CHiPs (1977-1983) and having a different perspective because of age

[ZLoth]

There is something to be about watching a TV show when you are growing up verses the different perspective when you are watching the show when you are grown up. Such is the case of the NBC show CHiPs which aired from September 1977 to May 1983.

When you are a eight year old watching first run episodes:

• Woah, cool motorcycles! Mon, can I have a motorcycle?
• Living in Southern California looks so cool.
• Being a highway patrolman must be exciting!
• I want to be a lady's man like Ponch!
• Jon is a cool partner!

When you are watching the series almost fifty years later:

• Hey, how come Ponch doesn't have a dozen workplace harassment complaints?
• Los Angeles looks like a better place back then than it is now.
• The life of a CHP officer is a bit more boring than on television (duh).
• Wait, are those signs with black backgrounds with white lettering?
• How the bleep could they afford those activities on a public servant's salary?
• My gawd, were they actively trying to kill the ratings with those sixth season stories?
• Force Seven... not only was it Larry Wilcox's final episode, but worst CHiPs episode of the series... and it barely counts as a CHiPs episode. And, at that point, how many times did CHiPs "jump the shark"?
• Hey, isn't that Worf as a CHiPpie? And isn't Sergeant Getraer the father of Captain Kirk?

[Rothman]

Once they put them on roller skates, it was all over.

But you know, 42 years ago...?

[thenetwork]

There is something to be about watching a TV show when you are growing up verses the different perspective when you are watching the show when you are grown up. Such is the case of the NBC show CHiPs which aired from September 1977 to May 1983.

When you are a eight year old watching first run episodes:

• Woah, cool motorcycles! Mon, can I have a motorcycle?
• Living in Southern California looks so cool.
• Being a highway patrolman must be exciting!
• I want to be a lady's man like Ponch!
• Jon is a cool partner!

When you are watching the series almost fifty years later:

• Hey, how come Ponch doesn't have a dozen workplace harassment complaints?
• Los Angeles looks like a better place back then than it is now.
• Wait, are those signs with black backgrounds with white lettering?
• How the bleep could they afford those activities on a public servant's salary?
• My gawd, were they actively trying to kill the ratings with those sixth season stories?
• Force Seven... not only was it Larry Wilcox's final episode, but worst CHiPs episode of the series... and it barely counts as a CHiPs episode. And, at that point, how many times did CHiPs "jump the shark"?
• Hey, isn't that Worf as a CHiPpie? And isn't Sergeant Getraer the father of Captain Kirk?

RANDOM THEN & NOWS:

● Those LA Freeways were SO overbuilt -- there's hardly any traffic on them.
● The freeways looked so modern and clean.
● There's no razor wire nor graffiti on the sign gantrys.
● All the on and off ramps and freeways in general are all designed exactly the same regardless of what freeway the incident occurred on, per the officers.
● Back then in LA, cars crashed into each other by using other cars as "ramps".

[kurumi]

That would make a fun pitch meeting.

Screenwriter guy: We've got this new actor, Erik Estrada. Handsome and charismatic, and his character would be a great fit for the large Hispanic community here in Los Angeles.

Producer guy: We're making him Italian.

[Molandfreak]

That would make a fun pitch meeting.

Screenwriter guy: We've got this new actor, Erik Estrada. Handsome and charismatic, and his character would be a great fit for the large Hispanic community here in Los Angeles.

Producer guy: We're making him Italian.

2017 reboot: hold my beer.

[D-Dey65]

• Wait, are those signs with black backgrounds with white lettering?

I would've thought that at any age, including at and even before I was eight.

[ZLoth]

• Wait, are those signs with black backgrounds with white lettering?

I would've thought that at any age, including at and even before I was eight.

There was a change in the traffic code so that the street signs had a white background with black lettering so that the signs were more visible. However, it took several years for all of the legacy signs with back background to be replaced.

[Stephane Dumas]

From what I read on IMDB and Wikipedia, the episode "Force Seven" was a backdoor pilot for a proposed spin-off series.
A bunch of tv series at that time used that trick, Dukes of Hazzard, Hulk, Knight Rider.

Also, there was some chases in CHiPs who involved more recent cars like in the final season a 1982 Chrysler Le Baron convertible.

And enjoy more good, facts and CHiPS trivia.

If CHiPs have continued for 1 or 2 more seasons, chances the cop cars often used would have been Chrysler M-bodies like the Dodge Diplomat as shown in this pictures. https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_641645-Dodge-Diplomat-1981.html