All The Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From The Classic Police Drama “Adam-12”
Adam-12 was a police procedural that ran for seven years in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. Adam-12 followed the lives of officers Peter Malloy and Jim Reed. The show has been celebrated by many for portraying a realistic (albeit fiction) depiction of officers' lives in the Los Angeles Police Department. It helped average Americans to better understand what the job entailed, as well as introducing them to regular police jargon.
The show was technically a drama, but it also had humor and warm-hearted scenes. Read on to learn more about this long-lost treasure of American television.
The Creators Of Adam-12 Also Made Dragnet
Prior to the creation of Adam-12, Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb created a different police procedural that is perhaps more popular in American culture: Dragnet. It aired two separate times, from 1951 to 1959, and again from 1967 to 1970. Webb wasn't just the creator of the series, but he also starred as Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday, whose catchphrase "Just the facts, ma'am" is still in use today.
It is likely because of their experience with Dragnet that Adam-12 was able to become a resounding success as well. After all, if you've already created one popular police series, you can probably pull off making another one!
"Adam" Isn't A Character, It's A Location
Where exactly did the title come from? It helps to know how to talk like a cop in order to understand it more. Adam-12 is actually a shortened version of the longer phrase One-Adam-12. The "one" represented the area of the division the patrol unit was presently in. "Adam" is police jargon for a two-manned patrol vehicle. The "12" is the cops' regular beat, which is the area they were patrolling at the time.
The show actually had an inaccuracy within it. Taking place in Rampart Division, it shouldn't have started with "one," but rather "two," as that was the number assigned to that particular division in L.A.
The Cars Weren't Authentic Cruisers
Many elements of the show were celebrated for being authentic, but certain aspects were not true depictions of the Los Angeles Police Department. One element that stuck out like a sore thumb to anyone living in the Los Angeles area was the fact that the cruisers were not real police cars — they were vehicles that were purchased by Universal from Chrysler Corporation and American Motors.
The props department took these purchased cars and made them look closer to the real thing. Hollywood, am I right?
A Real Dispatcher Played The Role On The Show
Series creator Jack Webb wanted the show to be as realistic as possible. One of the ways he did that was to have an actual dispatcher from the Los Angeles Police Department on the program. Shaaron Claridge, who was a professional LAPD dispatcher, did the voice work for the dispatcher's lines on Adam-12.
It wasn't the last time that Webb employed a dispatcher to have a role on a police procedural drama — he also hired a legitimate dispatcher to play the voice role on Emergency!, a 1972 serial.
Jim Reed Was On Both Dragnet And Adam-12
There were some characters' roles that appeared on programs before Adam-12. Jim Reed, portrayed by actor Kent McCord, was a probationary officer on Adam-12 who was teamed up to work with veteran Officer Pete Malloy.
It probably wasn't too difficult of a role for McCord to play — he had already played Reed once before when the character was on the series Dragnet. A year after being Reed on that program, he was a permanent fixture on Adam-12. Talk about a crossover!
Getting Down To The Nitty-Gritty Details
Adam-12's series producers made sure that even the small details weren't overlooked, and this included ensuring the badge numbers lined up correctly. Malloy's LAPD badge number was 744, while Reed's was 2430. Badges are reissued when officers retire, though, so officers are also assigned "serial numbers."
Reed's number was 13985, which was incredibly authentic — it was a number that would have been assigned to an officer in 1968, the year that Reed's character would have joined the force.
Don't Mess Up The 'Do!
Filming close-up scenes in the police cruiser had some difficulties. Sometimes, the windshield produced a reflection of the sun. When that happened, the production crew would remove the windshield entirely from the vehicle Reed and Malloy were driving in.
This created a new problem, however: the wind would mess up the actor's hair! To address this, a transparent shield was placed between the car and the production vehicle that was towing it to ensure less adverse effects from the wind.
About Those License Plates...
At the time of Adam-12's filming, the state of California began issuing license plates that had a letter/number format. Certain rules by the state ensured that police could read them without difficulties if they needed to — such as the final letter in the sequence never being "I," "O," or "Q."
Observant watchers of Adam-12, however, might see a license plate of a civilian vehicle sometimes appearing with an "I" at the end of it. This signified it was a TV or a movie prop, and not a real license plate.
Cops Are Stylish, Too
The show stayed authentic, even as the Los Angeles Police Department made stylish changes. A couple of seasons into the show's seven-year run, Edward M. Davis became the new chief of police for the LAPD.
It was time, he decided, to update the look of the police force — he added round hates, new antique-style silver buttons, and Eisenhower-type jackets to give a look of sophistication to squads throughout the city. Sure enough, the cast of Adam-12 soon found themselves getting a style upgrade, to match the new look of the real-life LAPD.
