21 Jump Street

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21 Jump Street
File:21 Jump Street title card.jpg
Series title card.
Created byPatrick Hasburgh
Stephen J. Cannell
StarringJohnny Depp
Peter DeLuise
Holly Robinson
Dustin Nguyen
Steven Williams
et al.
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes103
Production
Running time44 minutes per episode
Original release
NetworkFOX, Syndicated
ReleaseApril 12, 1987 –
April 27, 1991

21 Jump Street (originally titled "Jump Street Chapel") was an hour long police drama television series, developed by Fox Network. It ran from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes.

It was produced by the studio of Stephen J. Cannell Productions (which also produced The A-Team and The Rockford Files). The show was an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network, especially in the important teen demographic. Some speculate that it was Johnny Depp's exit that caused the program's cancellation after the fourth season, though Peter DeLuise in his DVD commentary says that Barry Diller of the Fox Network saw that The Simpsons was getting a twenty share rating, which led to 21 Jump Street being dropped. The final season aired in first-run syndication on local Fox affiliates. It was later completed in rerun syndication on Fox's FX cable network from 1996 to 1998 and was produced in association with and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Television.

The series is currently airing on MeTV and Me Too in Chicago. It also aired in the UK on the, then new, Sky Television Network.

The series provided a spark to Johnny Depp's nascent career in acting, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status an irritant, but he was under contract from which he was released after the fourth season.

Actors who guest-starred on the program include Bridget Fonda, Sherilyn Fenn, Jason Priestley, Josh Brolin, Maia Brewton, Mindy Cohn, David Paymer, Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Vince Vaughn, Pauly Shore, Blair Underwood, John Waters, Shannen Doherty, Rosie Perez, Gregory Itzin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Russ, and Thomas Haden Church.

A spin-off called Booker was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco), but it ran only one season from September 1989 to June 1990.

Plot

The show is about a group of young cops whose youthful appearances enabled them to work undercover in both high schools and sometimes colleges to catch troubled youths. The show's plots covered typical issues of its time, including alcoholism, hate crimes, drug abuse, racism, homophobia, AIDS, drinking, child abuse, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, each problem was often solved by the end of the hour long show, 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:

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.

Episode guide

Season 1

  1. "21 Jump Street (part 1)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 1") (Apr. 12, 1987)
  2. "21 Jump Street (part 2)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 2") (Apr. 12, 1987)
  3. "America, What a Town" (Apr. 19, 1987)
  4. "Don't Pet the Teacher" (Apr. 26, 1987)
  5. "My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" (May. 3, 1987)
  6. "The Worst Night of Your Life" (May. 10, 1987)
  7. "Gotta Finish the Riff" (May. 17, 1987)
  8. "Bad Influence" (May. 24, 1987)
  9. "Blindsided" (May. 31, 1987)
  10. "Next Generation" (June. 7, 1987)
  11. "Low and Away" (also known as "Running on Ice") (June. 14, 1987)
  12. "16 Blown to 35" (June. 21, 1987)
  13. "Mean Streets and Pastel Houses" (June. 28, 1987)


Season 2

  1. "In the Custody of a Clown" (Sept. 20, 1987)
  2. "Besieged (1)" (Sept. 27, 1987)
  3. "Besieged (2)" (Oct. 4, 1987)
  4. "Two For the Road" (Oct. 11, 1987)
  5. "After School Special" (Oct. 18, 1987)
  6. "Higher Education" (Oct. 25, 1987)
  7. "Don't Stretch the Rainbow" (Nov. 1, 1987)
  8. "Honor Bound" (Nov. 8, 1987)
  9. "You Ought to Be in Prison" (Nov. 15, 1987)
  10. "How Much is That Body in the Window?" (Nov. 22, 1987)
  11. "Christmas in Saigon" (Dec. 20, 1987)
  12. "Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins" (also known as "Doin' The Quarter Mile In A Lifetime") (Dec. 27, 1987)
  13. "A Big Disease With a Little Name" (Feb. 7, 1988)
  14. "Chapel of Love" (Feb. 14, 1988)
  15. "I'm OK- You Need Work" (Feb. 21, 1988)
  16. "Orpheus 3.3" (also known as "The Convenience Killer") (Feb. 28, 1988)
  17. "Champagne High" (Mar. 6, 1988)
  18. "Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond" (Mar. 13, 1988)
  19. "Raising Marijuana" (Apr. 17, 1988)
  20. "Best Years Of Your Life" (May 1, 1988)
  21. "Cory and Dean Got Married" (May 8, 1988)
  22. "School's Out" (May 22, 1988)

