he's been framed.
72 20 "A Double for Danger" Gene Nelson Roger Hill Lewis February 23, 1971 (1971-02-23)
Julie assumes the identity of a dead undercover agent to expose the leader of a narcotics ring.
73 21 "Welcome to Our City" John Llewellyn Moxey Tony Barrett,
Shirl Hendryx		 March 2, 1971 (1971-03-02)
The Squad tries to find the father of a 15-year-old farm boy and learns that the man is involved in a loan shark racket.
74 22 "The Comeback" William Crain Mann Rubin March 9, 1971 (1971-03-09)
The Squad helps the son of an aging ex-boxing champ (Sugar Ray Robinson) who is being harassed by gamblers for inside information on his dad's return to the ring after an 11-year absence.
75 23 "We Spy" Lawrence Dobkin Harve Bennett,
Walter Black		 March 16, 1971 (1971-03-16)
Pete poses as a safecracker in order to break up an industrial espionage plot and in the process stumbles onto a murder.
76 24 "The Price of Love" Philip Leacock Tony Barrett,
Robert Foster		 March 23, 1971 (1971-03-23)
On vacation, Linc stumbles onto the kidnapping of a young boy in a desert ghost-town and finds himself held hostage as well.

Season 4: 1971–72

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
77 1 "The Sentinels" Robert Michael Lewis Alvin Boretz September 14, 1971 (1971-09-14)
The Squad searches the city for a pair of killers who harbor a flock of pigeons which could cause an encephalitis epidemic.
78 2 "Cricket" Michael Caffey Rick Husky September 21, 1971 (1971-09-21)
A retarded boy who has accidentally shot Julie is sought by the Squad in order to save him from a murderer.
79 3 "Home Is the Streets" Barry Shear S.S. Schweitzer September 28, 1971 (1971-09-28)
The Squad pursues a dope pusher on the run for shooting two policemen.
80 4 "Survival" Philip Leacock Walter Black,
Byron Twiggs		 October 5, 1971 (1971-10-05)
Julie, suffering a snake bite, is left stranded in the desert with a blind man when three young hoodlums steal her car.
81 5 "Color of Laughter, Color of Tears" Philip Leacock Edward J. Lakso October 12, 1971 (1971-10-12)
The Squad investigates a circus carnival that is being sabotaged.
82 6 "The Medicine Men" Seymour Robbie Arthur Weingarten October 19, 1971 (1971-10-19)
Julie falls in love with a young doctor who is being blackmailed.
83 7 "The Sands of Anger" Earl Bellamy Edward J. Lakso October 26, 1971 (1971-10-26)
The Squad investigates a mysterious explosion that kills a driver at a dune-buggy rally in the desert.
84 8 "The Poisoned Mind" Don McDougall Ernest Frankel November 2, 1971 (1971-11-02)
Depressed after having shot a young man during a robbery, Greer takes time off to recover.
85 9 "Exit the Closer" Don McDougall Robert Collins November 9, 1971 (1971-11-09)
Pete, Linc and Julie go undercover at a used car lot to crack a narcotics ring.
86 10 "Whatever Happened to Linc Hayes?" George McCowan Rick Husky November 16, 1971 (1971-11-16)
