"The Rookies" (1972) TV series 1972-1976

Creator:

Rita Lakin
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

11 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The exploits of three rookie police officers in a large unnamed Southern California city are followed in this weekly series...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Nurse | Married To A Police Officer

Cast

Sam Melville	...	Off. Mike Danko (92 episodes, 1972-1976)
Kate Jackson	...	Jill Danko (92 episodes, 1972-1976)

Series Directed by
Phil Bondelli		(15 episodes, 1974-1976)
E.W. Swackhamer		(11 episodes, 1972-1975)
Leonard Horn		(9 episodes, 1972-1973)
Harry Falk		(7 episodes, 1973-1974)
Gene Nelson		(5 episodes, 1973-1974)
Fernando Lamas		(5 episodes, 1975)
Michael Caffey		(4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Georg Stanford Brown		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bruce Bilson		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
William Crain		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
William F. Claxton		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Ralph Senensky		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Earl Bellamy		(2 episodes, 1972)
Jerry Jameson		(2 episodes, 1972)
Richard Newton		(2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Philip Leacock		(2 episodes, 1974)
Richard Benedict		(2 episodes, 1976)
Randal Kleiser		(1 episode, 1976)

Series Writing credits
William Blinn		(13 episodes, 1972-1975)
Skip Webster		(12 episodes, 1972-1976)
Robert I. Holt		(11 episodes, 1972-1975)
Hal Sitowitz		(8 episodes, 1972-1974)
Don Balluck		(6 episodes, 1973-1975)
Sean Baine		(4 episodes, 1974-1976)
Rita Lakin		(3 episodes, 1972-1975)
Hoke Howell		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
James Basler		(3 episodes, 1973-1974)
Rick Husky		(3 episodes, 1974-1976)
Irv Pearlberg		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
Daniel B. Ullman		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
Richard H. Landau		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Mark Weingart		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Robert Harland		(2 episodes, 1973)
William Douglas Lansford		(2 episodes, 1973)
David Ketchum		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Mann Rubin		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Bruce Shelly		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Frank Telford		(2 episodes, 1974)
Jack V. Fogarty		(2 episodes, 1976)
Paul F. Edwards		(unknown episodes)
David P. Harmon		(unknown episodes)
Mathius Reitz		(unknown episodes)
Dirk Wayne Summers		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Shelley Hull	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Hal Sitowitz	....	producer (2 episodes, 1975)
Paul Junger Witt	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Jack Elliott		(6 episodes, 1973-1975)
Allyn Ferguson		(6 episodes, 1973-1975)
Mark Snow		(5 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Drasnin		(4 episodes, 1973-1975)
Elmer Bernstein		(2 episodes, 1972-1974)
Laurence Rosenthal		(2 episodes, 1973)
Shorty Rogers		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)
George Romanis		(2 episodes, 1975)
Paul Glass		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Dennis Dalzell		(46 episodes, 1974-1976)
Archie R. Dalzell		(45 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Film Editing by
Richard Malek		(2 episodes, 1975)
James Baiotto		(unknown episodes)
Leon Carrere		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Claire Newell		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Art Direction by
Paul Sylos		(4 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Set Decoration by
Dorcy Howard		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Costume Design by
Robert Harris Jr.		(5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Thelma Strahm		(5 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Makeup Department
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Joyce Morrison	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1975)

Series Production Management
William A. Calihan Jr.	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Norman Henry	....	executive production manager (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Russel Wiles	....	post-production supervisor (5 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Ashley Hamilton	....	trainee director (2 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Art Department
Jesse Stone	....	construction coordinator (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jerry McFarland	....	property master (3 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jerry Swift	....	property master (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Sound Department
Tommy Thompson	....	sound engineer (5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Stan Gordon	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Bill Ferrier	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1975)

Series Stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunt coordinator (4 episodes, 1975)
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Jacobsen	....	electrician (unknown episodes, 1975)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
John Stadler	....	electrician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Joel Thurm	....	casting supervisor (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Editorial Department
Jim Allen	....	post-production coordinator (1 episode, 1972)
Ron Meredith	....	assistant film editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Elmer Bernstein	....	composer: theme music (92 episodes, 1972-1976)
Rocky Moriana	....	music supervisor (5 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (10 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Helen Parker	....	script supervisor (5 episodes, 1972-1975)

Production Companies

• Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972-1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)
• Viacom
• Worldvision Enterprises

Other Companies

• 20th Century Fox Studios  filming location
• Chrysler Corporation  automobiles furnished by

Runtime:

60 min (92 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Movie Connections:

Spin off "S.W.A.T." (1975)

Wouldn't Make it Today

This is one of the first of what I call the "super cop" shows, shows that portrayed police officers as super heroes rather than how they were portrayed on shows like Adam-12 and Dragnet. Shows like this, SWAT, T.J. Hooker and Starsky and Hutch probably wouldn't make it today against shows like C.S.I., NYPD Blue and, of course, the Law and Order franchise due to the fact that todays viewers prefer realism and not the escapades of three rookie cops who think they know it all. Also, this show seemed to revel in putting Kate Jackson's character of Jill in the middle of the action every once in a while. If I were an officer, I would make sure my wife stayed as far away from my job as much as possible.