"CHiPs" (1977) TV series 1977-1983

Creator:

Rick Rosner
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

15 September 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers.

Plot Keywords:

California | Motorcycle | Highway Patrol | Police | Road

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Erik Estrada	...	Officer Francis Llewellyn 'Ponch' Poncherello (139 episodes, 1977-1983)
Robert Pine	...	Sgt. Joseph Getraer (139 episodes, 1977-1983)
Larry Wilcox	...	Officer Jon Baker (117 episodes, 1977-1982)
Paul Linke	...	Officer Arthur Grossman (75 episodes, 1977-1983)
Brodie Greer	...	Officer Barry Baricza (71 episodes, 1977-1982)

Series Directed by
Phil Bondelli		(22 episodes, 1978-1983)
John Florea		(19 episodes, 1978-1983)
Gordon Hessler		(12 episodes, 1978-1982)
Barry Crane		(11 episodes, 1978-1982)
Leslie H. Martinson		(11 episodes, 1981-1982)
Don Weis		(9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Charles Bail		(7 episodes, 1981-1983)
Michael Caffey		(5 episodes, 1977-1981)
Bruce Kessler		(4 episodes, 1979-1981)
Georg Fenady		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Paul Krasny		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
John Astin		(3 episodes, 1982-1983)
Christian I. Nyby II		(2 episodes, 1977)
Ric Rondell		(2 episodes, 1977)
Larry Wilcox		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Harvey S. Laidman		(2 episodes, 1979)
Earl Bellamy		(2 episodes, 1981)
Arnold Laven		(2 episodes, 1981)
Richard Irving		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Robert Pine		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Winrich Kolbe		(2 episodes, 1982)
Don Chaffey		(unknown episodes)
Donald L. Gold		(unknown episodes)
Alexander Grasshoff		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Rick Rosner		(138 episodes, 1977-1983)
Rudolph Borchert		(14 episodes, 1978-1982)
L. Ford Neale		(11 episodes, 1978-1982)
Rick Mittleman		(10 episodes, 1977-1982)
John Huff		(10 episodes, 1979-1982)
James Doherty		(9 episodes, 1978-1982)
James Schmerer		(9 episodes, 1978-1981)
William D. Gordon		(8 episodes, 1978-1981)
Larry Alexander		(7 episodes, 1977-1982)
Bruce Shelly		(6 episodes, 1977-1982)
Frank Telford		(6 episodes, 1978-1981)
Joseph Gunn		(6 episodes, 1982-1983)
Larry Mollin		(6 episodes, 1982-1983)
Gerald Sanford		(6 episodes, 1982-1983)
Stephen Lord		(5 episodes, 1978-1982)
Paul Mason		(5 episodes, 1982-1983)
William Douglas Lansford		(3 episodes, 1980-1982)
Paul Robert Coyle		(2 episodes, 1977-1979)
Jock MacKelvie		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Skip Webster		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Max Hodge		(2 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jerry Thomas		(2 episodes, 1978-1980)
Frank Chase		(2 episodes, 1979-1981)
Kenneth Dorward		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Loraine Despres		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Donald L. Gold		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Barry Jacobs		(2 episodes, 1983)
Stuart Jacobs		(2 episodes, 1983)
Jack Hanrahan		(unknown episodes)
Ivan Nagy		(unknown episodes)
Bruce Reisman		(unknown episodes)
Elliott Street		(unknown episodes)
Shirley Ulmer		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Paul Rabwin	....	producer / associate producer (116 episodes, 1978-1993)
Rick Rosner	....	producer / executive producer (3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Ric Rondell	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1977)
Cy Chermak	....	executive producer / producer (2 episodes, 1979-1983)
Randall Torno	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Original Music by
Alan Silvestri		(3 episodes, 1979-1983)
Billy May		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Robert F. Sparks		(7 episodes, 1977-1983)

Series Film Editing by
William Neel		(3 episodes, 1979-1983)
Richard Freeman		(unknown episodes)
Joe Morrisey		(unknown episodes)
Richard E. Rabjohn		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Cathy Henderson		(47 episodes, 1980-1982)
Gary Shaffer		(2 episodes, 1977)
Joe Scully		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Joseph M. Altadonna		(22 episodes, 1977-1978)
Stephen Myles Berger		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Set Decoration by
W. Joe Kroesser		(4 episodes, 1977-1983)

Series Makeup Department
Richard Cobos	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1979-1983)
Don Lynch	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 1979-1983)
John Norin	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1977)
Walter Schenk	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1979-1982)

