''Police Academy'' is a series of American
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
s, the first six of which were made in the 1980s and the seventh in 1994. The series opened with ''
Police Academy
A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...
'' (1984), which started with the premise that a new mayor had announced a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits. The film followed a group of misfit recruits in their attempts to prove themselves capable of being police officers, and succeeding both in spite of and because of their eccentricities. The main character in the first four films, Carey Mahoney (
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He is known for his lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s, including '' Cocoon'', ''Police Academy'', ''Three Men a ...
), was a repeat offender, who was forced to join the
police academy
A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...
as punishment. The seventh and to date last installment, ''
Mission to Moscow
''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies.
The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...
'', was released in 1994. Guttenberg in September 2018 announced that a new ''Police Academy'' film was in the works.
In general, all of the films and television shows depended on simple slap-stick humour, usually based on simple characterizations and
physical comedy
Physical comedy is a form of comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any ...
. As with many similar films, the theme was a group of underdogs struggling to prove themselves, while various authority figures tried to suppress them. The sequels have not been well received by critics, although they were very successful commercially. The first film grossed $149.8 million worldwide and made a profit of $35 million.
[ The sequels grossed $387 million in total.][ Parallels have been drawn between ''Police Academy'' and the British '']Carry On
Carry On may refer to:
* ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise
*Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment
* ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film
* ''Carry On'' (novel), ...
'' series, for their common reliance on a largely constant ensemble cast throughout the various films, the two series' frequent use of low-brow humor, sexual innuendo, and physical comedy. George Gaynes
George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Finnish-born American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to Dutch and Russian-Finnish parents in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...
, Michael Winslow
Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven ''Po ...
, and David Graf
Paul David Graf (April 16, 1950 – April 7, 2001) was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the ''Police Academy'' series of films.
Early life and education
Graf was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and later ...
were the only actors appearing in all seven films of the series.
Films
''Police Academy'' (1984)
''Police Academy'' was released in 1984 and directed by Hugh Wilson. The film has a newly elected female mayor announcing a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits. The movie followed a group of misfit recruits in their attempts to prove themselves capable of being police officers and their adventures at the police academy.
''Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' (1985)
In 1985's ''Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'', the newly graduated cadets are sent to one of the worst precincts
Precinct may refer to:
* An electoral precinct
* A police precinct
* A religious precinct
* A shopping precinct or shopping mall
** A Pedestrian zone
Places
* A neighborhood, in Australia
* A unit of public housing in Singapore
* A former elec ...
in the city to improve the conditions. Lt. Mauser undermines their attempts so he can get Capt. Lassard fired and get the position in charge.
''Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986)
''Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' was released in 1986, and like its predecessor, was directed by Jerry Paris
William Gerald Paris (July 25, 1925 – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', and for directing the majo ...
. When the governor of the state announces that budget cuts are in order to get rid of the worst of the two police academies, the metropolitan police academy, led by Commandant Lassard, work on ensuring it is not theirs. This is hindered by their unusual gang of new cadets.
''Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'' (1987)
The fourth installment, ''Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'', released in 1987, involves new recruits being brought in when the officers work with a newly formed Citizens on Patrol group. Harris and Proctor are in charge, though, and plan to dismantle the program. ''Citizens on Patrol'' was the final film starring Guttenberg.
''Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach'' (1988)
''Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach'', released in 1988, was directed by Alan Myerson
Alan Myerson (born July 1, 1940) is an Americans, American film and television director.
Career
Myerson began working in theatre in New York City, then directing The Second City in Chicago. He founded the improvisational comedy troupe The Committe ...
. The plot involves the officers attending a police convention in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
to honor Commandant Eric Lassard as police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
of the decade, wherein he inadvertently switches his sports bag with that of a group of jewel thieves. The thieves try to get it back.
''Police Academy 6: City Under Siege'' (1989)
The sixth installment, ''Police Academy 6: City Under Siege'', directed by Peter Bonerz
Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director.
Early life
Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Uni ...
, was released in 1989. When the city suffers from a dangerous set of crimes by a gang of jewel thieves, the Metropolitan Police Academy graduates are brought in to do something about it.
''Police Academy: Mission to Moscow'' (1994)
''Police Academy: Mission to Moscow'', released in 1994 and directed by Alan Metter, involved the officers going to Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
to help catch an international crime figure.
Future
An eighth installment or reboot has been in development hell
Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
since 2003.