"Christmas in Saigon" reveals that Ioki is not Japanese, but Vietnamese, and was born Vinh Van Tran.

Season 3

  1. "Fun With Animals" (Nov. 6, 1988)
  2. "Slippin' Into Darkness" (also listed as "Date With an Angel"[1]) (Nov. 13, 1988)
  3. "The Currency We Trade In" (Nov. 20, 1988)
  4. "Coach of the Year" (Nov. 27, 1988)
  5. "Whose Choice is it Anyways?" (Dec. 11, 1988)
  6. "Hell Week" (Dec. 18, 1988)
  7. "The Dragon and the Angel" (Jan. 15, 1989)
  8. "Blu Flu" (Jan. 29, 1989)
  9. "Swallowed Alive" (Feb. 5, 1989)
  10. "What About Love?" (Feb. 12, 1989)
  11. "Woolly Bullies" (Feb. 19, 1989)
  12. "The Dreaded Return of Russell Buckins" (Feb. 26, 1989)
  13. "A.W.O.L." (Mar. 19, 1989)
  14. "Nemesis" (Mar. 26, 1989)
  15. "Fathers and Sons" (Apr. 9, 1989)
  16. "High High" (Apr. 23, 1989)
  17. "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light" (Apr. 30, 1989)
  18. "Next Victim" (May 7, 1989)
  19. "Loc'd Out (part 1)" (also known as "Partners (part 1)") (May 14, 1989)
  20. "Loc'd Out (part 2)" (also known as "Partners (part 2)") (May 21, 1989)

Richard Greico joins the cast during this season as Officer Dennis Booker. While he is in nearly every episode this season, he is always credited as a guest star. Originally, his character was going to be killed off at the end of the season, but he proved so popular, the character was given a spin-off.

Season 4

  1. "Draw the Line" (Sep. 18, 1989)
  2. "Say It Ain't So, Pete" (Sep. 25, 1989)
  3. "Eternal Flame" (Oct. 2, 1989)
  4. "Come from the Shadows" (Oct. 9, 1989)
  5. "God is a Bullet" (Oct. 16, 1989)
  6. "Old Haunts in a New Age" (Oct. 30, 1989)
  7. "Out of Control" (Nov. 6, 1989)
  8. "Stand by Your Man" (Nov. 13, 1989)
  9. "Mike's P.O.V." (Nov. 20, 1989)
  10. "Wheels and Deals Part Two" (Nov. 27, 1989) (Part One aired as part of the spin-off series Booker)
  11. "Parental Guidance Suggested" (Dec. 4, 1989)
  12. "Things We Said Today" (Dec. 18, 1989)
  13. "Research and Destroy" (Jan. 8, 1990)
  14. "A Change of Heart" (Jan. 15, 1990)
  15. "Back from the Future" (Jan. 29, 1990) A clip show framed by interviews of the retired cops
  16. "2245" (Feb. 5, 1990)
  17. "Hi Mom" (Feb. 12, 1990)
  18. "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom" (Feb. 19, 1990)
  19. "La Bizca" (Feb. 26, 1990)
  20. "Last Chance High" (Mar. 19, 1990)
  21. "Unfinished Business" (Apr. 9, 1990)
  22. "Shirts and Skins (also known as "A New Breeze Blowing") (Apr. 30, 1990)
  23. "How I Saved the Senator" (May 7, 1990)
  24. "Rounding Third" (May 14, 1990)
  25. "Everyday is Christmas" (May 21, 1990)
  26. "Blackout" (also known as "Business as Usual") (Jun 18, 1990)

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. It was never explained where Officers Hanson or Ioki went, or why they were no longer with the Jump Street Unit. (It should be noted that Hanson's whereabouts were possibly hinted at by Penhall, saying "an old friend of his now runs a bowling alley." Hanson is known for his love of bowling.) 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 4th 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, while still allowing the older cast a meaningful role on the show.

