Adam 12 and old VW's

[Fritter]

I've been watching old Adam 12 reruns on cable and also Hulu in the past few months.  Many old VW's to be seen!  They've even had a few VW's in the storylines.  In one, some guys stole the engine and seats out of a Bug and made a dune buggy.  In another, a bank robber stole the red hood and front fenders off a guy's bug and installed them on his black Bug parked in the street. 

Very interesting to see all the old cars driving around Socal 40 years ago.

[johnl]

I've been watching old Adam 12 reruns on cable and also Hulu in the past few months.  Many old VW's to be seen!  They've even had a few VW's in the storylines.  In one, some guys stole the engine and seats out of a Bug and made a dune buggy.  In another, a bank robber stole the red hood and front fenders off a guy's bug and installed them on his black Bug parked in the street. 

Very interesting to see all the old cars driving around Socal 40 years ago.

Mike, this is EXACTLY why I enjoy watching old TV shows and movies.  Living in SoCal you can pick up much from the street scenes and how places have changed over the years.  Last night I watched this one via Netflix and yes it was real "schmaltzy" but the car scenes and area shots over ride the bad scrip and acting.  http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/They-Made-Me-a-Killer/70039589?trkid=5966279 

This guy talks about his 4 door Caddy Convert being able to do 120 !!  I have to laugh as the '55 Chrysler C300 which was the fastest thing in 1955 went 127 and that was a highly tuned (race car) driven by a professional.  None the less I find more value in this old stuff than most of the CRAP that is put out today.

[Fritter]

John, that is cool to have that frame of reference to see how things are different.

I love Adam 12.  I also love Dragnet, Emergency!, etc......those are REAL TV shows!!  Just good stories, good acting, and interesting to watch. 

I agree, today's shows are terrible!  There is too much "fluff" in today's shows.  Weird and overly loud soundtracks, overly dramatic acting, etc.  Probably because people in general have shorter attention spans than they've ever had. 

[johnl]

John, that is cool to have that frame of reference to see how things are different.

I love Adam 12.  I also love Dragnet, Emergency!, etc......those are REAL TV shows!!  Just good stories, good acting, and interesting to watch. 

I agree, today's shows are terrible!  There is too much "fluff" in today's shows.  Weird and overly loud soundtracks, overly dramatic acting, etc.  Probably because people in general have shorter attention spans than they've ever had. 

Good to know I'm not the only lost sole out there living in the past.  Just last week there was a Dragnet movie on done in 1954.  I never realized they had done a movie.  Jack Webb and Ben Alexander, BMW Nick Alexander's father.  I think in this one I actually saw Jack Webb crack a smile..   

[Fritter]

The 50's Dragnets are cool, you can find them on YouTube.  They have a darker theme than the 60's ones. 

 My 6 year old and my 1.5 year old stop in their tracks when they hear the theme songs to Adam 12, Dragnet.....they'll start marching and dancing around the room.  The 1.5 year old hums the Dragnet and Adam 12 themes on a regular basis.   It's pretty funny.

[Rennsurfer]

Watched those shows then and now... it's easy. A couple of years back, I picked up some Dragnet dvds at my local 99¢ Store. Which is why I cruise in there a few times a week... you're gonna find something different each time. Same goes with biers.

[johnl]

The 50's Dragnets are cool, you can find them on YouTube.  They have a darker theme than the 60's ones. 

 My 6 year old and my 1.5 year old stop in their tracks when they hear the theme songs to Adam 12, Dragnet.....they'll start marching and dancing around the room.  The 1.5 year old hums the Dragnet and Adam 12 themes on a regular basis.   It's pretty funny.

After reading this thread I went in and installed the 1954 Dragnet movie and the 1951 full episode CDs on my Netflix.  Maybe I'll start marching and dancing around the room.  This would be definite grounds for my wife to call for help.  Now that would be a "darker theme" I think..   

[Dan Mazur]

I always enjoyed the writers mainstream attempt when associating with the youth, rocknroll and drug culture of the sixties.

The episodes were well out of touch.

[Fritter]

I always enjoyed the writers mainstream attempt when associating with the youth, rocknroll and drug culture of the sixties.

The episodes were well out of touch.

It doesn't matter to me that they are a little corny.  I like watching them!  Nowadays we have too much "reality", or is the "reality" really "not reality"?  

I love the "blue boy" Dragnet with the kid tripping on acid with his face painted two colors.  Hilarious.

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[Sam K]

Nice! I saw an episode of Rockford Files the other day where he went to Las Vegas and had a green bug for a rental car.

[Fritter]

Rockford Files. Best theme song ever. I remember I had to go to bed when that came on.  Same with Hawaii Five o

[johnl]

I'm currently going through the "Richard Kimbal" Fugitive series.  Watched the first three today and really enjoyed seeing many of the old character actors you saw in everything back then.  The cars were pretty cool too.

[Fritter]

Yea! 

The Jack Webb produced TV shows (Dragnet, Adam 12, Emergency!) all used the same 20 character actors over and over.  Pretty funny.  Seems Jack had a good financial instinct (read: cheap).   

If you do some research about him, he also was quite the player with the ladies. 

[Bill Schwimmer]

Adam 12, 1 of my favorite shows. i have been watching it on Hulu also. Tons & tons of VW's, also lots of Vettes, some 356's lots & lots of great 50's & 60's cars. Great time waster around the house lately... I saw the GTO & the '55 from 2 Lane Blacktop in 2 different epsiodes. They seem to use the same backround scenes in different episodes, but I can still watch it for hours.

[Jim Ratto]

EMERGENCY! was my favorite show as a kid in the 1970's. And now my two kids know most of the episodes by heart. They get their Legos out and soon you'll hear:

"Station 51, plane crash. Corner of Main and 55th avenue. Ambulance needed." Then my other kid replies "Station 51, 10-4, KMG 365"

That show never gets old. Long live Johnny and Roy.

[Jeff68]

Wow, What a blast from the past / memory rewind!  I remember watching both Emergency! and Adam 12 too...loved those shows!  I think I remember on Adam 12 one of the Cops (dark haired one I think) was drag racing a late 60's Chevy Malibu station wagon (at the track of course as they were cops lol). I think he said the wagon was his Mom's car lol. There was actually some track footage of racing in the episode I think.  Very cool memories of that show!