Police Squad!: The Short-Lived TV Series That Launched The Naked Gun Franchise
By
Joe Capraro
Summary
This article discusses the origins of "The Naked Gun" franchise, tracing it back to the 1982 ABC series "Police Squad!" starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. Despite being created by the comedy team of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers, the show was canceled after only four episodes. ABC president Tony Thomopoulos claimed the show was too complex for audiences to understand the jokes. The article serves as background context for the 2025 reboot of "The Naked Gun."
Source
TVLinePolice Squad!: The Short-Lived TV Series That Launched The Naked Gun Franchisetvline.comKey quotes
· 2 pulledPolice Squad! deserved far better than cancellation after four episodes
Tony Thomopoulos, then-president of ABC, said Police Squad! was too complex for audiences to get the jokes, so the sitcom was canceled after only four episodes
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