Season 5

  1. "Tunnel of Love" (Oct 13, 1990)
  2. "Back to School" (Oct. 20, 1990)
  3. "Buddy System" (Oct. 27, 1990)
  4. "Poison" (Nov. 3, 1990)
  5. "Just Say No! High" (Nov. 10, 1990)
  6. "Brothers" (Nov. 17, 1990)
  7. "This Ain't No Summer Camp" (Nov. 24, 1990)
  8. "The Girl Next Door" (Dec. 1, 1990)
  9. "Diplomas for Sale" (Dec. 8, 1990)
  10. "Number One with a Bullet" (Dec. 22, 1990)
  11. "Equal Protection" (Jan. 5, 1991)
  12. "The Education of Terry Carver" (Jan. 14, 1991)
  13. "Baby Blues" (Jan. 21, 1991)
  14. "Film at Eleven" (Feb. 9, 1991)
  15. "In the Name of Love" (Feb. 16, 1991)
  16. "Cop Love" (also known as "Coppin' Out") (Feb. 23, 1991)
  17. "Under The Influence" (Mar. 23, 1991)
  18. "Crossfire" (Mar. 30, 1991)
  19. "Wasted" (Apr. 6, 1991)
  20. "Bad Day at Eagle Rock" (also known as "Bad Day at Blackburn") (Apr. 13, 1991)
  21. "Homegirls" (Apr. 20, 1991)
  22. "Second Chances" (Apr. 27, 1991)

During this season, Michael Bendetti joined the cast as Officer Anthony "Mac" McCann. Michael DeLuise also joined the cast as Joey Penhall, Doug Penhall's younger brother. Peter DeLuise was credited as a Special Guest Star until he left the show in December 1990.

Both Doug and Joey Penhall were written off the show before the season was completed. Peter DeLuise said during his commentary on the Season 5 DVD Set that he saw no future for the show, so he decided to leave before it folded with the agreement that he direct two episodes and play in (at least) seven episodes. In the show, Doug Penhall is shot in the line of duty, and after facing his own mortality, decides to leave the force to care for his adopted son, Clavo. As Joey Penhall joined the Jump Street Unit to get closer to his brother, his reason for being at Jump Street no longer existed. His character was written out a few episodes later as moving away to be near his brother.

Officer Kati Rocky (Alexandra Powers) is introduced in the first episode of the season, "Tunnel of Love." This episode, along with "Back to School" mark the last appearances of Officer Rocky and Officer Garrett, despite the plotlines suggesting that both characters are going to join the main cast. These episodes were both filmed during the Fourth Season and held over. Neither actor was asked back for the Fifth Season, and their characters are not mentioned again after their initial appearances.

Issues with the DVD releases

File:21 Jump Street S4.jpg
Richard Grieco appears prominently on the fourth season DVD cover

IDT's Anchor Bay Entertainment has released all five seasons of the TV series on DVD in Region 1. One criticism of the DVD releases has been the substitution of soundtrack music from that used on the original episodes, as that the music originally used was often notably linked to the themes of each episode. For example, the song "God is a Bullet" by Concrete Blonde was prominently played throughout the show of the same name in season four; however, the song is never heard on the DVD version. In the pilot episode on the season one DVD, a boy is asked, "Don't you like rap music?" but the song being played is a rock song. Because of the song substitution, numerous songs are heard repeatedly throughout the DVD releases, and even throughout the same season.

On the season one DVDs, the actors are seen saying milder versions of obscenities that were played on the show while it was on the air. Words like "ass" and "sucks" are replaced with "tail" and "stinks," causing the actors' lips to be inconsistent with the words spoken. This also causes typical background noise to suddenly disappear and reappear; this also happens when songs throughout the episodes are replaced with others.

