History Series / TheRookies

* TitleDrop: "Cliffy".

** In the episode "Blue Christmas", written by Creator/AaronSpelling, Mike and Jill's niece is named Tori.

* ShoutOut: In the episode "A Test of Courage", writer Rick Husky included characters named Esposito. This is a shout-out to Joe Esposito, who was a member of Music/ElvisPresley's 'Memphis Mafia', just like Husky. The episode also features characters named Jerry Schilling and Sonny West, two more Mafia members.

* ShoutOut: In one episode, writer Rick Husky included a character named Esposito. This is a shout-out to Joe Esposito, who was a member of Music/ElvisPresley's 'Memphis Mafia', just like Husky.

* ItsPersonal: Pete McCall, in the episode "Vendetta", is a cop who returns to duty after a ten-year absence where he was forced to go on pension due to being critically wounded in the line of duty. He claims he's returning because he misses the action, but his real motivation is to find and kill the man who shot him all those years ago and stole ten years from his life.

* OneWordTitle: "Commitment", "Angel" and "Cliffy".

* BadgesAndDogTags: Mike served in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar.

* SpinOff: S.W.A.T. (1975)

* BadgesAndDogTags: Mike served in the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar.

A pilot film aired as a Movie of the Week in early 1972. It focused on five rookie cops for the LCPD, Jared Whitman (Robert F. Lyons), Terry Webster (Georg Stanford Brown), Mike Danko (Sam Melville), Willie Gillis (Michael Ontkean) and Kevin Lassiter (Jeff Pomerantz), who were under the tutelage of tough Sgt. Eddie Ryker (Creator/DarrenMcGavin). Also featured were Mike's wife Jill Danko (Jennifer Billingsley) and Kevin's wife Molly (Davey Davison). These five men were put through rigorous training and eventually thrown into a real-life situation involving a sniper.

A pilot film aired as a Movie of the Week in early 1972. It focused on five rookie cops for the LCPD, Jared Whitman (Robert F. Lyons), Terry Webster (Georg Stanford Brown), Mike Danko (Sam Melville), Willie Gillis (Michael Ontkean) and Kevin Lassiter (Jeff Pomerantz), who were under the tutelage of tough Sgt. Eddie Ryker (Darren [=McGavin=]). Also featured were Mike's wife Jill Danko (Jennifer Billingsley) and Kevin's wife Molly (Davey Davison). These five men were put through rigorous training and eventually thrown into a real-life situation involving a sniper.

The series ended in 1976, just in time for Kate Jackson to land her StarMakingRole as Sabrina Duncan in Series/CharliesAngels. Georg Stanford Brown, who directed a few Rookies episodes, decided to continue in that path for the next decade, working as a busy TV director before returning to acting.
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''The Rookies'' is a CrimeAndPunishmentSeries that aired on Creator/ABC from 1972 to 1976. It was the first production from Spelling-Goldberg productions, and was produced by Creator/AaronSpelling and Leonard Goldberg[[note]]Goldberg had previously been a censor at ABC, where he met Spelling and cut him some breaks with regard to content on ''Series/BurkesLaw'', which Spelling was producing for Creator/FourStarTelevision at that time. He then became an executive for Creator/ScreenGems before joining up with Spelling.[[/note]] and created by William Blinn.

The series could be described as a cross between ''Series/TheModSquad'' (another Spelling-produced series, which was on its last legs at the time) and ''Series/AdamTwelve''. The men were young idealists like the trio in Mod Squad and also young uniformed cops. Unlike Captain Greer on ''Mod Squad'', Ryker was hardly a benevolent father figure, but a stern taskmaster trying his best to forge his charges into serviceable officers. He felt that trying to handle dangerous situations peacefully, which the guys were always trying to do, could result in dead cops, or worse, dead civilians. He realized that no officer likes to pull their guns out, but at times, it's a necessity.

The Rookies is a CrimeAndPunishmentSeries that aired on Creator/ABC from 1972 to 1976. It was the first production from Spelling-Goldberg productions, and was produced by Creator/AaronSpelling and Leonard Goldberg.[[note]]Goldberg had previously been a censor at ABC, where he met Spelling and cut him some breaks with regard to content on ''Series/BurkesLaw'', which Spelling was producing for Creator/FourStarTelevision at that time. He then became an executive for Creator/ScreenGems before joining up with Spelling.[[/note]] and created by William Blinn.

The Rookies is a CrimeAndPunishmentSeries that aired on Creator/ABC from 1972 to 1976. It was the first production from Spelling-Goldberg productions, and was produced by Creator/AaronSpelling and Leonard Goldberg (Goldberg had previously been a censor at ABC, where he met Spelling and cut him some breaks with regard to content on Series/BurkesLaw, which Spelling was producing for Creator/FourStarTelevision at that time. He then became an executive for Creator/ScreenGems before joining up with Spelling) and created by William Blinn.

A pilot film aired as a Movie of the Week in early 1972. It focused on five rookie cops for the LCPD, Jared Whitman (Robert F. Lyons), Terry Webster (Georg Stanford Brown), Mike Danko (Sam Melville), Willie Gillis (Michael Ontkean) and Kevin Lassiter (Jeff Pomerantz), who were under the tutelage of tough Sgt. Eddie Ryker (Darren McGavin). Also featured were Mike's wife Jill Danko (Jennifer Billingsley) and Kevin's wife Molly (Davey Davison). These five men were put through rigorous training and eventually thrown into a real-life situation involving a sniper.

The series could be described as a cross between Series/TheModSquad (another Spelling-produced series, which was on its last legs at the time) and Series/AdamTwelve. The men were young idealists like the trio in Mod Squad and also young uniformed cops. Unlike Captain Greer on Mod Squad, Ryker was hardly a benevolent father figure, but a stern taskmaster trying his best to forge his charges into serviceable officers. He felt that trying to handle dangerous situations peacefully, which the guys were always trying to do, could result in dead cops, or worse, dead civilians. He realized that no officer likes to pull their guns out, but at times, it's a necessity.

* ShoutOut: In one episode, writer Rick Husky included a character named Esposito. This is a shout-out to Joe Esposito, who was a member of Elvis Presley's 'Memphis Mafia', just like Husky.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Chris for Willie.

The series ended in 1976, just in time for Kate Jackson to land her CareerMakingRole as Sabrina Duncan in Series/CharliesAngels. Georg Stanford Brown, who directed a few Rookies episodes, decided to continue in that path for the next decade, working as a busy TV director before returning to acting.

The Rookies is a CrimeAndPunishmentSeries that aired on Creator/ABC from 1972 to 1976. It was the first production from Spelling-Goldberg productions, and was produced by Creator/AaronSpelling and Leonard Goldberg (Goldberg had previously been a censor at ABC, where he met Spelling and cut him some breaks with regard to content on Series/Burke'sLaw, which Spelling was producing for Creator/FourStarTelevision at that time. He then became an executive for Creator/ScreenGems before joining up with Spelling) and created by William Blinn.

* ClearTheirName: In "Point of Impact", Terry tries to help an old friend accused of a near-fatal attack on an officer during a traffic stop [[Spoiler: The officer was being overly aggressive, as he was having a bad day and fought with his girlfriend before going to work. Not only that, but another reason Terry's friend reacted the way he did was that a fellow passenger in the car was possessing drugs, and he was trying to protect that guy]].

"!! You men, go out and find these tropes! NOW!"

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