21 Jump Street
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21 Jump Street
Plot
Produced by Stephen J. Cannell, the weekly, hour-long 21 Jump Street debuted April 12, 1987, as the Fox network's very first action-adventure series. The show's original title was Jump Street Chapel, indicating that the locale, a district police station in a major metropolis, was a reconverted church. Something of a Mod Squad for the 1980s, the series dealt with a group of youthful undercover police officers who posed as high school students in order to crack down on drug dealers, pimps, pornographers, and similar adult miscreants who traditionally preyed on impressionable teens.In the pilot episode, Jeff Yagher was cast as the "lead" detective in the Jump Street squad, Tom Hanson. By the next episode, however, Yagher had been replaced by Johnny Depp, who of course would ride the series to superstardom. Tom Hanson's fellow officers included Holly Robinson as Judy Hoffs, Dustin Nguyen as Harry Truman Ioki, and Peter DeLuise as Doug Penhall (originally cast as the roly-poly comedy relief, DeLuise would lose weight and buff up sufficiently to become an action hero in his own right). Designed as counterprogramming to CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday evenings, 21 Jump Street aggressively pursued the 18-to-24-year-old audience demographic, with Fox establishing a telephone hotline so that the series' youthful viewers could share their own experiences vis-à-vis peer pressure, drug use, teen pregnancy, domestic abuse, and other hot-button issues. The viewers also began offering opinions as to how the series could be improved, with the first suggestion being that the "kids" of 21 Jump Street needed a strong adversarial authority figure with which to butt heads each week for full dramatic impact. In the earliest episodes, Frederic Forrest was seen as the squad's skipper, Captain Richard Jenko, a former hippie and lifelong iconoclast who tended to be simpatico with the young cops. As a result of audience input, Jenko was killed off halfway through season one and replaced by Captain Fuller (Steven Williams), a more traditionalist, "by the book" authority figure.
As the series progressed, as much time was spent on the characters' personal problems as on their professional perils. Penhall was given a live-in girlfriend named Dorothy (Gina Nemo), who ultimately left him because she couldn't deal with the pressures of his job. Similarly, Hanson underwent a brief, rocky romantic relationship with up-and-coming public prosecutor Jackie Garrett (Yvette Nipar). During season three, two new members were added to the Jump Street team: the somewhat gauche but likeable Sal "Blowfish" Banducci (Sal Jenco), and the blunt, rebellious Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco), who proved popular enough to warrant his own spin-off series, Booker, which ran on Fox during the 1989-1990 season.
After its cancellation by Fox on September 17, 1990, 21 Jump Street continued for an additional season in off-network syndication, minus longtime leads Johnny Depp and Dustin Nguyen. In their places were Anthony "Mac" McCann, played by Michael Bendetti, and Doug Penhall's younger brother Joey, appropriately played by Peter DeLuise's younger brother Michael DeLuise. Judy Hoffs had been promoted to detective, while Doug Penhall, who'd nearly lost his life in a shoot-out, quit the force midway through the final season, the better to devote all his time to looking after his orphaned nephew, Clavo (Tony Dakota). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Episodes
21 Jump Street: Season 01 (1987)The first action-adventure series from the Fox network, 21 Jump Street inaugurates its first season with the series' two-hour pilot episode, in which young police officer Tom Hanson (Jeff Yagher) joins a special undercover unit of the LAPD. Named for its headquarters, an abandoned chapel, the Jump Street unit is comprised of youthful cops who can pose as teenagers, making it easier for them to bust criminals and drug dealers who prey upon high-school kids. After the initial pilot, Jeff Yagher was replaced, and the role of Tom Hanson went to Johnny Depp, an assignment that would make him a star. Hanson's fellow officers during season one include Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise), who in the earlier episodes projects a more roly-poly, comic image than he would in future years; Vietnamese refugee Harry Truman Ioki (Dustin Nguyen); and African-American Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson). For the first six episodes, the team takes its orders from Captain Richard Jenko (Frederic Forrest), an ex-hippie who is more or less simpatico with their youthful zeal and tendency to bend the rules. But when Jenko is killed by a drunk driver, he is replaced by a more traditional, by-the-book leader, Captain Adam Fuller (Steven Williams). The series' first batch of 13 hour-long episode features a number of soon-to-be stars in guest roles, among them Josh Brolin, David Paymer, and Jason Priestley. 