Suffering from amnesia after getting mugged, Linc wanders the city, unsure as to whether or not he is the escaped mental patient he reads about in a newspaper. (Includes flashbacks to previous episodes.)
87 11 "And a Little Child Shall Bleed Them" John Llewellyn Moxey Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 November 23, 1971 (1971-11-23)
The Squad tries to protect a TV clown (Milton Berle) whose life is in danger.
88 12 "Real Loser" George McGowan Robert C. Dennis November 30, 1971 (1971-11-30)
The Squad tries to track down a killer who was hired by his intended victim.
89 13 "Death of a Nobody" Robert Michael Lewis Mann Rubin December 7, 1971 (1971-12-07)
A woman is killed by a hit-and-run driver, but Pete is sure he was the intended victim.
90 14 "Feet of Clay" Don Taylor Don Ingalls December 14, 1971 (1971-12-14)
Linc befriends a deaf-mute (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) who becomes a reluctant hero after saving a guard's life in a warehouse fire.
91 15 "I Am My Brother's Keeper" Jerry Jameson James Schmerer January 4, 1972 (1972-01-04)
The killing of a union member sends Linc and Julie undercover to the ship docks to find Pete, who is suffering a brain injury.
92 16 "Deal with the Devil" Don McDougall Robert C. Dennis January 11, 1972 (1972-01-11)
Pete investigates the disappearance of a Vietnam war correspondent (Leslie Nielsen) who was an older friend of his in his childhood.
93 17 "Kill Gently, Sweet Jessie" Lawrence Dobkin Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 January 18, 1972 (1972-01-18)
A convicted murderer out on parole goes on a mission to kill Pete, who he mistakenly believes was responsible for a savage beating he suffered years earlier.
94 18 "Shockwave" Barry Shear Rick Husky January 25, 1972 (1972-01-25)
Julie becomes emotionally attached to an abandoned baby whose parents are terrorizing the area with armed robberies.
95 19 "No More Oak Leaves for Ernie Holland" Seymour Robbie Arthur Weingarten February 1, 1972 (1972-02-01)
The Squad works undercover as social workers to find a stolen cache of guns.
96 20 "The Cave" Jerry Jameson Don Ingalls February 8, 1972 (1972-02-08)
Pete, Linc and Julie are trapped in a cave by a crazed man who holds them responsible for his son's death in Vietnam.
97 21 "The Wild Weekend" Robert Michael Lewis Jack Turley February 15, 1972 (1972-02-15)
Pete is kidnapped and almost killed by the jealous boyfriend of his former finacee.
98 22 "The Tangled Web" Richard Newton Ernest Frankel February 22, 1972 (1972-02-22)
Pete and Linc jeopardize their lives and careers by helping Julie's friend return the jewelry he has stolen.
99 23 "Outside Position" Philip Leacock S.S. Schweitzer February 29, 1972 (1972-02-29)
Pete tries to help an ex-convict who has been framed on a narcotics charge.
100 24 "Big George" Philip Leacock Richard Landau March 7, 1972 (1972-03-07)
The Squad guards a man (Andy Griffith) whose life is threatened because he witnessed a murder.

