The Sad State of Comedy

This is my video essay on the comedic brilliance of Police Squad. A TV show that despite being canceled over 40 years ago, still feels like such a breath of fresh air compared to the comedies today.

But why is this the case? Why does it seem like we’re settling for comedies that aren’t as smart or witty when it comes to their presentation?

With Police Squad there’s just so much going on in any scene that can make you laugh. So many clever gags that can keep you guessing where the next joke is going to come from. One moment you’ll find yourself paying attention to what the characters are saying and then the next you’ll notice something hilarious in the background.

But how does Police Squad achieve this? What makes it so brilliant in its delivery and presentation? And importantly, which lessons can we learn from its hilariously clever writing so that today’s comedies can be elevated to that same high standard?

This is my video explaining how.

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What is Police Squad?

Police Squad! was an American television crime comedy series broadcast on the ABC network in 1982. It was created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, and starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. A spoof of police procedurals, the series featured Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs. While a parody of many television shows and movies, it bore a particular resemblance to the Lee Marvin cop show M Squad (in particular the opening credits) and the late 1960s series Felony Squad. Although the show was canceled after six episodes, it later successfully spawned The Naked Gun film series from 1988 to 1994. In 2013, TV Guide ranked it #7 on its list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon".

Police Squad! was created by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, who had previously worked together on The Kentucky Fried Movie and Airplane!. Despite critical acclaim, the show was canceled by ABC after just six episodes. The show gained a strong cult following through repeat broadcasts, which led to The Naked Gun film series. Many of the show's gags were recycled for all three films.

Alan North played the role of Captain Ed Hocken on the show; in the films, the role was played by George Kennedy. Peter Lupus co-starred as Officer Norberg, but in the films, O. J. Simpson appeared as the similarly named Officer Nordberg. Apart from Nielsen, the only actors to reprise their role in the films were Ed Williams, who played scientist Ted Olson, and Ronald "Tiny Ron" Taylor as Al, a very tall officer who is seen only from the neck down. Robert Goulet, who appeared as one of the "special guest stars" who were invariably killed off at the beginning of episodes, appeared as the villain Quentin Hapsburg in the second Naked Gun film. Joyce Brothers played herself in the first Naked Gun film. She also played herself in the fourth episode of the show.
Each episode featured end credits over a 1970s-style freeze frame of the final scene, except that the frame was not frozen – the actors simply stood motionless in position while other activities (pouring coffee, a convict escaping, a chimpanzee throwing paper, etc.) continued around them.

The show's opening sequence was a satire on traditional crime-drama opening sequences, particularly those of M Squad and various Quinn Martin shows such as The Fugitive and particularly The New Breed (which also starred Nielsen). Hank Simms, who had worked as an announcer for some of Martin's programs, announced the title of each episode, though the spoken title never matched the title caption. The sequence introduces Nielsen and North as their characters during a shootout, as well as Abraham Lincoln impersonator Rex Hamilton, who dramatically returns gunfire to John Wilkes Booth. Hamilton never appeared in the show itself.

And if you’re still reading this – hello.

This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod

Видео The Sad State of Comedy канала Motion In Art