21 Jump Street managed to hold its own against the formidable competition of CBS' 60 Minutes during the series' maiden season, rapidly establishing Fox as the favorite network of teens and young adults. ~ Rovi
- Pilot, Part 1
- Next Generation
- Low and Away
- 16 Blown to 35
- Mean Streets and Pastel Houses
- Pilot, Part 2
- America, What a Town
- Don't Pet the Teacher
- My Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
- The Worst Night of Your Life
- Gotta Finish the Riff
- Bad Influence
- Blindsided
Season two of 21 Jump Street finds a team of youthful LAPD officers continuing to weed out adult criminals by posing as high-school teenagers -- a sort of Mod Squad for the 1980s. Back in harness are Johnny Depp as Officer Tom Hanson, Peter DeLuise as Officer Doug Penhall (less chubby and comical and more "buff" and action-prone than in the series' maiden season), Holly Robinson as Officer Judy Hoffs, and Dustin Nguyen as Officer Harry Truman Ioki. And as before, the team takes its orders from no-nonsense police captain Adam Fuller (Steven Williams). This year's crop of guest stars is an impressive one, including Lynne Moody, Marcia Rodd, former Adam-12 leading man Kent McCord (as Tom Hanson's father), and a young Brad Pitt, cast as a popular high schooler who inexplicably commits suicide. Among the season's top episodes are the two-part "Besieged," in which the team swoops down upon a deadly crack ring and also attempts to expose a rogue cop, and "Christmas in Saigon," in which viewers learns the real name of Vietnam refugee H.T. Ioki. Season two ends on a semi-cliffhanger, as the LAPD higher-ups consider the possibility of disbanding the Jump Street team. ~ Rovi
- In the Custody of a Clown
- How Much Is That Body in the Window
- Christmas in Saigon
- Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins
- Big Disease with a Little Name
- Chapel of Love
- I'm OK, You Need Work
- Orpheus 3.3
- Champagne High
- Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond
- Raising Marijuana
- Besieged - Part 1
- The Best Years of Your Life
- Cory & Dean Got Married
- School's Out
- Besieged - Part 2
- Two for the Road
- After School Special
- Higher Education
- Don't Stretch the Rainbow
- Honor Bound
- You Oughta Be in Prison
Johnny Depp and the rest of the familiar cast of regulars report for duty as 21 Jump Street enters its third season. As before, Depp plays Officer Tom Hanson, one of a team of youthful LAPD undercover cops who pose as teenagers in order to bust adult wrongdoers. Newcomers to the series include Yvette Nipar as Tom's girlfriend, Jackie Garrett, who works in the DA's office; and Dennis Booker as Tom's new partner, Officer Dennis Booker (not surprisingly, Tom and Dennis don't get along at first, especially since Tom suspects Dennis -- wrongly, as it turns out -- of being a serial rapist). Other recurring characters during season three include Clavo (Tony Dakota), the orphaned nephew of Tom's co-worker Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise); Doug's live-in girlfriend, Dorothy (Gina Nemo), who dumps him mid-season; and Blowfish (Sal Jenco), Jump Street's clumsy maintenance worker. Guest stars this season include Dom DeLuise, father of series regular Peter DeLuise; Mario Van Peebles, cast as an aspiring dancer; and Bridget Fonda, playing a homeless teen. Season three of 21 Jump Street concludes with the two-parter "Loc'd Out," in which an outraged Tom Hanson seeks personal vengeance against the punks who seriously wounded his fellow officer Ioki (Dustin Nguyen). ~ Rovi
- Fun with Animals
- What About Love?
- Woolly Bullies
- The Dreaded Return of Russell Buckins
- A.W.O.L.
- Nemesis
- Fathers & Sons
- High High
- Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light
- Loc'd Out, Part 1
- Loc'd Out, Part 2
- Slippin' Into Darkness
- Next Victim
- The Currency We Trade In
- Coach of the Year
- Whose Choice Is it Anyway?