Season 5: 1972–73

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
101 1 "The Connection: Part 1" George McCowan Rick Husky September 14, 1972 (1972-09-14)
When Greer is seriously wounded by three phony cops, and four suitcases of heroin are stolen, the Squad goes to work. First half of a two-hour special. To be continued...
102 2 "The Connection: Part 2" George McCowan Rick Husky September 14, 1972 (1972-09-14)
See Part 1, above.
103 3 "The Thunder Makers" Jerry Jameson Jack Turley September 21, 1972 (1972-09-21)
The Squad investigates when a youth joins a motorcycle gang, plots a fake payroll robbery of his father's company, and learns the other gang members are playing it for real.
104 4 "Yesterday's Ashes" Richard Newton Skip Webster September 28, 1972 (1972-09-28)
The Squad witnesses a shoplifting by a badly scarred woman and arranges plastic surgery, believing it would prevent her from a life of crime.
105 5 "A Gift for Jenny" Don McDougall Gerald Sanford October 5, 1972 (1972-10-05)
Linc's friend is kidnapped after receiving a fur coat as a gift, setting the Squad on a chase of a fur-theft ring.
106 6 "Taps, Play It Louder" E.W. Swackhamer Sandor Stern October 12, 1972 (1972-10-12)
The Squad finds a missing ex-soldier working as a longshoreman, but because of mysterious circumstances they question his identity.
107 7 "Eyes of the Beholder" Richard Newton Steffi Barrett,
Tony Barrett		 October 19, 1972 (1972-10-19)
The brother of a fur thief attempts to kill Pete, holding him responsible for his brother's death.
108 8 "Good Times Are Just Memories" Ivan Dixon Richard Bluel,
Fenton Hobart Jr.		 October 26, 1972 (1972-10-26)
A police lieutenant involved in a jewel theft ring murders an informer and plants evidence implicating Pete as the killer.
109 9 "Corbey" Richard Newton Jack Turley November 2, 1972 (1972-11-02)
When Greer is framed as being on the take, the Squad begins an investigation to clear his name.
110 10 "Can You Hear Me Out There?" Seymour Robbie Stanley Ralph Ross November 9, 1972 (1972-11-09)
The Squad's investigation turns up a radio disc jockey who was an unwitting helper of an auto-theft ring when his commercial indicated where stolen cars could be picked up.
111 11 "Another Final Game" Jerry Jameson Buddy Ruskin November 16, 1972 (1972-11-16)
When a con man takes a little old lady friend of Linc's for $600, Pete and Julie assume the roles of a wealthy young couple to lure the bad guy.
112 12 "Crime Club" Don McDougall Theodore J. Flicker November 23, 1972 (1972-11-23)
The Squad matches wits with a group of students with genius IQs responsible for bizarre headline-making robberies.
113 13 "The Twain" Georg Olden Skip Webster November 30, 1972 (1972-11-30)
The Squad helps a Eurasian girl who, while looking for her father, witnesses the murder of a passport forger.
114 14 "Belinda, End of Little Miss Bubble Gum" Seymour Robbie Bryn Morgan December 7, 1972 (1972-12-07)
The Squad protects a former child star, upon whose life attempts were made when she became eligible for money held in trust for her.
115 15 "Kristie" Richard Newton Rick Husky December 14, 1972 (1972-12-14)
On Christmas Eve a 5-year-old girl is left in Pete's care by her father, who then disappears.
116 16 "Sanctuary" Jerry Jameson Robert Hamner December 21, 1972 (1972-12-21)
An underworld boss issues orders to have Julie killed after learning she posed as his secretary to collect evidence to present to the grand jury.
117 17 "Run, Lincoln, Run" Leonard Horn Donald L. Stewart January 4, 1973 (1973-01-04)
A friend of Linc's is caught in the clutches of loan sharks and forced to set Linc up for elimination.
118 18 "Don't Kill My Child" Harry Falk Margaret Schneider,
Paul Schneider		 January 18, 1973 (1973-01-18)
Although a stepfather confesses to child beating, the Squad believes the mother is guilty.
119 19 "Death in High Places" Don McDougall Robert Hamner January 25, 1973 (1973-01-25)
Linc takes an undercover job as a high-steel construction worker to find his friend's murderer.
120 20 "Put Out the Welcome Mat for Death" Reza Badiyi Elroy Schwartz February 1, 1973 (1973-02-01)
Investigation of a dope ring leads the Squad to a hospital where the husband of a terminal cancer patient committed a mercy killing because his wife was deprived of morphine.
121 21 "Scion of Death" Daniel Haller Robert Schlitt,
Skip Webster		 February 8, 1973 (1973-02-08)
Pete and Linc witness a kidnapping, but the victim's father refuses to report the abduction to the police.
122 22 "The Night Holds Terror" Richard Newton Rick Husky February 15, 1973 (1973-02-15)
Convalescing in the home of a doctor and his wife, Julie is terrorized by a man who vows to kill everyone in the house.
123 23 "Cry Uncle" Phil Bondelli Sandor Stern February 22, 1973 (1973-02-22)
When Greer and the Squad investigate a series of art thefts, they come up with an unexpected culprit.
124 24 "And Once for My Baby" Richard Newton Robert Sherman March 1, 1973 (1973-03-01)
The Squad helps prevent a $1 million heist masterminded by an ex-con whose pregnant wife is an unknowing victim of cervical cancer.
The Squad presumably broke up after this episode's subject case, as its members would not rejoin forces again for another six years.

