''21 Jump Street'' is an American

police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eit ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

that aired on the Fox network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103

episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning th ...

s. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues. It was originally going to be titled ''Jump Street Chapel'', after the

deconsecrated Deconsecration, also called secularization, is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The practice is usually performed on churches or synagogues to ...

church building in which the unit has its headquarters, but was changed at Fox's request so as not to mislead viewers into thinking it was a religious program. Created by

Patrick Hasburgh Patrick Hasburgh is an American television producer and writer. He is best known for his work on the television series '' Hardcastle and McCormick'' and '' 21 Jump Street'', two series he co-created with Stephen J. Cannell. His other television ...

and

Stephen J. Cannell Stephen Joseph Cannell (; February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios. ...

, the series was produced by Patrick Hasburgh Productions and Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with

20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Co ...

. Executive Producers included Hasburgh, Cannell, Steve Beers and

Bill Nuss Bill Nuss is a TV writer and producer, who also writes for feature films and Broadway. He is President of Confidential Pictures, a Los Angeles-based production company that supplies primetime series to network, cable and streamers. With Dus ...

. The show was an early hit for the fledgling Fox network, and was created to attract a younger audience. The final season aired in first-run

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

mainly on local Fox affiliates. It was later rerun on the FX cable network from 1996 to 1998. The series provided a spark to

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Awa ...

's nascent acting career, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status irritating, but he continued on the series under his contract and was paid $45,000 per episode. Eventually he was released from his contract after the fourth season. A

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

series, '' Booker'', was produced for the character of Dennis Booker ( Richard Grieco); it ran only one season, from September 24, 1989, to May 6, 1990. A

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

directed by

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Philip Lord (born 12 July 1975) and Christopher Miller (born 23 September 1975) are an American filmmaking duo. After a meeting at Dartmouth College, they are known for creating the adult animated sitcom ''Clone High'' (2002–2003), directing an ...

was released on March 16, 2012. The film is set in the same continuity as the series, with Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson and Peter DeLuise reprising their characters in

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

s. Richard Grieco and Dustin Nguyen also have cameos in the 2014 film sequel '' 22 Jump Street''.

Premise

The series focuses on a group of police officers headquartered at the eponymous address. These young officers all have especially youthful appearances, allowing them to pass for teenagers. Their assignments generally consist of undercover work in high schools or, less commonly, colleges, where they generally investigate drug trafficking and abuse. The show's plots cover issues such as alcoholism, hate crimes, drug abuse,

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, ...

, AIDS,

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, each problem is often solved by the end of the hour-long episode, giving an implicit

moral A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. ...

about a particular activity's impact. When the show originally aired, some episodes were followed immediately by

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

s featuring cast members.

Episodes

Cast

Jeff Yagher was originally cast as Officer Tom Hanson in the pilot. He was replaced after the original pilot episode was filmed, and his scenes were reshot with Johnny Depp. Midway through the first season, Frederic Forrest was replaced by Steven Williams. On the show, Forrest's character Richard Jenko is killed by a drunk driver.

left the series at the end of the fourth season, but was credited in the first two episodes of the fifth season, despite not having appeared. David Barry Gray's character was introduced at the end of the fourth season and starred in two episodes of season five with

Alexandra Powers Alexandra Kristin Powers is an American former actress. Early life Powers was born in New York City. She grew up in an 'artsy, liberal environment' on both coasts with her divorced parents. Her father teaches acting. She said in an interview th ...

. Both episodes were filmed before the fourth season had ended but were not shown until the start of season five. Neither actor was approached in regards to portraying their character in the show's fifth and final season.

Michael DeLuise Michael Robert DeLuise (born August 4, 1969) is an American actor, film director, and film producer. Best known as Tony Piccolo in ‘’seaQuest DSV’’ (1994-1996), Officer Joey Penhall in ‘’21 Jump Street’’ (1990-1991), TJ in ‘� ...

joined the cast part way through the fifth season and stayed on until late in the season.

Guest stars

Some notable guest stars on the series include: Dom DeLuise,

Josh Brolin Joshua James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''The Goonies'' (1985), '' Mimic'' (1997), '' Hollow Man'' (2000), '' Grindhouse'' (2007), '' No Country for Old Men'' (2007), '' American Gan ...

Mindy Cohn Mindy Cohn (born May 20, 1966) is an American actress, who appeared on VH1's List of "100 Greatest Kid Stars". She starred as Natalie Green in the sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' from 1979 to 1988, and is known for voicing Velma Dinkley in the ''S ...

Bridget Fonda Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990), ''Single White Female'' (1992), '' Singles'' (1992), ''Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Happen to You'' ...

Bobby Rodriguez Bobby Rodriguez is a retired Super Featherweight boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Personal life Bobby Rodriguez is a member of Minnesota's illustrious Rodriguez family of boxers: Rafael, Kenny, Rudy, all of whom fought professionals; brother J ...

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Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...

Barney Martin Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1991-1998). He also played supporting roles in Mel Brooks' '' The Producers'' (1967), ...

Dann Florek Ezekial Dann Florek (born May 1, 1950) is an American actor and film director. He is best known for his role as New York City Police Captain Donald Cragen on NBC's ''Law & Order'' and its spinoff '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', and Dav ...

