Last Precinct, The

1 9 8 6 (USA)
8 x 60 minute episodes

Batman‘s Adam West played Captain Rick Wright, in charge of a police precinct made up of goofball and malcontent cops.

The 56th Precinct – based in a former county morgue turned funeral parlour turned police station and known as the Last Precinct – was a dumping ground of sorts for the LAPD and was staffed by psychologically challenged cops who are part of the force but just not stable enough for regular precinct duties and assignments.

The officers included Sgt Price Pascall (Jonathan Perpich) a handsome police officer who was the only officer with any kind of detective skills; William “Raid” Raider (Rick Ducommun) an overweight and bumbling motorcycle cop; Mel Brubaker (Randi Brooks) who used to be a man; King (Pete Willcox) an Elvis impersonator; and over-the-hill cops Butch (Keenan Wynn) and Sundance (Hank Rolike), biding their time until retirement.

Sergeant Tremayne Lane (Ernie Hudson) was nicknamed “Night Train” for his love of working the night shift. Sergeant Martha Hagerty (Yana Nirvana) was from a military family and assisted Wright as his second in command. She ran the precinct like an army base and was too aggressive (the reason for her transfer).

“Alphabet” was the nickname for Officer Shivoramanbhai Poonchwalla (Vijay Amritraj), an exchange officer from Calcutta that the police commissioner had no idea what to do with, so he assigned him to Captain Wright.

Alphabet’s full name was displayed on a rather large name tag on his uniform and he had little knowledge of American police procedures or what to do when on assignment. He was hoping to learn from his fellow officers and take the knowledge back to his homeland.

Arnold Bludhorn (James Cromwell) was the frustrated police chief responsible for Precinct 56 and was always seeking a way to disband it and its officers.

The Last Precinct was West’s first series in 20 years but was aired against Dallas and only ran from 11 April to 30 May 1986. It was viewed by many as merely a way for TV to cash in on the popularity of the Police Academy movies of the big screen.

Plenty of slapstick, situational humour and bawdiness buffered the general lack of substance in the storylines, while a plethora of crazy characters maintained the momentum in spite of the shaky narrative.

Captain Rick Wright
Adam West
Sergeant Price Pascall
Jonathan Perpich
Sergeant Tremayne ‘Night Train’ Lane
Ernie Hudson
Lieutenant Hobbs
Wings Hauser
Officer Mel Brubaker
Randi Brooks
Officer William ‘Raid’ Raider
Rick Ducommun
Officer Rina Starland
Lucy Lee Flippin
Alphabet (Officer Shivoramanbhai Poonchwalla)
Vijay Amritraj
Sergeant Martha Hagerty
Yana Nirvana
King
Pete Willcox
Sundance
Hank Rolike
Officer Butch Briscoe
Keenan Wynn
Chief Arnold Bludhorn
James Cromwell