Reunion TV-movie

"The Return of Mod Squad" (2 hrs) / Original air date: May 18, 1979 (1979-05-18)

  • Directed by George McCowan
  • Written by Robert Janes

Six years after the events in "And Once For My Baby" (see above) were resolved, Peter Cochrane, Lincoln Hayes, and Julie Barnes are called back to team up again after several attempts are made on the life of Adam Greer, their former commander, now a Deputy Chief in the LAPD and on the verge of retiring. However, they soon discover that the attempts on Deputy Chief Greer's life were a ruse to draw them out, and that they themselves are the real targets of the would-be killer.

Home releases

The entire series has been released on DVD, in the following box sets: [15]

DVD set Episodes Company Release date
The Mod Squad: Season 1, Volume 1 13 Paramount Home Video 2007.12.18
The Mod Squad: Season 1, Volume 2 13 Paramount Home Video 2008.03.11
The Mod Squad: Season 2, Volume 1 13 Paramount Home Video 2008.11.25
The Mod Squad: Season 2, Volume 2 13 Paramount Home Video 2009.05.26
The Mod Squad: Season 3, Volume 1 12 Visual Entertainment 2013.09.24
The Mod Squad: Season 3, Volume 2 12 Visual Entertainment 2013.09.24
The Mod Squad: Season 4, Volume 1 12 Visual Entertainment 2013.10.01
The Mod Squad: Season 4, Volume 2 12 Visual Entertainment 2013.10.01
The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection * Visual Entertainment 2013.11.12
The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection Gift Set 124 Visual Entertainment 2013.11.12
The Mod Squad: Season 5, Volume 1 * Visual Entertainment 2014.02.11
The Mod Squad: Season 5, Volume 2 * Visual Entertainment 2014.02.11

* This information is unknown at this time.

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ The Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren", often cited as a controversial 'first' of this kind, was not until 1968.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ The Mod Squad at TVShowsOnDVD.com

Broadcast history and Nielsen ratings

Season Time Rank Rating
1 (1968–69) Tuesday at 7:30-8:30 PM #28 20.5 (tied with The Lawrence Welk Show)
2 (1969–70) #23 20.8
3 (1970–71) #11 22.7
4 (1971–72) #21 21.5
5 (1972–73) Thursday at 8:00-9:00 PM #54 16.5

Syndication

In the U.S., MeTV reran the series from May 26 to August 29, 2014, and again on Sunday afternoons from January 4 to August 30, 2015. Decades re-ran part of the series on February 24-25, 2018, and again on January 30-31, 2021, for their binge weekend programming block.

Related productions

A television pilot was shot in 1968, with a running time of 74 minutes, but it was never aired in its entirety. The film was edited to 50 minutes and aired as the show's first episode. The uncut 74-minute version appears on the DVD set as the opening episode "The Teeth of the Barracuda".

A TV reunion movie, The Return of the Mod Squad, aired on ABC May 18, 1979, featuring the entire original cast.

In 1999, the series was adapted into a film with the same title by MGM starring Giovanni Ribisi, Omar Epps, Claire Danes, and Dennis Farina. The film was not a box-office success, perhaps due to its R rating.

Home media

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first two seasons of The Mod Squad on DVD in Region 1.

On August 20, 2013, it was announced that Visual Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series (under license from Paramount) and would release season 3 on DVD on September 24, 2013. Season 4 would be released on October 1, 2013.[1] In Canada, Season 3 was released on DVD a week earlier, on September 17, 2013, and Season 4 was released on October 8, 2013. Season 5 was released in Canada on November 19, 2013 and in the US on December 17, 2013.[2][3] A complete series set was released in Canada and the US on November 12, 2013.[4]