- Hell Week
- The Dragon and the Angel
- The Blu Flu
- Swallowed Alive
Jailed on a trumped-up charge near the end of season three, LAPD undercover officer Tom Hanson (Johnny Depp) is released from prison as 21 Jump Street enters its fourth season. The release has been engineered by Tom's partner, Officer Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco), who then resigns from the force (the better for actor Grieco to launch his own spin-off starring series, Booker). Back at 21 Jump Street headquarters, Tom resumes his duties as a member of a team of youthful cops who pose as teenagers in order to root out and bring down adult criminals. As in previous seasons, season four offers an interesting array of guest performers, among them future stars Robyn Lively and Shannen Doherty, hearing-impaired standup comedien Geri Jewell, and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. One episode, "Old Haunts in a New Age," affords the viewer a rare opportunity to see actress Pamela Segall, who is otherwise best known for her cartoon voice-over work on such animated series as King of the Hill (in which she essays the male role of Bobby Hill!). Although 21 Jump Street would be canceled by the Fox network at the end of its fourth season, the series lived on for an additional year in off-network syndication. ~ Rovi
- Draw the Line
- Wheels and Deals, Part 1
- Wheels and Deals, Part 2
- Parental Guidance Suggested
- Things We Said Today
- Research and Destroy
- Change of Heart
- Back From the Future
- 2245
- Hi Mom
- Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomp, Aloop-Bamboom
- Say it Ain't So, Pete
- La Bizca
- Last Chance High
- Shirts and Skins
- How I Saved the Senator
- Rounding Third
- Everyday Is Christmas
- Eternal Flame
- Come From the Shadows
- God Is a Bullet
- Old Haunts in the New Age
- Stand By Your Man
- Mike's P.O.V.
- Out of Control
- Unfinished Business
Canceled by the Fox network at the end of its fourth season, 21 Jump Street returns for an additional season's worth of episodes in off-network syndication. While the basic premise of the series remains the same -- a group of youthful-looking LAPD undercover cops posing as teenagers in order to bust grown-up criminals -- there have been some significant changes in the property during its transition from Fox to syndication. Former co-stars Johnny Depp and Dustin Nguyen have left the series, to be replaced by Michael Benedetti as Officer Tony "Mac" McCann and, briefly, David Barry Gray as Officer Dean Garrett. Also joining the Jump Street squad is former recurring character Joey Penhall (Michael DeLuise), estranged brother of Officer Doug Penhall (played, of course, by Peter DeLuise's real-life brother). Doug himself would undergo a near-death experience after being shot by a perp in the episode "Number One With a Bullet," and upon recovery he would leave the department and take over management of a bowling alley, not so much for his own well-being as for the sake of his orphaned nephew, Clavo (Tony Dakota). By the time the fifth and final season has come to an end, the only regular character remaining from the series' earliest episodes is Officer Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson). Its budget pared down during the series' valedictory season, 21 Jump Street could no longer afford big names (or even moderately big names) as guest stars. However, star-in-the-making Jada Pinkett can be seen in a flashy role in the series' penultimate episode, "Homegirls." ~ Rovi
- Blackout
- Diplomas For Sale
- Number One With A Bullet
- Tunnel of Love
- Back to School
- Buddy System
- Poison
- Just Say No! High
- Brothers
- This Ain't No Summer Camp
- The Girl Next Door
- Equal Protection
- The Education of Terry Carver
- Baby Blues
- Film At Eleven
- In The Name of Love
- Coppin' Out
- Under the Influence
- Crossfire
- Wasted
- Bad Day at Blackburn
- Homegirls
- Second Chances
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21 Jump Street
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21 Jump Street
- For the film adaptation of the same name, see 21 Jump Street (film)
| 21 Jump Street | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Patrick Hasburgh Stephen J. Cannell |
| Starring | Johnny Depp Holly Robinson Peter DeLuise Dustin Nguyen Richard Grieco Steven Williams Michael DeLuise Michael Bendetti Frederic Forrest Sal Jenco |
| Theme music composer | Liam Sternberg |
| Opening theme | "21 Jump Street Theme" performed by Holly Robinson |
| Composer(s) | Peter Bernstein Jay Gruska |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 103 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | 20th Century Fox Television LBS Communications (1990–1991) Patrick Hasburgh Productions Stephen J. Cannell Productions |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox (seasons 1–4) Syndication (season 5) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | April 12, 1987 – April 27, 1991 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Booker (1989–1990) 21 Jump Street (2012) |
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues.[1] It was originally going to be titled Jump Street Chapel, after the deconsecrated church building in which the unit has its headquarters, but was changed at Fox's request so as not to mislead viewers into thinking it was a religious program.
Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the series was produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show was an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network, and was created to attract a younger audience.[2] The final season aired in first-run syndication mainly on local Fox affiliates. It was later rerun on the FX cable network from 1996 to 1998.
The series provided a spark to Johnny Depp's nascent acting career, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status irritating,[3] but he continued on the series under his contract and was paid $45,000 per episode. Eventually he was released from his contract after the fourth season.[3][4] A spin-off series, Booker, was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco); it ran one season, from September 1989 to June 1990. A film adaptation starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum was released on March 16, 2012.
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Contents
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Plot
The series focuses on a group of police officers headquartered at the titular address. These officers are all young and have especially youthful appearances, which allows them to pass for teenagers. Their assignments generally consist of undercover work in high schools or, less commonly, colleges, where they generally investigate drug trafficking and abuse. The show's plots cover issues such as alcoholism, hate crimes, drug abuse, homophobia, AIDS, child abuse, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, each problem is often solved by the end of the hour-long episode, 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.
Cast
The show starred prominent actors and actresses at the time, including:
- Johnny Depp as Patrolman/Officer Tom Hanson (1987–1990)
- Holly Robinson as Sergeant Judith "Judy" Hoffs (1987–1991)
- Peter DeLuise as Officer Douglas "Doug" Penhall (1987–1990)
- Dustin Nguyen as Sergeant Harry Truman Ioki/Vinh Van Tran (H.T. Ioki) (1987–1990)
- Frederic Forrest as Captain Richard Jenko (season 1, first 6 episodes)
- Steven Williams as Captain Adam Fuller (1987–1991)
- Sal Jenco as Sal "Blowfish" Banducci (1987–1990)
- Richard Grieco as Detective Dennis Booker (1988–1989)
- David Barry Gray as Officer Dean Garrett (1990)
- Alexandra Powers as Officer Kati Rocky (1990)
- Michael DeLuise as Officer Joseph "Joey" Penhall (1990–1991)
- Michael Bendetti as Officer Anthony "Mac" McCann (1990–1991)
Jeff Yagher was originally cast as Officer Tom Hanson in the pilot. He was replaced after the original pilot episode was filmed, and his scenes were reshot with Johnny Depp. Midway through the first season, Frederic Forrest was replaced by Steven Williams. On the show, Forrest's character Richard Jenko is killed by a drunk driver.
Guest stars
Main article: List of guest stars on 21 Jump Street
Some notable guest stars on the series include: Dom DeLuise, Josh Brolin, Bridget Fonda, Jada Pinkett Smith, Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, Blair Underwood, John Waters, Rosie Perez, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mario Van Peebles, Christina Applegate, Paulie Shore, David DeLuise, Bradley Gregg, Jason Priestley, Sarah Buxton, David Paymer, and Shannon Tweed.
Synopsis
See also: List of 21 Jump Street episodes
Police officer Tom Hanson runs into trouble on the job because he looks younger than he is. At the end of the episode, he is offered a chance to work with other young-looking cops who go undercover in local high schools.
Season 4 was the last season to air on the Fox Network. In commentary on the Season 5 DVD set, Peter DeLuise said that Fox had decided to cancel the show after Season 4 because the ratings had fallen below a set limit. Following this season Johnny Depp and Dustin Nguyen left the show. The departure of their characters Officers Hanson and Ioki was never explained in the narrative. The Booker spin-off crossover episode, "Wheels and Deals Part One", is included with 21 Jump Street's syndication package, and is also included on the fourth season DVD set.
Officer Dean Garrett (David Barry Gray) makes his first appearance in "Everyday is Christmas". As it became harder for the original cast members to plausibly pass as high school students, his character and Officer Kati Rocky (Alexandra Powers) were intended to be "youthful" replacements, so the show could maintain its original premise of younger looking cops posing as high school students.
