21 Jump Street

For the film of the same name, see 21 Jump Street (film)

21 Jump Street
Genre	Crime drama
Created by	Patrick Hasburgh Stephen J. Cannell
Starring	Johnny Depp Holly Robinson Peter DeLuise Dustin Nguyen Steven Williams Michael DeLuise Michael Bendetti Frederic Forrest Sal Jenco
Theme music composer	Liam Sternberg
Opening theme	"21 Jump Street Theme" performed by Holly Robinson
Composer(s)	Peter Bernstein Jay Gruska
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	103
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	45–48 minutes
Production company(s)	20th Century Fox Television LBS Communications (1990–1991) Patrick Hasburgh Productions Stephen J. Cannell Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox (seasons 1–4) Syndication (season 5)
Audio format	Stereo
Original run	April 12, 1987 (1987-04-12) – April 27, 1991 (1991-04-27)
Chronology
Related shows	Booker (1989-1990) 21 Jump Street (2012)

21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues.

Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the series was produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. 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 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'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 series, Booker, was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco); it ran one season, from September 1989 to June 1990.

Plot

The series focused on a group of police officers headquartered at the titular address. These officers were all young in age and had especially youthful appearances which allowed them to pass for teenagers. Their assignments generally consisted of undercover work in high schools or, less commonly, colleges, where they generally investigated drug trafficking and abuse. The show's plots covered typical issues of its time, including alcoholism, hate crimes, drug abuse, homophobia, AIDS, child abuse, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, each problem was often solved by the end of the hour long show, giving an implicit moral about the impact of a particular activity. When the show originally aired, some episodes were followed immediately by public service announcements featuring cast members.

Cast

The show starred prominent actors and actresses at the time, including:

• Johnny Depp as Officer Tom Hanson (1987–1990)
• Holly Robinson as Sergeant Judith "Judy" Hoffs (1987–1991)
• Peter DeLuise as Officer Douglas "Doug" Penhall (1987–1990)
• Dustin Nguyen as Sergeant Harry Truman Ioki/Vinh Van Tran (H.T. Ioki) (1987–1990)
• Frederic Forrest as Captain Richard Jenko (season 1, first 6 episodes)
• Steven Williams as Captain Adam Fuller (1987–1991)
• Sal Jenco as Sal "Blowfish" Banducci (1987-1990)
• Richard Grieco as Detective Dennis Booker (1988-91)
• David Barry Gray as Officer Dean Garrett (1990)
• Alexandra Powers as Officer Kati Rocky (1990)
• Michael DeLuise as Officer Joseph "Joey" Penhall (1990–1991)
• Michael Bendetti as Officer Anthony "Mac" McCann (1990–1991)

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.

Guest stars

Main article: List of guest stars on 21 Jump Street

Some notable guest stars on the series included: Dom DeLuise, Josh Brolin, Bridget Fonda, Jada Pinkett Smith, Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, Blair Underwood, John Waters, Rosie Perez, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mario Van Peebles, Christina Applegate, Paulie Shore, David DeLuise, Bradley Gregg, Jason Priestley, Sarah Buxton, David Paymer, and Shannon Tweed.

Episode guide

Season 1

1. "21 Jump Street (part 1)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 1"; April 12, 1987)
2. "21 Jump Street (part 2)" (also known as "Jump Street Chapel part 2"; April 12, 1987)
3. "America, What a Town" (April 19, 1987)
4. "Don't Pet the Teacher" (April 26, 1987)
5. "My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" (May 3, 1987)
6. "The Worst Night of Your Life" (May 10, 1987)
7. "Gotta Finish the Riff" (May 17, 1987)
8. "Bad Influence" (May 24, 1987)
9. "Blindsided" (May 31, 1987)
10. "Next Generation" (June 7, 1987)
11. "Low and Away" (also known as "Running on Ice"; June 14, 1987)
12. "16 Blown to 35" (June 21, 1987)
13. "Mean Streets and Pastel Houses" (June 28, 1987)

