21 Jump Street

1 9 8 7 – 1 9 9 0 (USA/Canada)
34 x 60 minute episodes

21 Jump Street was about a special squad of young undercover cops – a division of the Metropolitan Police Department – assigned to high schools, colleges, and wherever their youthful looks would help them blend in.

Operating out of their secret HQ in an abandoned chapel at 21 Jump Street and 6th Avenue in Los Angeles, Tommy Hanson (Johnny Depp), Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson), H.T. Ioki (Dustin Nguyen) and Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise) had all been trained in undercover police work and looked young enough to pass for teenagers and “young adults”.

Though it seems incredibly corny in retrospect (hell, it was corny at the time), the purpose of their work was to ”rehabilitate” kids on the brink of a criminal career rather than arresting them later when they had no hope and would be destined to a life of prison.

Tommy was 21 years old and the son of a cop. After graduating with top honours from the Police Academy, he became a patrol car officer with the Metro Police Department.

Judy Hoffs had worked undercover for the Vice Squad before being transferred to Jump Street Chapel.

Born in Chicago, she was a three-time all-city guard on her basketball team and worked evenings as a counsellor at the West Side Rape Clinic.

Vietnamese refugee Vinh Von Tran fled Saigon when the Vietcong invaded in 1975. He found himself in St. Louis, where he was raised by a woman named Bessy Mason and learned to speak English by watching Sesame Street and cop shows (which instilled in him a desire to become a law enforcement officer).

He moved to San Francisco after high school, took the name H.T. (Harry Truman) Ioki, and enrolled in the police academy. He was assigned to Jump Street Chapel by Captain Jenko.

Doug Penhall often plunged into dangerous situations without thinking first. He was joined by his brother, Joey Penhall in later episodes.

Richard Jenko (Frederic Forrest) was their first captain. He was replaced by Adam Fuller (Steven Williams) when Jenko was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Sal Banducci (Sal Jenco), called Blowfish, was the Chapel’s jovial maintenance man.

The show was allegedly based on a real-life undercover unit in Los Angeles, California.

Filmed in Canada, Jump Street had a great appeal to teenagers and delivered “important messages” about avoiding the criminal lifestyle and being a worthwhile contribution to society.

As puke-worthy as it may sound, the show had a large teen following, yet one wonders if ”ver kids” found it as corny as it seems on second and third viewings?

Legend has it that Johnny Depp joined the show thinking it would not succeed and desperately needing the income.

He signed a six-year contract yet despised the show and his character (Hanson) and tried a number of times to get fired.

Should’ve come to work with his scissor-hands on . . .

A spin-off series called Booker (1989 – 1990) was produced, which saw Dennis Booker leave the force to become a private detective.

Tommy Hanson 
Johnny Depp
Doug Penhall 
Peter DeLuise
Judy Hoffs 
Holly Robinson
Harry Truman Ioki
Dustin Nguyen
Captain Adam Fuller 
Steven Williams
Dennis Booker 
Richard Grieco
Anthony “Mac” McCam
Michael Bendetti
Joey Penhall 
Michael DeLuise
Capt. Richard Jenko 
Frederic Forrest
Sal “The Blowfish” Banducci 
Sal Jenco
Dorothy Pezzino 
Gina Nemo
Clavo
Tony Dakota