Production
Location
 |
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) |
Jump Street was set in the "Evergreen State", the nickname of Washington State. However, Washington state was never officially identified as the setting location on the show. But the show's filming location Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is given away in the series' opening. A shot of a city bus with destination "Hastings" is shown briefly, as well as a SkyTrain with a British Columbia Transit (BC Transit) logo barely visible on the side. Every car driven in the series, including the ones driven by the characters, have British Columbia license plates. This was featured in the new opening of Season 3. Additionally, the scene from the series opener where Kenny breaks a store window was clearly filmed in Vancouver's historic Gastown neighborhood featuring its famous steam-powered clock. New Westminster Secondary School was one of the main locations of the series.[5] Point Grey High School was also used at least once as a military school.
Episodes
Main article: List of 21 Jump Street episodes
DVD releases
Anchor Bay Entertainment released all five seasons of 21 Jump Street on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time, between 2004–2006. The releases contain extensive music substitutions and inaccurate cover art. Johnny Depp appears on the season 5 DVD cover yet he left the series after the fourth season. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are now out of print.
On October 14, 2009, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to several Stephen J. Cannell series including 21 Jump Street.[6] They have subsequently re-released the first four seasons. In addition, Mill Creek also released 21 Jump Street - The Complete Series, an 18-disc collection featuring all 103 episodes of the series on DVD on July 27, 2010.[7]
Madman Entertainment has released all 5 seasons on DVD in Region 4.
| DVD name | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 13 | January 19, 2010 | September 7, 2006 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | May 18, 2010 | September 7, 2006 |
| The Complete Third Season | 20 | July 27, 2010 | September 7, 2006 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 25 | January 18, 2011 | September 7, 2006 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 23 | TBA | June 7, 2007 |
| The Complete Series | 103 | July 27, 2010 | N/A |
Anchor Bay Entertainment later released Season 1 and Seasons 1-5 in a complete box set on DVD. This amended any previous errors mentioned above and has been available since the 5th March 2012.[8]
Film adaptation
Main article: 21 Jump Street (film)
On March 16, 2012, a feature film sequel to the television series from Sony Pictures was released starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller with the screenplay written by Hill (who is also executive producer) and Michael Bacall. Johnny Depp, Peter DeLuise, and Holly Robinson briefly reprise their roles as Tom Hanson, Doug Penhall, and Judy Hoffs, respectively. The film proved a critically hailed box office success.
Described in concept by Hill as an "R-rated, insane, Bad Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie,"[9] the film departs from the style of the series and instead features a highly comedic tone. The film is also set in the same continuity of the series.
References
- ^ Rosenberg, Howard (11 April 1987). "Weekend Tv : 'Jump Street' Bows On Fox Network". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-11/entertainment/ca-628_1_jump-street. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ Mansour, David (2005). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 501. ISBN 0-7407-5118-2. OCLC 57316726.
- ^ a b Blitz, Michael; Krasniewicz, Louise (2008). Johnny Depp: A Biography. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-313-34300-4. OCLC 166290770. http://books.google.com/books?id=cxAxufxMH0QC&lpg=PA28&dq=Johnny%20Depp%2021%20Jump%20Street%20teen%20ido&pg=PA28#v=onepage&f=false. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ Horowitz, Josh (14 May 2008). "Jonah Hill To Adapt '21 Jump Street' For The Big Screen: Report". mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1587453/story.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ^ 21 Jump Street at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Cannell and Mill Creek Ink New Distribution Deal" (Press release). TVShowsOnDVD.com. 14 October 2009. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Site-News-Cannell-Mill-Creek-Distro-Deal/12817. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ Lambert, David (21 May 2010). "21 Jump Street - Mill Creek to Roll Out 'Season 3' and 'The Complete Series' on DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/21-Jump-Street-Seasons-3-and-The-Complete-Series/13793. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ http://www.cult-labs.com/forums/21-jump-street/7910-21-jump-street-official-announcement.html
- ^ Coll, Kevin (28 May 2009). "Jonah Hill Talks 21 Jump Street Remake Movie". Fused Film. http://www.fusedfilm.com/2009/05/jonah-hill-talks-21-jump-street-remake-movie/.
External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: 21 Jump Street |
- 21 Jump Street at the Internet Movie Database
- 21 Jump Street at TV.com
- 21 Jump Street at epguides.com
- Official Forum for the UK Release of 21 Jump Street
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