Blair Underwood Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series ''L.A. Law''. Underwood has a ...

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John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

Rosie Perez Rosa Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, choreographer, dancer, and activist. Her breakthrough came with her portrayal of Tina in the film ''Do the Right Thing'' (1989), followed by '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992). Perez's per ...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

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, Christina Applegate, Pauly Shore, David DeLuise,

Bradley Gregg Bradley Gregg (born November 8, 1966) is an American actor. Life and career Gregg has appeared in Hollywood films since the 1980s and is perhaps best known for his supporting roles in '' Stand by Me'' (1986), '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dre ...

Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...

, Christopher Titus, Kurtwood Smith,

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, Sarah Buxton, David Paymer, Diedrich Bader,

Russell Wong Russell Wong (; born March 1, 1963) is an American actor of film and television. He was one of the first actors of Chinese descent to hold a leading role in a primetime American television series, portraying Jian-Wa with Chi Muoi Lo portraying ...

, Kelly Hu, Shannon Tweed, Tim Russ,

Thomas Haden Church Thomas Haden Church (born Thomas Richard McMillen; June 17, 1960) is an American actor. After starring in the 1990s sitcom ''Wings'' and playing the lead for two seasons in ''Ned & Stacey'' (1995–1997)'','' Church became known for his film work, ...

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and Tracy Griffith.

Production

Filming

Set in a fictional city and state (Metropolis, Evergreen State) in the United States, the series was primarily filmed in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. It was one of the first major television series to use Vancouver as a filming location and helped to establish the city as a center for film production.

Reception

''21 Jump Street'', along with '' Married... with Children'' and '' The Tracey Ullman Show'', debuted in the spring of 1987. All three shows were hits with audiences and helped to establish the then-newly launched Fox network. ''21 Jump Street'' was the first hit series for the Fox network. In August, ''21 Jump Street'' became the first Fox series to win its timeslot against a Big three network series. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on the similarly nascent, and interrelated,

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

, which had yet to reach a sizeable audience.

Broadcast history

Season 4 was the last season to air on the Fox network. In commentary on the Season 5 DVD set, Peter DeLuise said that Fox had decided to cancel the show after Season 4 because the ratings had fallen below a set limit. Following this season Johnny Depp and Dustin Nguyen left the show. The departure of their characters was never explained in the narrative of the TV series, but in the movie it is explained that Hanson was transferred to the DEA and was later joined by Officer Penhall. The ''Booker'' spin-off crossover episode, "Wheels and Deals Part One", is included with ''21 Jump Streets syndication package, and is also included on the fourth season DVD set. Officer Dean Garrett (David Barry Gray) makes his first appearance in "Everyday is Christmas". As it became harder for the original cast members to plausibly pass as high school students, his character and Officer Kati Rocky (

) were intended to be "youthful" replacements, so the show could maintain its original premise of younger looking cops posing as high school students.

Home media

Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment (formerly Video Treasures and Starmaker Entertainment) was an American home entertainment and production company. It was a subsidiary of Starz Inc. Anchor Bay Entertainment marketed and sold feature films, television se ...

released all five seasons of ''21 Jump Street'' on DVD in Region 1 between 2004 and 2006. On October 14, 2009, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to several

series, including ''21 Jump Street'', and subsequently re-released the first four seasons. In addition, Mill Creek also released ''21 Jump Street - The Complete Series'', an 18-disc collection featuring all 103 episodes of the series on DVD on July 27, 2010. On July 29, 2022, Visual Entertainment will release ''21 Jump Street - The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1. In Region 2, Anchor Bay Entertainment has released all 5 seasons on DVD in the UK. They also released a complete series set on March 5, 2012. In Region 4,

Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatr ...

has released all five seasons on DVD in Australia. They also released a complete series collection on May 1, 2013. In Region 2, Pidax Film released a complete series set box set on September 18, 2020, in Germany with all original music intact. German and English audio tracks.

Film adaptation

On March 16, 2012, a feature film sequel to the television series from

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acq ...

was released starring

Jonah Hill Jonah Hill Feldstein (born December 20, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is known for his comedic roles in films including '' Superbad'' (2007), ''Knocked Up'' (2007), '' 21 Jump Street'' (2012), '' This Is the End'' (201 ...

and

Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor. Tatum made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his breakthrough role in the 2006 dance film '' Step Up''. He gained wider attention for his leading rol ...

(who are also executive producers) and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller with the screenplay written by Michael Bacall from a story by both Hill and Bacall. Johnny Depp, Peter DeLuise, and Holly Robinson briefly reprise their roles as Tom Hanson, Doug Penhall, and Judy Hoffs. Described in concept by Hill as an "R-rated, insane, '' Bad Boys''-meets- John Hughes-type movie," the film departs from the dramatic style of the series and instead features a comedic tone. The film and series are also set in the same continuity. A sequel titled '' 22 Jump Street'' was released in 2014.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1987 American television series debuts 1991 American television series endings 1980s American crime drama television series 1990s American crime drama television series 1980s American high school television series 1990s American high school television series 1980s American police procedural television series 1990s American police procedural television series English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Fox Broadcasting Company original programming Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series by Stephen J. Cannell Productions American detective television series Television series created by Stephen J. Cannell Television shows adapted into films Television shows filmed in Vancouver Television series about teenagers