A new breed of law enforcers can be found at Station Number 7 of the Southern California Police Department. Newly inducted Rookies Willie Gillis, Terry Webster, Mike Danko and Chris Owens are reluctant to use their firearms in their daily battle to keep the streets of California safe for the citizens. They prefer a nonviolent and more humane approach which proves to be more challenging as well as successful but often puts them at odds with their hard-nosed commander Lieutenant Ryker. Though constantly at odds with their superior, the three wet-behind-the-ears recruits proved that there's more to being a good cop than toting a gun. That was the premise of one of the most popular TV series of the 70s. Produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg. Georg Stand Brown as Officer Terry Webster. Michael Ontkean as Officer Willie Gillis (1972-1974). Sam Melville as Officer Mike Danko. Bruce Fairbairn as Officer Chris Owens (1974-1976). Their boss: Gerald S. O'Loughlin as Lt Eddie Ryker. Kate Jackson as Mikes wife Nurse Jill Danko.
GEORG STANFORD BROWN: Officer Terry Webster 1972-1976 SAM MELVILLE: Officer Mike Danko 1972-1976MICHAEL ONTKEAN: Officer Willie Gillis 1972-1974BRUCE FAIRBAIRN: Officer Chris Owens 1974-1976KATE JACKSON: Registered Nurse Jill Danko 1972-1976Gerald S. OLoughlin: Lt Eddie Ryker 1972-1976
The Rookies was one of the most popular series on television in the 1970s. Produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, the Rookies aired on ABC Channel for 4 years (1972 - 1976). The pilot film that launched the series aired on March 7, 1972. The series consists of 90 1 hour episodes and hosted dozens of guest stars that later on became famous actors like John Travolta, Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, Richard Hatch, Tyne Daly, Jaclyn Smith, Stephanie Powers, David Soul etc It was produced with careful attention to actual police procedures. Much of it was filmed on location in Southern California, which gave the series an extra touch of realism. It involved a modern type of policeman - educated, young and tough, but with warm sympathy for both the victims and the criminals themselves.
In contrast to producers Spelling and Goldberg's violent S.W.A.T series, The Rookies emphasized more humane methods of law enforcement. Three rookie cops in a large Southern California city provided the focus of the series. The trio, variously fresh out of college, a government social program, and the army, were dedicated to new, more humane methods of law enforcement, which often put them at odds with their hard-nosed mentor, Lieutenant Ryker. The combination of their youthful enthusiasm and Ryker's experienced guidance helped mold them into effective officers. Though constantly at odds with their hard-boiled superior, the three wet-behind-the-ears recruits proved that there's more to being a good cop than toting a gun.
Executive producer Leonard Goldberg explains the success of The Rookies, “In a hit series, the audience has to like the continuing characters. Our guys are likable. They also like each other off-stage, which comes through on the tube. They’re always together when they’re not working. Their wives go shopping together. Michael always is carrying Georg’s two little children around and playing with them. Georg is big brother to Michael. When Michael does something wrong on the show, Georg says, ‘Let me tell him. We don’t want to get the kid upset.’ They both love Jerry O’ Loughlin, their lieutenant in the show but a father-figure in real life too. They sit around with open mouths by the hour, listening to Jerry tell them stories about the old days on the New York stage.â€
For four years, while every other ABC show has perished in the night time slot – among them Nanny and the Professor, The Young Lawyers, The Silent Force, The Rookies managed to stay on a high level in the Nielsen rank. Despite derogatory reviews calling it “Mod Squad in uniform†and “Adam-12 with a pinch of social significance,†the show maintained a respectable share-of-audience against Gunsmoke and Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. but even its stars chafe under the restrictions of some of the simplistic plots. “What we’re doing is not real life,†says Georg Stanford Brown. “In real life, police work is garbage and a cop is mostly a paperwork factory.â€