As of September 2003, plans were set in motion for an eighth ''Police Academy'' film to be released in 2007 after more than 13 years of absence. Says series creator Paul Maslansky: "I felt it was time to start again. I saw that ''Starsky & Hutch
''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...
'' and a number of other revivals were doing really well. ''Police Academy'' has such a great history, so I thought, 'Why not?'" Most of the main cast members were due to return, except David Graf
Paul David Graf (April 16, 1950 – April 7, 2001) was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the ''Police Academy'' series of films.
Early life and education
Graf was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and later ...
(Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry), Marion Ramsey
Marion Ramsey (May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021) was an American actress and singer. She was a regular on the series ''Cos'' but is best known for her role as the soft-spoken Officer Laverne Hooks in the '' Police Academy'' films. Later she app ...
(Officer Laverne Hooks) and Billie Bird
Billie Bird Sellen (February 28, 1908 – November 27, 2002), better known professionally as Billie Bird, was an American actress and comedian. She played Margie in '' Dear John'' (1988–1992).
Early life
Born in Pocatello, Idaho, Bird was ...
(Lois Feldman) who have died. Hugh Wilson was slated to direct.
Leslie Easterbrook
Leslie Easterbrook is an American actress and producer. She played Sgt./Lt./Capt. Debbie Callahan in the ''Police Academy'' films and Rhonda Lee on the television series ''Laverne & Shirley''.
Early life
Easterbrook was adopted when she was nin ...
(Capt. Debbie Callahan) and Marion Ramsey
Marion Ramsey (May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021) was an American actress and singer. She was a regular on the series ''Cos'' but is best known for her role as the soft-spoken Officer Laverne Hooks in the '' Police Academy'' films. Later she app ...
(Sgt. Laverne Hooks) mentioned that filming for the next ''Police Academy'' film was due to start shooting in summer 2006 for a release in 2007. The film was shelved in October 2006. Easterbrook did mention that there was still hope for a direct-to-DVD sequel. She added that while Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
wanted to do one, they wanted a producer to get independent financing.
In May 2008, Michael Winslow replied to a question about a possible new ''Police Academy'' film: "Anything's possible. You've got to hope for Paul Maslansky and those folks over there to put it together. It's up to them. It would be great to see everyone again."
In a radio interview on November 26, 2008, with Colin Paterson
Colin Paterson (born 1974) is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster who is an Arts and Entertainment correspondent for the BBC and has been a presenter and reporter on BBC Three's ''Liquid News''.
Early life
He attended the independent Hutcheson ...
for BBC Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcas ...
's Simon Mayo
Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022.
Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...
show, Steve Guttenberg (Sgt. Carey Mahoney) confirmed that ''8'' was still in development and that he was working on the script with Warner Bros. Guttenberg is slated to direct the film, and stated that all of the cast from the previous installments (except for the deceased David Graf
Paul David Graf (April 16, 1950 – April 7, 2001) was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the ''Police Academy'' series of films.
Early life and education
Graf was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and later ...
, Billie Bird
Billie Bird Sellen (February 28, 1908 – November 27, 2002), better known professionally as Billie Bird, was an American actress and comedian. She played Margie in '' Dear John'' (1988–1992).
Early life
Born in Pocatello, Idaho, Bird was ...
, and Tab Thacker
Talmadge Layne "Tab" Thacker (March 10, 1962 – December 28, 2007) was a former NCAA wrestler and actor.
Early life
Thacker was on the football, basketball, track, and wrestling teams while at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North ...
) would return to reprise their roles.
After seven films in its original 10-year run, New Line is planning on reviving the ''Police Academy'' series, which grossed $537 million worldwide and spawned a pair of TV spinoffs. The slapstick comedy will be helmed by original producer Paul Maslansky. "It's going to be very worthwhile to the people who remember it and to those who saw it on TV", Maslansky told the Hollywood Reporter. "It's going to be a new class. We hope to discover new talent and season it with great comedians. It'll be anything but another movie with a numeral next to it. And we'll most probably retain the wonderful musical theme."
