CHiPs

Cast

Larry Wilcox portrayed Officer/Captain Jonathan 'Jon' Andrew Baker from 1977 to 1982 and again in 1998. Erik Estrada played Officer Francis 'Frank Ponch' Poncherello. Robert Pine appeared as Sergeant/Commissioner Joseph 'Joe' Getraer. Lew Saunders played Officer Gene Fritz from 1977 to 1979.

Brodie Greer was Officer Barry 'Bear' Baricza from 1977 to 1982. Paul Linke played Officer/Detective Arthur 'Artie Grossie' Grossman. Lou Wagner portrayed mechanic Harlan Arliss from 1978 to 1983. Brianne Leary played Officer Sindy Cahill from 1978 to 1979.

Randi Oakes was Officer Bonnie Clark from 1979 to 1982. Michael Dorn played Officer Jebediah Turner from 1979 to 1982. Bruce Jenner portrayed Officer Steve McLeish from 1981 to 1982. Tom Reilly played Officer Robert 'Bobby Hot Dog' Nelson from 1982 to 1983.

Tina Gayle was Officer Kathy Linahan from 1982 to 1983. Bruce Penhall played Cadet/Officer/Sergeant Bruce Nelson from 1982 to 1983 and in 1998. Clarence Gilyard Jr. played Officer Benjamin Webster from 1982 to 1983. During the fifth season, Estrada went on strike over a dispute about syndication profits and missed three episodes, replaced by Bruce Jenner.

Despite their on-screen partnership, Wilcox and Estrada did not always get along off-camera, though they later settled their differences. Estrada had producers fire Wilcox before the sixth season; Wilcox was replaced by Tom Reilly.

Bruce Penhall, a motorcycle speedway rider who won the 1981 and 1982 Speedway World Championships, was introduced as cadet Bruce Nelson, Bobby's younger brother. The episode 'Speedway Fever' centered on Nelson winning the 1982 Speedway World Final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with scenes filmed in the pits during the meeting. Penhall announced his retirement from speedway racing on the podium of the 1982 World Final to join the cast full-time.

Production

The idea for the series came to creator Rick Rosner during a coffee break while he was working as a reserve deputy for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in the mid-1970s. On an evening patrol shift, he spotted two young CHP officers on motorcycles, and that image sparked the show. Jon Baker's character is occasionally noted as having served in Vietnam, which made him one of the earliest regular and more positive TV depictions of a Vietnam veteran.

Actor Larry Wilcox, who played Baker, had himself served 13 months in Vietnam as a Marine artilleryman. Filming took place on Los Angeles freeways that were finished but not yet open to traffic. For the first season, the crew often used the junction of Interstate 210 and California State Route 2 in La Canada Flintridge, plus a short stretch of Highway 2. In season two, they moved five miles west along Interstate 210 in La Crescenta, until that section opened.

By season five, production had shifted another ten miles west to the intersection of Interstate 210 and California State Route 118 in Sylmar. When that freeway opened, they relocated to a short piece of the 710 Long Beach Freeway in Long Beach and a long stretch of Pershing Drive near LAX.

The only filming outside Los Angeles was for the episode "Drive, Lady, Drive," which used Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley for racing scenes. The motorcycle officers rode Kawasaki Z1-P and Z900-C2 models in the first two seasons, then switched to KZ1000-C1 bikes from season three onward. The third-season episode "Hot Wheels" featured AMC Matador police cars in a one-off appearance.

Broadcast history

The series aired on NBC in various time slots. From September 1977 to March 1978, it aired Thursdays at 8–9PM Eastern/Pacific. In April 1978, it moved to Saturdays at 8–9PM, then returned to Thursdays from May to August 1978. From September 1978 to March 1980, it aired Saturdays at 8–9PM.

From April to May 1983, it aired Sundays at 7–8PM, and from May to July 1983, it returned to Sundays at 8–9PM. NBC aired reruns weekdays at 3PM EST between April 26, 1982 and September 10, 1982. In the United Kingdom, ITV broadcast the series but not nationally; it started in January 1979 in the London region with season two. Most ITV regions originally aired it in a Saturday teatime slot around 17:35, moving to Sunday teatime in 1980.

By 1981, different ITV regions broadcast it at various times. The series shared its Saturday teatime slot with shows such as The A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., and Whiz Kids. Most ITV areas completed the series by 1986, while LWT, TVS, and TSW finished season six in 1987. The entire series aired in New Zealand on TVNZ from 1978.

The Seven Network broadcast the series in Australia in its entirety, usually in the 7:30PM timeslot. The show aired on MeTV from December 19, 2013 to May 26, 2017, and currently airs on Charge! as of September 4, 2018.

Other media

CHiPs '99, a 1998 made-for-television crime drama film and sequel to the series, was directed by Jon Cassar. Several original cast members reprised their roles, with Jon Baker promoted to captain and Joe Getraer to CHP Commissioner. Frank Poncherello returned after a 15-year hiatus from the CHP. A film remake was released on March 24, 2017, with Dax Shepard co-producing, writing, directing, and starring as Officer Jon Baker, Michael Peña as Frank Poncherello, and Vincent D'Onofrio as the villain.

Mego produced a series of 8-inch and 3-inch action figures in the late 1970s; many have discolored or decomposed over time. Imperial Toys produced a series of six die-cast model vehicles. In the UK, World International Publishing Ltd produced a series of four tie-in annuals for 1980–83, containing stories, photos, puzzles, and features. A comic strip adaptation drawn by Jim Baikie appeared in Look-In magazine.

Did You Know?

• CHiPs episodes were usually a combination of light comedy and drama, often culminating in spectacular stunt vehicle crashes.
• The show's signature, especially in later seasons, was frequent over-the-top freeway pileups.
• Warner Home Video released the first two seasons on DVD between 2007 and 2008, with subsequent seasons released through 2017.