Season 2

1. "In the Custody of a Clown" (September 20, 1987)
2. "Besieged (1)" (September 27, 1987)
3. "Besieged (2)" (October 4, 1987)
4. "Two For the Road" (October 11, 1987)
5. "After School Special" (October 18, 1987)
6. "Higher Education" (October 25, 1987)
7. "Don't Stretch the Rainbow" (November 1, 1987)
8. "Honor Bound" (November 8, 1987)
9. "You Ought to Be in Prison" (November 15, 1987)
10. "How Much is That Body in the Window?" (November 22, 1987)
11. "Christmas in Saigon" (December 20, 1987)
12. "Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins" (also known as "Doin' The Quarter Mile In a Lifetime"; December 27, 1987)
13. "A Big Disease With a Little Name" (February 7, 1988)
14. "Chapel of Love" (February 14, 1988)
15. "I'm OK- You Need Work" (February 21, 1988)
16. "Orpheus 3.3" (also known as "The Convenience Killer"; February 28, 1988)
17. "Champagne High" (March 6, 1988)
18. "Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond" (March 13, 1988)
19. "Raising Marijuana" (April 17, 1988)
20. "Best Years Of Your Life" (May 1, 1988)
21. "Cory and Dean Got Married" (May 8, 1988)
22. "School's Out" (May 22, 1988)

"Christmas in Saigon" reveals that Ioki is not Japanese, but Vietnamese, and was born Vinh Van Tran.

Season 3

1. "Fun With Animals" (November 6, 1988)
2. "Slippin' Into Darkness" (also listed as "Date With an Angel"; November 13, 1988)
3. "The Currency We Trade In" (November 20, 1988)
4. "Coach of the Year" (November 27, 1988)
5. "Whose Choice is it Anyways?" (December 11, 1988)
6. "Hell Week" (December 18, 1988)
7. "The Dragon and the Angel" (January 15, 1989)
8. "Blu Flu" (January 29, 1989)
9. "Swallowed Alive" (February 5, 1989)
10. "What About Love?" (February 12, 1989)
11. "Woolly Bullies" (February 19, 1989)
12. "The Dreaded Return of Russell Buckins" (February 26, 1989)
13. "A.W.O.L." (March 19, 1989)
14. "Nemesis" (March 26, 1989)
15. "Fathers and Sons" (April 9, 1989)
16. "High High" (April 23, 1989)
17. "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light" (April 30, 1989)
18. "Next Victim" (May 7, 1989)
19. "Loc'd Out (part 1)" (also known as "Partners (part 1)"; May 14, 1989)
20. "Loc'd Out (part 2)" (also known as "Partners (part 2)"; May 21, 1989)

Richard Grieco joins the cast during this season as Officer Dennis Booker. Although appearing in nearly every episode of the season, he is always credited as a guest star. Originally his character was going to be killed at season's end, but he proved so popular that Fox worked out a spin-off series ("Booker") which lasted a single season.

Season 4

1. "Draw the Line" (September 18, 1989)
2. "Say It Ain't So, Pete" (September 25, 1989)
3. "Eternal Flame" (October 2, 1989)
4. "Come from the Shadows" (October 9, 1989)
5. "God is a Bullet" (October 17, 1989)
6. "Old Haunts in a New Age" (October 30, 1989)
7. "Out of Control" (November 6, 1989)
8. "Stand by Your Man" (November 13, 1989)
9. "Mike's P.O.V." (November 20, 1989)
10. "Wheels and Deals, Part Two" (November 27, 1989; Part One aired as part of the spin-off series Booker)
11. "Parental Guidance Suggested" (December 4, 1989)
12. "Things We Said Today" (December 18, 1989)
13. "Research and Destroy" (Jan. 8, 1990)
14. "A Change of Heart" (Jan. 15, 1990)
15. "Back from the Future" (January 29, 1990; A clip show framed by interviews of the retired cops)
16. "2245" (February 5, 1990)
17. "Hi Mom" (February 12, 1990)
18. "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom" (February 19, 1990)
19. "La Bizca" (February 26, 1990)
20. "Last Chance High" (March 19, 1990)
21. "Unfinished Business" (April 9, 1990)
22. "A New Breeze Blowing" (April 30, 1990)
23. "How I Saved the Senator" (May 7, 1990)
24. "Rounding Third" (May 14, 1990)
25. "Everyday is Christmas" (May 21, 1990)
26. "Blackout" (June 18, 1990)

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 Officers Hanson and Ioki was never explained in the narrative. The Booker spin-off crossover episode, "Wheels and Deals Part One", is included with 21 Jump Street's 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 (Alexandra Powers) were intended to be "youthful" replacements, so the show could maintain its original premise of younger looking cops posing as high school students.