In an interview with MTV Movies Blogs on March 17, 2010, Paul Maslansky stated that he plans to bring back some of the original cast to train the new recruits. When asked which characters he would bring back, Maslansky stated, "I haven't decided which ones. And I don't want to mention names and others will be disappointed, at this point. All I know is that I want to bring back some of the older characters to it, and maybe they'll have principal roles, some of them, and some of them might be just you know cameo"
While appearing as a guest on the July 12, 2010, edition of '' This Morning'', Michael Winslow (Sgt. Larvell Jones) confirmed that ''Police Academy 8'' is still in production. In August 2010, Steve Guttenberg revealed a script was being written by David Diamond and David Weissman
David Weissman is an American screenwriter and director, most known for his comedies. He frequently collaborates with David Diamond. Diamond and Weissman met in high school, at Akiba Hebrew Academy (now Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy). They gradu ...
.
On August 9, 2010, actor Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. ...
(Officer Zed) released a statement urging Hollywood to reboot the ''Police Academy'' series with a new group of actors instead of the original cast members. Goldthwait confirmed that Steve Guttenberg would return and that movie bosses were trying to get Kim Cattrall
Kim Victoria Cattrall (; born 21 August 1956) is a British-Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones on HBO's ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), for which she received five Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe A ...
and Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
to return for an eighth film, though Goldthwait said he had no desire to return to the series.
On January 9, 2012, New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
confirmed that Scott Zabielski (Tosh.0
''Tosh.0'' ( ) is an American television series that aired on Comedy Central from June 4, 2009, to November 24, 2020. The series is hosted and produced by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides satirical commentary on online viral video clips, inter ...
) will be the director of the upcoming film. During a radio interview on March 21, 2012, Michael Winslow
Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven ''Po ...
stated that production of the eighth film was due to begin in November, and that an offer had been made to Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
to replace the late Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron Smith (February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011), commonly known as Bubba Smith, was an American football defensive end and actor. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American hon ...
as Hightower. On June 5, 2012, Jeremy Garelick
Jeremy Garelick (born November 30, 1975) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.
Early life
Garelick was born in New York City. He attended Yale University and graduated with degrees in Film and Theater. He is of Jewish background.
...
(''The Break-Up
''The Break-Up'' is a 2006 American Romance film, romantic comedy-drama film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick from a story by them and Vaughn, and produced by U ...
'') was hired by New Line Cinema to help rewrite the aforementioned script.
On September 3, 2018, Steve Guttenberg announced that a new ''Police Academy'' film was in the works when he responded to a fan on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
saying "the next Police Academy is coming, no details yet, but it is in a gift bag being readied!"
Television
''Police Academy'' (1988–1989)
An animated comedy entitled ''Police Academy'', also known as ''Police Academy: The Animated Series'', was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was a Burbank, California–based American entertainment production company that specialized in animation with another branch in Rome, Italy. This company was founded in 1977 by vete ...
and Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
. It ran from September 1988 to September 1989, lasting two seasons with 65 episodes produced.
''Police Academy: The Series'' (1997–1998)
''Police Academy: The Series'' was a 1997 live-action show based on the films, comprising 26 hour-long episodes. It was produced by Warner Bros. Television and Protocol Entertainment. Michael Winslow
Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven ''Po ...
reprised his role from the films, the only cast member from the films to have a recurring role on the show, although several others made occasional guest appearances.
Comic books
A six-issue series of ''Police Academy'' comic books was produced as a spin-off of the animated series beginning in August 1989. The series was published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
,[Chris Lalor, "'Police Academy' ... The Comic", ''New York Newsday'' (August 19, 1989), p. 53.] under a "Star Comics Presents" byline.
The series was written by Angelo DeCesare, pencilled by Howard Post
Howard "Howie" Post (November 2, 1926 – May 21, 2010) Alternate source: "'Dropouts' cartoonist Howard Post dies in NJ at 83", Associated Press via ''The Washington Post'', May 24, 2010 was an American animator, cartoonist, and comic strip and ...
, and inked by Jacqueline Roettcher.
Cast and crew
Principal cast
Additional crew
Reception
Box office performance
Critical and public response
The films have received overall negative reviews, apart from the first film which had more mixed reviews.
Music
; Soundtracks
* '' Police Academy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
* ''Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
* ''Police Academy 3: Back in Training (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
* '' Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
* ''Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
* ''Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
* ''Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
Other media
Theme park attraction
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Police Academy (Franchise)
Warner Bros. films
Warner Bros. Pictures franchises
American film series
Comedy film franchises
Films adapted into television shows
Film series introduced in 1984
Films set in police academies
Mass media franchises introduced in 1984