CHiPs Season Two DVD Review
TV's Other Dynamic Duo Returns to Duty for a Second Season
As the show's first season started out with more comedic elements, this second season delves further into the personal lives of the famous TV police officers. We follow the daily exploits of the memorable duo, as portrayed by Erik Estrada (Ponch), and Larry Wilcox (Jon).
CHiPs as Springboard for Up and Coming Actors
In season two of CHiPs, the viewer is exposed to more of the pleasantly mellow, yet often silly acting of both the main cast members, their supporting cast (who can forget Robert Pine's Sgt. Gettraer?) as well as the guest stars of the week, a veritable smorgasbord of 70's and future 80's icons.
Dee Wallace (of later E.T. fame), plays a supportive housewife in the episode "Return of the Turks", and respective Brady Bunch and Partridge Family players Christopher Knight and Danny Bonaduce, play truant joyriders in "Family Crisis". You get the idea.
Though the central focus of the show is to weave an interesting tale mixing mild laughter and action packed chase scenes, most of the storylines are asinine, and barely dramatic. Many episodes play like watered down versions of an afternoon TV special.
Granted, given the era during which the show aired (i.e. the disco era --- listen to the theme song, it will give you an inkling), the content wasn't anywhere near today's NYPD Blue type envelope pushing standards. All the same, though the main cast often had very little to work with script wise, it wasn't always possible to save face, especially on some of the more far-fetched episodes. Among them:
- Peaks and Valleys: Ponch and Jon not only try to avoid a possible lawsuit when they're mistaken for powerline workers (who moved a spinal injury victim), but they also attend an impromptu disco contest, which they not only win, but ALSO leads them to perform an emergency delivery, right on the dancefloor! What are the odds a nine-month old lady about to deliver would go clubbing? Ludicrous.
- The Sheik: The spoiled son of a rich foreign oil magnate spells trouble for Ponch and Jon, however one cannot get past guest star Kario Salem's horrible acting, which almost translates into an on-screen affront to the Arabic nation. Simply ridiculous.
On the other hand, a handful of episodes come across decently enough to warrant a second viewing. Some of them even foreshadow themes and concepts of later TV series:
- Mait Team: A series of road events causing an accident resulting in eleven dead, and a CHP officer unconscious, gets investigated and explained, CSI-style. Think Ponch and Jon as Grisson and Stokes.
- Supercycle: A greedy producer goads a gifted young stunt motorcyclist into performing awesome stunts in and around the greater Los Angeles area. Impressive bike acrobatics, and a souped up Highway patrol Supercycle, remindful of later shows Superforce and Streethawk.
- Family Crisis: A movie set super-car gets stolen by hoodlums, who use it to rob banks and foil certain motorcycle cops of our acquaintance. A total shoe-in for Knight Rider, gadgets and all.
CHiPs Season Two DVD Extras
This second box set in an assumed projected series of six (though the last few seasons were downright horrible, mainly due to strife between to two co-stars) feature two extra segments. The first one is a mini-documentary called "The Real CHiPS", and follows a much older Erik Estrada, as he gives us a tour of the current 2008 headquarters of the real-life California Highway Patrol. This insight into the true police force's daily goings-on, helps the viewer reflect on the accuracy and attention to detail the series' producers aimed for.
The second segment is a reprise of a best-of episode originally aired back in the late 70's, called "The Greatest Adventures of CHiPs". A cheap and easy clip montage episode, it relates the best moments of the first two seasons. This feature is probably a great place to start for fans who are jumping into the series with this box set, and want to get a feel for the shows format.
Overall, this second season box set passes with flying colors. It is a treat for classic TV fans and female baby boomers who swooned at the sight of Erik Estrada. Just don't let Larry Wilcox's weekly impression of Mister Rogers get to you; his portrayal was probably well-meant, but comes across as wayyyyy too syrupy.