But Some Things Couldn't Be Authentic...
The series title name Adam-12 wasn't entirely accurate — the Los Angeles Police Department used odd numbers for its beat numbers, which meant that the "12" in the title wouldn't have been utilized.
Even numbers in police jargon are used for ranking officers, such as sergeants for instance, so the call sign "1-Adam-12" doesn't make sense in the real world. However, we think that Adam-13 just doesn't have the same ring to it, and that this small inaccuracy is fine to overlook...
Who's The Better Shooter, Reed Or Malloy?
The characters of Reed and Malloy wore small medallions on their uniforms. According to the Los Angeles Police Department training, those medallions represent each officers' shooting skills. Who had a better ranking?
Malloy had a gold medallion with two bars on it, which meant he had been rated as an expert shot. Reed's silver medallion, meanwhile, which only had one bar on it, signaled he was a sharpshooter. In the real world, LAPD officers had to get tested every two years.
An Iconic Corvette Appeared In Multiple TV Series
Having a good looking car in a television series was a must-have for any show in this era. Batman had the Batmobile, Andy Griffith had an iconic Ford Galaxie, and even the Monkees had the Monkeemobile (don't ask).
Kent McCord drove a metallic blue Corvette in many episodes of Adam-12. This was the same care that Martin Milner drove in another series, Route 66, in which he starred. As an interesting aside, Milner's youngest son, Andrew Milner, drove a mini-bike and performed as a stunt driver in one of the Adam-12 episodes.
Even Bad Publicity Is Good Publicity?
In later seasons of the series, Malloy makes a lot of complaints about his personal vehicle, an AMC Matador coupe. Malloy's car actually serves as the catalyst of an entire episode, as he needs to bring it in for repairs and the consequences of doing so furthers the plot.
It was an interesting choice for the writers to make the car a source of bitterness for the character — AMC actually provided the show with the car, so to have Malloy complain about it actually made it sound like a bad purchase for would-be car shoppers.
Adam-12 Was Used In Police Training
Just how realistic was the show? Let's put it this way: if you ever produce a series about a profession, and that profession ends up using footage from your show to help train their employees, that's a pretty good indicator you got things right.
That's exactly what happened with Adam-12. The show's approach to certain circumstances and community outreach to citizens in the background were so realistic and accurate that police academies across the country actually showed footage of the program to new recruits.
The Officers' Personal Lives
The two officers featured on Adam-12, Reed and Malloy, infrequently discuss their personal lives and only as it pertains to their jobs. We do see some of their relationships on the screen at certain points, however...
Malloy had a girlfriend named Judy at the last season of the show. Though mainly mentioned in conversations, she does appear in a couple of episodes, played by actress Aneta Corsaut.
The Ring Comes Back
It's implied several times (and by a few actresses portraying the role) that Reed is married to a woman named Jean, who is eventually played by Kristin Nelson. The two later have a child together. So that begs the question: what happened to the wedding ring Reed wore at the beginning of the show but wasn't wearing in subsequent seasons? We might never know.
As for Malloy, he doesn't get married during the run of Adam-12, but it is implied that he dates at least two women at separate points.
Jim Reed's Wife, Played By Kristin Harmon
The relationships of the characters weren't explored all that much, as far as actually seeing faces to names that were mentioned. In Adam-12's final season, Jim Reed's wife, Jean, is finally introduced to the show. In the real world, Jean was played by Kristin Harmon, who was married to singer and actor Ricky Nelson.
Oddly enough, Nelson and actor Kent McCord, who portrayed Reed, were real-life best friends! On the show's credits, Harmon was billed as Kristin Nelson.
A Realistic Informant
Every television show has actors who portray criminals on the program. It' would be very difficult to hire real-life criminals to take on these roles, and besides, the actors portraying the cops might not want to be involved if they did!
Though the criminals on Adam-12 were actors, an informant of Officers Reed and Malloy's was a character named T.J. The actor who played him, Robert Donner, was an actual recovering heroin addict, so there was a bit of authenticity going on there, as well.
Did You Notice The Ford Maverick?
A couple of vehicles are seen regularly in the series. Ardent fans of the show may recall seeing a Ford Maverick parked somewhere in the background in almost every single episode of the series. Another vehicle that makes frequent appearances (but not as many as the Maverick) is a gold Mustang, which also features a white top.
But when Mattel toys decided to honor the show in 1999, it settled on the police cruiser that was featured on the show. We think it should have made all three as a set!
Milner's Daughter Takes On A Role
Martin Milner's daughter, Amy Milner, had the opportunity to play a role in Adam-12 and appears in the 164th episode of the program, which aired in 1975. In that episode, she plays a character named Debbie McMahon, whose parent gets shot at their family store in the episode.
