"The Rookies" (1972) TV series 1972-1976

Creator:

Rita Lakin
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

11 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

The exploits of three rookie police officers in a large unnamed Southern California city are followed in this weekly series...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Nurse | Rookie Policeman | Married To A Police Officer | Rookie Cop

Cast

Georg Stanford Brown	...	Officer Terry Webster / ... (93 episodes, 1972-1976)
Sam Melville	...	Off. Mike Danko / ... (93 episodes, 1972-1976)
Kate Jackson	...	Jill Danko (92 episodes, 1972-1976)
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Lt. Ryker / ... (92 episodes, 1972-1976)
Michael Ontkean	...	Officer Willie Gillis / ... (47 episodes, 1972-1974)
Bruce Fairbairn	...	Officer Chris Owens / ... (46 episodes, 1974-1976)

Series Directed by
Phil Bondelli		(15 episodes, 1974-1976)
E.W. Swackhamer		(10 episodes, 1972-1975)
Leonard Horn		(9 episodes, 1972-1973)
Harry Falk		(7 episodes, 1973-1974)
Gene Nelson		(5 episodes, 1973-1974)
Fernando Lamas		(5 episodes, 1975)
Michael Caffey		(4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Georg Stanford Brown		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bruce Bilson		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
William Crain		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
William F. Claxton		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Ralph Senensky		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Earl Bellamy		(2 episodes, 1972)
Jerry Jameson		(2 episodes, 1972)
Jud Taylor		(2 episodes, 1972)
Richard Newton		(2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Philip Leacock		(2 episodes, 1974)
Richard Benedict		(2 episodes, 1976)
Randal Kleiser		(1 episode, 1976)

Series Writing credits
William Blinn		(30 episodes, 1972-1975)
Rita Lakin		(26 episodes, 1972-1975)
Skip Webster		(12 episodes, 1972-1976)
Robert I. Holt		(11 episodes, 1972-1975)
Hal Sitowitz		(8 episodes, 1972-1974)
Don Balluck		(6 episodes, 1973-1975)
Sean Baine		(4 episodes, 1974-1976)
Hoke Howell		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
James Basler		(3 episodes, 1973-1974)
Rick Husky		(3 episodes, 1974-1976)
Irv Pearlberg		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
Daniel B. Ullman		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)
Richard H. Landau		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Mark Weingart		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Robert Harland		(2 episodes, 1973)
William Douglas Lansford		(2 episodes, 1973)
David Ketchum		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Mann Rubin		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Bruce Shelly		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Frank Telford		(2 episodes, 1974)
Jack V. Fogarty		(2 episodes, 1976)
Paul F. Edwards		(unknown episodes)
Mathius Reitz		(unknown episodes)
Dirk Wayne Summers		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer / producer (93 episodes, 1972-1976)
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer (92 episodes, 1972-1976)
William Blinn	....	producer (31 episodes, 1972-1974)
Shelley Hull	....	associate producer (27 episodes, 1972-1975)
Rick Husky	....	producer (20 episodes, 1974-1976)
Hal Sitowitz	....	producer (16 episodes, 1974-1975)
Douglas Benton	....	producer (10 episodes, 1973-1974)
Skip Webster	....	producer (7 episodes, 1975-1976)
Paul Junger Witt	....	producer (5 episodes, 1972)

Series Original Music by
Jack Elliott		(12 episodes, 1972-1975)
Allyn Ferguson		(12 episodes, 1972-1975)
Elmer Bernstein		(12 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mark Snow		(5 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Drasnin		(4 episodes, 1973-1975)
Laurence Rosenthal		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Shorty Rogers		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)
George Romanis		(2 episodes, 1975)
Paul Glass		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Archie R. Dalzell		(46 episodes, 1972-1974)
Dennis Dalzell		(46 episodes, 1974-1976)

Series Film Editing by
Jim Faris		(7 episodes, 1972-1975)
Dick Wormell		(5 episodes, 1972-1973)
Bill Mosher		(4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Art Seid		(4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Leon Carrere		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Gene Milford		(2 episodes, 1972)
Richard Malek		(2 episodes, 1975)
James Baiotto		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Bert Remsen		(24 episodes, 1972-1973)
Claire Newell		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Art Direction by
Paul Sylos		(27 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Set Decoration by
Ken Swartz		(24 episodes, 1972-1973)
Dorcy Howard		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Costume Design by
Thelma Strahm		(5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Robert Harris Jr.		(4 episodes, 1975)

Series Makeup Department
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
Pat Whiffing	....	hair stylist (21 episodes, 1972-1973)
Joyce Morrison	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1975)

Series Production Management
Norman Henry	....	executive production manager / production manager (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
William A. Calihan Jr.	....	production manager (27 episodes, 1972-1975)
Russel Wiles	....	post-production supervisor (4 episodes, 1975)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wesley Barry	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1972-1975)
Joe Lauth	....	assistant director (11 episodes, 1972-1973)
John Ashley Hamilton	....	trainee director (2 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Art Department
Jesse Stone	....	construction coordinator (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jerry McFarland	....	property master (26 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jerry Swift	....	property master (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Sound Department
Tommy Thompson	....	sound engineer / sound recordist (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
Stan Gordon	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Bill Ferrier	....	special effects (14 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunt coordinator (4 episodes, 1975)
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Jacobsen	....	electrician (unknown episodes, 1975)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
John Stadler	....	electrician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Joel Thurm	....	casting supervisor (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Harris Jr.	....	costumes (23 episodes, 1972-1973)
Thelma Strahm	....	costumes (23 episodes, 1972-1973)

Series Editorial Department
Russel Wiles	....	post-production coordinator (17 episodes, 1972-1973)
Jim Allen	....	post-production coordinator (6 episodes, 1972)
Ron Meredith	....	assistant film editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Elmer Bernstein	....	composer: theme music (82 episodes, 1972-1976)
Rocky Moriana	....	music supervisor (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
Steve Livingston	....	music editor (4 episodes, 1975)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (10 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Helen Parker	....	script supervisor (28 episodes, 1972-1975)
Parke Perine	....	coordinator: producer (23 episodes, 1972-1973)

Production Companies

• Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972-1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)
• Viacom
• Worldvision Enterprises

Other Companies

• 20th Century Fox Studios  filming location
• Chrysler Corporation  automobiles furnished by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (92 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

4526 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Trivia:

Sam Melville, who played police officer and husband Mike Danko, to Kate Jackson's wife and nurse Jill Danko on this show, later played ex-husband Joe King to Jackson's title character Mrs. Amanda King on later series "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (1983).

Movie Connections:

Featured in TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) (V)

Great Show

Just wanted to say that I've been watching reruns of The Rookies on TVLand and still say it's a great show. I'd rather watch ones like this than some of what they have on TV now. I'm happy that TVLand is airing these great 'classic' shows. Hopefully they will be on for quite some time.