The Rookies

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The Rookies was an ABC television series running from 1972 until 1976. It followed the exploits of three rookie police officers in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SCPD).

It began as a made-for-TV movie in 1972 which also served as the pilot for the series on March 7. The success of Joseph Wambaugh's book, The New Centurions (novel), as well as NBC's ratings success with Adam-12, had sparked interest at the time in a more realistic description and storytelling of the typical uniformed police officer. Although various incidents in the late 60's and early 70's, particularly in California, had sparked controversy and negative feelings towards police officers in general, The Rookies tried to better humanize the character of a police officer and show the struggles new, younger men and women (who were often Vietnam-era military veterans and/or college graduates) faced in their lives as law enforcement persons sworn to serve and protect the public. This 'new breed' of cop was a main theme, especially in the early years, of the series.

The TV movie featured five rookies newly arrived at a police academy in southern California, of which included cadets Jared Whitman (Robert F. Lyons), Kevin Lassiter (Jeffrey Pomerantz), Mike Danko (Sam Melville), William "Willie" Gillis (Michael Ontkean), and Terry Webster (Georg Stanford Brown). The cadets' training sergeant was Eddie Ryker, played by Darren McGavin. (In the series, Sgt. Ryker had been recently promoted to lieutenant and was now played by Gerald S. O'Loughlin.) The character of Jill Danko also appeared in the movie pilot, but was played by another actress, Jennifer Billingsley, and the part was recast for the series with Kate Jackson as Jill Danko, a registered nurse.

The Rookies TV series centered around three rookie officers, Danko, Webster, and Gillis, and their superior officer/mentor, Lt. Ryker. The show was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg. Each episode showcased highly dramatized versions of police cases and activities, often intertwined with the off-duty lives of the officers and their significant others. Mike Danko was the only rookie in the series who was married.

After the second season, the character of Willie Gillis was replaced (Ontkean left the show to make movies) with a new rookie, Chris Owens, played by Bruce Fairbairn.

[edit] Cast

The cast included:

Georg Stanford Brown (Officer Terry Webster)
Sam Melville (Officer Mike Danko)
Michael Ontkean (Officer Willie Gillis)
Bruce Fairbairn (Officer Chris Owens) *Not the music producer of the same name*
Kate Jackson (Jill Danko)
Gerald S. O'Loughlin (Lt. Ed Ryker)

[edit] Trivia

Although Sam Melville played a hero in this dramatic series, he could also play a convincing villain as well as in episodes of Hawaii Five-O or Gunsmoke.
A similar storyline was used over 10 years later for the making of another TV show pilot, originally titled "The Protectors", but later changed to T.J. Hooker starring William Shatner as a police patrol sergeant who mentored younger officers. Shatner also appeared in one episode of The Rookies as veteran police officer Luke Harris.
Rick Husky, who wrote and produced other Aaron Spelling TV shows like T.J. Hooker, wrote several episodes of The Rookies.
Georg Stanford Brown was married to actress Tyne Daly during his tenure on The Rookies. Tyne Daly appeared in some of the episodes of The Rookies, including one directed by her husband.
An early 1975 episode served as a pilot for the memorable spin-off series S.W.A.T.
Willie and Terry's radio call sign for their patrol car was "Ludlo-9." Mike's was "Redlo-7."
The series was last seen in reruns on TV Land in 2003, but only episodes from the first two seasons were shown.