Even though she probably got the role through the help of her real-life dad, fans still thought she played the role well. It helps to have an actor in the family that can give you tips!
McCord's Daughter Plays A Part, Too
Milner's daughter wasn't the only family member who got involved in the show — Kent McCord's daughter also got in on the action. Kristen McCord appeared in the 7th season episode "Operation Action," as a little girl named "Debra" who is playing hopscotch as Jim Reed, her real-life dad, pulls up in a squad car.
Kristen now lives in Los Angeles, and became an actress and a well-known musician beyond this role, as did her sister, Megan.
Why Shaaron Claridge Wore A Wig For Her Voice Role
As discussed already, Shaaron Claridge played the role of the radio dispatcher on Adam-12, a part she knew very well due to the fact that she was a real-life dispatcher for the LAPD.
Claridge never appeared on-screen, but she did wear a wig to every performance of her reading her lines, to disguise the fact that she was an active member of the police force. Her husband, too, served as an LAPD motorcycle officer. She lent her voice to other police dramas, including Columbo and Dragnet.
Female Dispatchers Are Preferred By Many Forces
Interestingly enough, many police departments across the country have traditionally hired women to be the voices behind their own dispatch departments. There's a legitimate scientific reason for this: most people hearing women's voices tend to receive them as soothing, whereas men's voices aren't always perceived as such.
This can help diffuse tricky situations on the other end of the line.
Martin's Many Roles After Adam-12
Martin Milner, who portrays Officer Peter Malloy on the program, has many film and television credits to his name, in addition to the seven seasons he appeared on Adam-12. He's performed roles for Route 66, Emergency!, Life Goes On, RoboCop: The Series, MacGyver, and Murder She Wrote.
Many, though certainly not all, of his roles had him featured as a police officer or in a military role. But his acting didn't begin with Adam-12.
A Life Devoted To Entertaining
Martin — known as "Marty" when he was younger — took up acting when he was young. He pursued the profession into college, studying theater at the University of Southern California. He dropped out of school early to pursue the profession without the degree. He also served in the military, where he toured with a troupe that entertained soldiers.
He and his wife, Judith Bess Jones, ended up with four kids together. When he was 83 years old, Milner passed away, due to heart failure.
An "End Of Watch" Broadcast From An Old Friend
Martin Milner's death was devastating to many lifelong fans of his work. Many police departments and officers were also heartbroken to hear of his passing in 2015.
In police departments across the country, officers who have died receive an "end of watch" call across the unit's radio broadcast. In honor of his portrayal of officers throughout his life, Shaaron Claridge, who portrayed the voice of the dispatcher on Adam-12 (and was a real-life dispatcher, too), performed an "end of watch" final radio call for Milner.
Kenneth Tobey Knew His Way Around A Helicopter
Kenneth Tobey was an actor who portrayed Lt. King, who was part of the Astro division of the Los Angeles Police Department on the show. This division was the name the department gave to its helicopter unit. Tobey played the part well, probably because he had played helicopter pilot roles in other shows.
Tobey was in a series called Whirlybirds before Adam-12, portraying the owner of a helicopter company. He also appeared on Lassie. Yep, he even played a helicopter pilot on that show, too, helping to rescue Timmy using one.
The Bionic Woman Made An Appearance On Adam-12
What sort of connection does The Bionic Woman have to Adam-12? Besides appearing within the same decade, the actress who played the titular character of The Bionic Woman got her start on the serial cop drama.
Lindsay Wagner appeared in the fourth season of Adam-12, in an episode entitled "Million Dollar Buff." She also has appeared on shows like The Fall Guy, The Rockford Files, and has made shown up in more recent television programs like NCIS.
Fred Stromsoe As Officer Jerry Woods (And As A Series Stuntman)
Actor Fred Stromsoe definitely put in some double-duty to help put Adam-12 together. The actor was, in some ways, one of the hardest-working on the program.
Stromsoe played series regular Officer Jerry Woods, another officer on the force. But he was also a stunt double, who stood in for actors in many of the more dangerous scenes. He was actually a stunt double on other programs, performing such duties for Glenn Corbett, Martin Milner, and George Maharis on Route 66. He didn't stop at stunt work or acting, either — he also was an assistant director on the series Dallas. Sadly, Stromsoe died at age 64 in 1994.
Reed And Malloy: Together To The End
The series came to an end in 1975. In the final double episode of Adam-12, which was titled "Something Worth Dying For," Officer Jim Reed gets a try-out to be on the LAPD's Vice Squad. He has to bust a drug dealer, but it doesn't go as planned.
Reed doesn't like the experience, and goes back to working with his old partner, Peter Malloy, returning to his regular patrol and rescuing him during a particularly violent arrest. Fans were probably glad to see the team of Reed and Malloy didn't break apart from each other, even if the show was ending.
