Netflix Is Finally Streaming This Near-Perfect 6-Episode Cult Classic
A short-lived comedy begins
Police Squad! aired on ABC in 1982, between Airplane! and The Naked Gun trilogy. The series marked the start of Nielsen’s run as Drebin, the bumbling detective later known from the films.
The show was created by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker. It was cancelled after six episodes, despite the influence its rapid-fire parody would have on television comedy.
Drebin investigates absurd cases
Riffing on the police procedural M Squad, Police Squad! used a case-of-the-week format. Drebin and other officers investigated crimes including murder, kidnapping, mob activity and bombings. The cast played the stories as straight police dramas while delivering puns, wordplay, non-sequiturs and double entendres. Sight gags and screwball antics added to the comedy’s fast pace.
From television to the films
The 1988 film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! referred to the short-lived series in its title. The film and its two sequels carried the characters to a wider audience, and a legacy sequel or reboot featuring Liam Neeson was released in 2025.
Netflix is scheduled to bring Police Squad! to its service in November, giving the six-episode comedy a new opportunity to reach viewers.
Key points
- Police Squad! is scheduled to debut on Netflix in November.
- The ABC series aired in 1982 and ran for six episodes.
- Leslie Nielsen originated Frank Drebin in the series before the Naked Gun films.
- Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker created the police-drama parody.