Season 5

1. "Tunnel of Love" (October 13, 1990)
2. "Back to School" (October 20, 1990)
3. "Buddy System" (October 27, 1990)
4. "Poison" (November 3, 1990)
5. "Just Say No! High" (November 10, 1990)
6. "Brothers" (November 17, 1990)
7. "This Ain't No Summer Camp" (November 24, 1990)
8. "The Girl Next Door" (December 1, 1990)
9. "Diplomas for Sale" (December 8, 1990)
10. "Number One with a Bullet" (December 22, 1990)
11. "Equal Protection" (January 5, 1991)
12. "The Education of Terry Carver" (January 14, 1991)
13. "Baby Blues" (January 21, 1991)
14. "Film at Eleven" (February 9, 1991)
15. "In the Name of Love" (February 16, 1991)
16. "Coppin' Out" (February 23, 1991)
17. "Under the Influence" (March 23, 1991)
18. "Crossfire" (March 30, 1991)
19. "Wasted" (April 6, 1991)
20. "Bad Day at Blackburn" (April 13, 1991)
21. "Homegirls" (April 20, 1991)
22. "Second Chances" (April 27, 1991)

During this season, Michael Bendetti joined the cast as Officer Anthony "Mac" McCann. Michael DeLuise also joined the cast as Joey Penhall, Doug Penhall's younger brother. Peter DeLuise was credited as a "Special Guest Star" until he left the show in December 1990.

Both Doug and Joey Penhall were written off the show before the season was completed. Peter DeLuise said during his commentary on the Season 5 DVD set that he saw no future for the show, so he decided to leave before it folded with the agreement that he direct two episodes and play in (at least) seven episodes. In the show, Doug Penhall is shot in the line of duty, and after facing his own mortality, decides to leave the force to care for his adopted son, Clavo. As Joey Penhall joined the Jump Street Unit to get closer to his brother, his reason for being at Jump Street no longer existed. His character was written out a few episodes later after mentioning that he was taking a vacation to visit his brother.

Officer Kati Rocky (Alexandra Powers) is introduced in the first episode of the season, "Tunnel of Love." This episode, along with "Back to School" mark the last appearances of Officer Rocky and Officer Garrett, despite the plotlines suggesting that both characters are going to join the main cast. These episodes were both filmed during the fourth season and held over. Neither actor was asked back for the fifth season, and their characters are not mentioned again after their initial appearances.

Production

Location

Jump Street was set in the "Evergreen State", the nickname of Washington State. However, Washington state was never officially identified as the setting location on the show. But the show's filming location Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is given away in the series' opening. A shot of a city bus with destination "Hastings" is shown briefly, as well as a SkyTrain with a British Columbia Transit (BC Transit) logo barely visible on the side. Every car driven in the series, including the ones driven by the characters, have British Columbia license plates. This was featured in the new opening of Season 3. Additionally, the scene from the series opener where Kenny breaks a store window was clearly filmed in Vancouver's historic Gastown neighborhood featuring its famous steam-powered clock. New Westminster Secondary School was one of the main locations of the series.

DVD releases

Richard Grieco appears in two shows of season four and is featured on the fourth season DVD cover.

Anchor Bay Entertainment released all five seasons of 21 Jump Street on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time, between 2004–2006. The releases contain extensive music substitutions and inaccurate cover art. Johnny Depp appears on the season 5 DVD cover yet he left the series after the fourth season. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are now out of print.

Johnny Depp left the show after season four and is used on the fifth season DVD cover.

On October 14, 2009, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to several Stephen J. Cannell series including 21 Jump Street. They have 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.

Madman Entertainment has released all 5 seasons on DVD in Region 4.

DVD name	Ep #	Region 1	Region 4
The Complete First Season	13	January 19, 2010	September 7, 2006
The Complete Second Season	22	May 18, 2010	September 7, 2006
The Complete Third Season	20	July 27, 2010	September 7, 2006
The Complete Fourth Season	25	January 18, 2011	September 7, 2006
The Complete Fifth Season	23	TBA	June 7, 2007
The Complete Series	103	July 27, 2010	N/A

Film adaptation

Main article: 21 Jump Street (film)

In May 2008, Sony confirmed that a film version of the series is under development. Jonah Hill will rewrite an existing script by screenwriter Joe Gazzam and executive produce the film, as well as star in the film. Johnny Depp has confirmed in an interview for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides that his cameo has already been filmed. Hill said he wanted horror director Rob Zombie to direct the picture. In May 2009, Jonah Hill described the film adaptation as being a "R-rated, insane, Bad Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie" On December 21, 2009 it was announced that Columbia Pictures are in talks with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directing duo, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, to direct the film which will star Jonah Hill, who also is executive producing. Channing Tatum will star alongside Hill in the film adaptation. Dave Franco also won a role in the film, and so has Dakota Johnson.

The current release date for the film is March 16, 2012. Holly Robinson Peete, Peter DeLuise, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams and Richard Grieco are rumored to make cameos.

External links

• 21 Jump Street at the Internet Movie Database
• 21 Jump Street at TV.com
• 21 Jump Street at epguides.com