With A Little Help From His Friends...
Kent McCord, who played Officer Jim Reed on Adam-12, had a great friendship with actor/singer Ricky Nelson. It was because of this friendship that McCord's acting career kicked off. McCord scored an acting gig on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which starred the real-life Nelson family.
Ricky Nelson helped him get a small role on the show — which led to a role on Dragnet, and in turn, got him one of the starring roles on Adam-12. It really is about who you know in Hollywood sometimes.
Two Sinatras And A Crosby
It wasn't a musically themed episode, but three children of music legends appeared in a 1972 Adam-12 episode that was titled "The Late Baby." Two of Frank Sinatra's kids, Christina and Frank Jr., as well as Gary Crosby (son of crooner Bing Crosby) guest-starred together on the episode.
Though he went on to singing successes later on in life, Frank Jr. also caught the acting bug — he would appear two more times on Adam-12 in future episodes.
This Isn't Mayberry...
The Andy Griffith Show aired from 1960 through 1968. Although the series ended, many actors on that program stayed on to act within Mayberry RFD — but not all of them. Some of the series regulars, in fact, made appearances on other programs, including Adam-12.
Aneta Corsaut, Burt Mustin, and Hal Smith all made the move from Mayberry to Los Angeles to appear on the cop drama. It was a hard departure from living the quaint life with Sheriff Andy Taylor.
Veteran Actor Burt Mustin Went From Mayberry To LA
Burt Mustin made several appearances on Adam-12, showing up in at least five episodes. They were: "Clinic on 18th Street," "Clear with a Civilian: Part 2," "The Chaser," "Mr. Reardon," "The Militants," and "Child Stealer."
Those are some episodes with some pretty heavy themes! They're a stark departure from a different cop-themed show Mustin appeared on, when he played Jud Fletcher, an older resident in Mayberry, on The Andy Griffith Show. Beyond these programs, Mustin was a veteran of the industry, appearing in over 150 films and television shows.
Mustin's Acting Career Started Later Than Most
Even though he had a lot of roles in his career, Mustin was a bit of a late bloomer — and that's an understatement. Mustin didn't start acting until the age of 67! But even though he was well-past what most consider the ideal age to start acting, he appeared in over 150 different roles.
You could see Mustin on television shows such as Leave It To Beaver, The Lone Ranger, The Twilight Zone, The Abbott and Costello Show, and many more.
Hal Smith Knows How To Play A Drunkard
Hal Smith appeared on Adam-12 in an episode called "A Jumper, Code 2." In that episode, which aired in the middle of the series' run in 1969, he played a drunk driver by the name of Edward Brown.
If Smith played the drunk role well, it's because he had plenty of experience doing so: for the entire run of The Andy Griffith Show, Smith played Otis Campbell, the adorable town drunk who frequently let himself into Sheriff Andy Taylor's jail cells so that he could "sleep off" his drunkenness.
Corsaut Appeared Twice In The Last Season
Aneta Corsaut made a couple of appearances on Adam-12, but she came to the show later than her other The Andy Griffith Show co-stars did. Both of her appearances were during the 1975 season of the series.
It wasn't her last acting gig, of course, and the former Helen Crump appeared on many other series, including Emergency! and General Hospital. She also reunited with Andy Griffith in his second successful TV show Matlock. Corsaut died of cancer in 1995, just three days after she turned 62.
Cloris Leachman In A Not-So-Comedic Role
Other famous actors and actresses have appeared on Adam-12 too, including comedian Cloris Leachman. In a 1968 episode entitle "The Color TV Bandit," Leachman played a neglectful mother that the police unit had to investigate. In the episode, the son of the character Leachman played ingested a lethal amount of her prescription pills.
After the child started moaning loudly, her character's neighbors called the police, which led to Malloy and Reed busting her for neglect.
Agent Gibbs On Adam-12
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a no-silly-business of any kind leader to his team of agents and scientists on the long-running CBS series NCIS. Well before he played that role, however, Mark Harmon, the actor who portrays Gibbs, was Officer Gus Corbin on Adam-12.
It was a part that he probably got help in getting due to who he knew in Hollywood — particularly, with help from his sister, Kristin Harmon, who played Jim Reed's wife Jean on Adam-12 as well.
A Favorite Episode Will Break Your Heart
Another fan favorite of the series featured a heartbreaking look at the effects of child abuse and neglect. In an episode called "He Was Trying To Kill Me," which aired in 1969, Officers Peter Malloy and Jim Reed are called into a residence for a theft only to find terrifying conditions for the children involved.
The storyline involves two kids who are sent to L.A. by their mother, who didn't want them any longer and thought they'd be happier there with someone else. The saddest part? When the young boy tells Malloy he doesn't want to grow up just yet.