Richard Grieco appears prominently on the cover of the fourth season DVD set, yet his only appearance during that season was as part of a pair of crossover episodes ("Wheels and Deals," parts one and two). Additionally, Depp is given a prominent spot on the fifth season DVD cover, yet the DVD set only has one episode of Depp's ("Blackout"), which was actually the season four finale and Depp's last appearance on the show. Steven Williams was omitted from the covers of seasons three and four despite having been in 81 episodes, more than any other cast member. [2] Michael Bendetti is missing from the season five cover, despite having been on all but two of the season five episodes. [3]

File:21 Jump Street S5.jpg
Johnny Depp appears on the fifth season DVD cover, despite not appearing in that year
DVD Name Ep # Release Date
21 Jump Street: The Complete First Season 13 Oct 26, 2004
21 Jump Street: The Complete Second Season 22 March 8, 2005
21 Jump Street: The Complete Third Season 20 September 6, 2005
21 Jump Street: The Complete Fourth Season 25 November 1, 2005
21 Jump Street: The Complete Fifth Season 23 March 21, 2006

Production notes

The theme tune was sung by Holly Robinson. She had a minor singing career before starring in the show and Cannell graciously let her try a number of different theme songs, before picking the one that was eventually used. Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise also chimed in with the word "Jump" in the song.

Casting

Captain Jenko, played by Frederic Forrest, left the show after the fifth episode of the first season. Peter DeLuise cited creative differences between Forrest and the show's writers as the primary reason he was killed off in the show's seventh episode.

Location

The show's filming location, Vancouver, 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(BCTransit) logo barely visible on the side. This was featured in the opening in Seasons 1-3. New Westminster Secondary School was one of the main locations of the series.[4] There also has been a scene filmed inside the main office of local Vancouver high school, David Thompson Secondary School.

Inconsistencies and plot holes

  • It is explained in the show that Hanson's classic Mustang belonged to his father, who was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. However, after Hanson leaves, Mac is now seen driving the same car without any explanation as to why.
  • Det. Judy Hoffs is given three different middle names over the course of the show. In "The Worst Night of Your Life" (season one), Cpt. Jenko calls her Judith Esther. In "In the Custody of a Clown" (season two), her mother calls her Judith Marie. In "What About Love" (season three) she tells her boyfriend that her middle name is Ann. The booklet in the first season DVD set lists Judy's middle name as Marie. [1]
  • In season one, Ioki is studying for the sergeant's exam ("Don't Pet the Teacher"), without ever having been promoted from the rank of officer. This was corrected in season four, when Ioki (along with Hoffs and Penhall) is studying to become a detective ("Say It Ain't So, Pete").
  • In season one, Penhall tells Hanson that his brother went to a state college ("My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"). In season five, his brother (Joey Penhall) is shown to be a drifter-turned-cop.
  • In season five ("Crossfire"), Hoffs is questioned on the stand by her boyfriend’s ex-wife, who is the attorney representing a person she and Mac had arrested for solicitation. She is asked about her sexual harassment case of two years ago and her rape of three years ago. These events are backward; Hoffs' sexual harassment case happened first, in "What About Love?" (season three). The rape occurred in season four ("Stand By Your Man").
  • In season two ("Two for the Road") Capt. Fuller is arrested for drunk driving. The officers seem to be unconcerned with this, even being on Capt. Fuller's side - this, despite the fact that Capt. Jenko was killed by a drunk driver.

Film Adaption

Plans for a film version were announced in the late 90's-early 2000's with Jennifer Love Hewitt rumored to star.

It has been recently announced that a film version is going to be developed. Jonah Hill will write and executive produce the film, though it remains unknown if he will star[5].

References

  1. ^ Date With an Angel episode summary
  2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092312/
  3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0041059/filmoseries#tt0092312
  4. ^ "21 Jump Street" (1987)
  5. ^ Comingsoon.net
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