“One White, One Black, One Blond”

There was certainly no shortage of police dramas on 60s television but they lacked the appeal necessary to capture the devotion of younger audiences who were becoming more turned off by the persona of the typical “square” officers. To try to capture some of the youthful television viewer’s attention, ABC responded with perhaps the hippest cop show to ever hit the airwaves. Centered on a trio of former juvenile delinquents turned into undercover cops, these cocky and fashionable fighters of crime would be forever known as The Mod Squad.

Debuting in 1968, The Mod Squad was created by Bud Riskin, a former Los Angeles Police Officer who drew upon his experience forming a youthful squad of undercover narcotics detectives to create this innovative series. The show revolved around three former delinquents, Pete Cochran (Michael Cole) a car thief, Linc Hayes (Clarence Williams III) a former Watts rioter, and Julie Barnes (Peggy Lipton) a runaway from San Francisco. Each was placed on probation and taken under the wing of a progressive police Captain named Adam Greer (Tige Andrews) who made them an offer they couldn’t refuse – face incarceration or help him form a squad of undercover cops who could protect the youth of the city from the adults seeking to exploit them. The trio of hipsters set out on the streets of LA, without the aid of guns or badges to protect them, instead relying on their groovy personas to root out the bad guys wherever they preyed.

The show was a big hit for ABC, especially among young viewers, for the five seasons that it aired. It also found a loyal following in syndication after it left prime time. The whole gang reunited in 1979 for a made-for television movie called The Return of Mod Squad. And twenty years later, the series finally made its way to the big screen, featuring Claire Daines, Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps in the starring roles. Dennis Farina took over as Capt. Greer.

"Solid"