DVD name Ep # Release date
Season 1, Volume 1 13 December 18, 2007 (US & Canada)
Season 1, Volume 2 13 March 11, 2008 (US & Canada)
Season 2, Volume 1 13 November 25, 2008 (US & Canada)
Season 2, Volume 2 13 May 26, 2009 (US & Canada)
Season 3, Volume 1 12 September 24, 2013 (US)
September 17, 2013 (Canada)
Season 3, Volume 2 12 September 24, 2013 (US)
September 17, 2013 (Canada)
Season 4, Volume 1 12 October 1, 2013 (US)
October 8, 2013 (Canada)
Season 4, Volume 2 12 October 1, 2013 (US)
October 8, 2013 (Canada)
Season 5, Volume 1 12 December 17, 2013 (US)
November 19, 2013 (Canada)
Season 5, Volume 2 12 December 17, 2013 (US)
November 19, 2013 (Canada)
Complete Series 124 November 12, 2013 (US & Canada)[4]

Referenced in other popular culture

The term "Mod Squad" was introduced the previous year in Dragnet 1967, episode 16 "The Big Kids", where it describes a club of high schoolers who must shoplift at least $20 to become members.

The Mod Squad is referenced by the Thing in "Chapter Three: Through The Negative Zone!" of Deadpool (vol. 4) #20: "'Hey, who wants a clobbering? I'm watching The Mod Squad." An additional editor's note was attached to the reference which explained, "**Ed's Note: The Mod Squad was a popular TV show. TV was what people called YouTube in 1968."

The Mod Squad was parodied during its debut season as "The Odd Squad" by Mort Drucker in MAD Magazine #127 (June 1969), and at the height of its third season by Marie Severin as "The Clod Squad" in Marvel Comics' SPOOF #1 (October 1970).

In The Wonder Years pilot, the off-screen narrator sets the scene, with a 20-year hindsight, by saying: "1968, I was 12 years old. A lot happened that year..." The screen shows snapshots of Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy (both assassinated that year), the Black Power salute, anti-Vietnam war protests, the Apollo 8 space mission (the first manned lunar orbital flight) and other historic events and figures of 1968. However, the narrator goes on to list only three events that were, apparently, more important to him as a 12-year-old at that time: "... Denny McLain won 31 games, The Mod Squad hit the air, and I graduated from Hillcrest Elementary and entered junior high school".

In 1990 on the TV series Twin Peaks, in which Lipton was a regular, Williams appeared in two episodes.[5]

The Working Dog production company produced Funky Squad for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, parodying The Mod Squad and a number of other 1960s-'70s television shows. Funky Squad had started as a series of serialised sketches Working Dog members produced for their breakfast radio show on Triple M Melbourne.[citation needed]

In 2000, the TV series That 70's Show — Season 2, Episode 19, titled "Parents Find Out" — references The Mod Squad. In Kelso's van, Kelso tells Hyde and Fez that he has a CB radio, and runs some possible names by them. A girl comes on the radio and says that her name is Foxy Lady, and she is with her friend, Nice 'n Easy. Fez comments that the girls sound nice; Kelso says that they need handles before they can answer, and Hyde suggests that they be "The Mod Squad"; they argue over who is going to be Linc, but Hyde wins out (due to his Afro), leaving Kelso as Pete and Fez as Julie. It was also mentioned in the 1992 comedy Sister Act by Whoopi Goldberg as Sister Mary Clarence.

In 2006, an episode of the TV series Squirrel Boy - Season 1, Episode 10b - entitled "The Rod Squad" featured various 1970s clichés as the main characters Rodney, Leon, and Darlene team up to acquire sticky buns.

In 2014, a Canadian kid's show called Odd Squad was released, the name likely a parody of The Mod Squad, although this has never been confirmed.

References

  1. ↑ Half-Season Sets Scheduled for 'Season 3' and 'Season 4' Archived August 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine at TVShowsonDVD.com
  2. ↑ The Mod Squad Season 5, Volume One at Amazon.com
  3. ↑ The Mod Squad Season 5, Volume Two at Amazon.com
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection at VisualEntertainment.tv
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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