Series Production Management
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production (22 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Denny Salvaryn	....	assistant director (56 episodes, 1980-1982)
John M. Poer	....	first assistant director (13 episodes, 1978)
Paul Rabwin	....	second unit director (12 episodes, 1978-1982)
Robert S. Mills	....	dga trainee (5 episodes, 1979)
Yoram Ben-Ami	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Forrest L. Futrell	....	second assistant director / trainee assistant director (unknown episodes)
Charles Norton	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Lindsley Parsons III	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Richard T. Schor	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Margaret Mazzola	....	set dressing (9 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Sound Department
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (138 episodes, 1977-1983)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (68 episodes, 1979-1982)
M. Curtis Price	....	sound (3 episodes, 1979-1983)
Hal Watkins	....	sound (2 episodes, 1977)
Harlan Riggs	....	sound (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Marty Church	....	adr mixer / foley mixer (unknown episodes)
George E. Marshall Jr.	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
Ed Osborne	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Pat Elmendorf	....	special effects (1 episode, 1977)
Andrew Miller	....	special effects foreman (unknown episodes)
Christophor Newkirk	....	special effects assistant (unknown episodes)
Dale Newkirk	....	special effects foreman (unknown episodes)
Marlowe Newkirk	....	special effects coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt coordinator (4 episodes, 1977-1983)
Rick Cirimele	....	stunts / stunt performer (3 episodes, 1979-1982)
Richard Epper	....	stunts / stunt performer (3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Chips	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1980-1982)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1981)
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Bud Davis	....	assistant stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Tom Elliott	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Debbie Evans	....	stunt driving: motorcycles / stunts (unknown episodes)
Greg Gault	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Dennis Lehane	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ray Lykins	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jim McConnell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Eddie Paul	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Stafford	....	key assistant camera (27 episodes, 1978-1980)
Earl C. Williman	....	gaffer (23 episodes, 1979-1980)
Thomas P. Powell	....	lighting technician (22 episodes, 1977-1978)
Virgil E. Hammond III	....	camera technician: Cinemobile Systems (7 episodes, 1982)
Fred R. Krug	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1978-1980)
Michael J. Jacobs	....	special still photographer (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Mike Hanks	....	casting (1 episode, 1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gregory B. Peña	....	daily set costumer (22 episodes, 1982-1983)
Shelly Levine	....	wardrobe supervisor / wardrobe (3 episodes, 1979-1983)

Series Music Department
John Carl Parker	....	composer: theme music (139 episodes, 1977-1983)
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor (5 episodes, 1977-1983)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (5 episodes, 1977-1980)
Randy Peters	....	driver (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Larry Luttrell	....	location manager (67 episodes, 1978-1981)
Paul Rabwin	....	story editor (20 episodes, 1980-1981)
Denis McCallion	....	location manager (11 episodes, 1977)
Paul Playdon	....	developed for television by / developed for television / ... (4 episodes, 1977-1983)
Jack Gannon	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1979-1982)
Dave McDaniel	....	production consultant (2 episodes, 1979-1982)
Jerry Nista	....	choreographer (2 episodes, 1979)
Sonny P. Filippini	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)
Dixie Fusillo	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Joseph Gunn	....	executive story consultant (unknown episodes)
Michael Neale	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Shirley Ulmer	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Glen B. Craig	....	with appreciation to / with appreciation to: Commissioner, California Highway Patrol (135 episodes, 1977-1983)

Production Companies

• MGM Television
• Rosner Television

Distributors

• AVRO Television (1984) (Netherlands) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Special Effects

• Newkirk Special Effects

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  locations
• Kawasaki Motors  motorcycles
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Also Known As:

CHiPs Patrol (USA) (syndication title)

Runtime:

60 min (139 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | UK:12 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

MGM Television

Trivia:

Larry Wilcox's character, Jon Baker, was named after the nephew of the show's creator, Rick Rosner. The boy had a small role in the first episode as a boy stopped by Ponch and Jon for riding his bike on the highway.

Quotes:

[Jon announces his proposal for a trail bike task force]
Officer Jon Baker: I'd like to nominate my partner, Frank Poncherello.
Officer Francis Llewellyn 'Ponch' Poncherello: Hey, that's great. 'Cause when we first met, I was on a dirtbike.
Officer Jon Baker: Uh, no, Ponch. When we first met, you had just fallen off a dirtbike.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Name Is Earl: Darnell Outed: Part 1 (#4.15)" (2009)

No, it was good!

CHiPs was magical ... CHiPs was everything a young child wanted to see and much more ... it had great looking people, it had cop uniforms and cop cars, it had fast cars (hotrods), and yes it had Disco! What more could you want? Not to mention, you had Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada (who had become a 70's sex symbol). You just can't say anything bad about this show, because it was meant to entertain! Thats right ... it wasn't supposed to be a "stupid" reality show, like all we see today, it was meant to entertain and it did just that! I praise the producers for what they did with this ... because they made it huge and I still enjoy watching it today! There were many fine looking actresses then too and to quote a Hollywood exec. who once made the remark about Rock Hudson -- "They sure don't make them like that anymore"!