Prior to watching this, the name Mod Squad conjured mental images of schlock and all that was cheesy 1970s. Add to that the wretched remake (Thank goodness nobody has let Scott Silver direct again) of a few years back and I could not imagine any good coming of watching it.
But after actually seeing the show, I have to say it was better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Mod Squad was created by Buddy Ruskin. Ruskin was a former L.A.P.D. cop that actually worked with a special youth squad. His own experiences were the inspiration for the show.
Clarence Williams III, Michael Cole and Peggy Lipton all star as youth that, after getting in trouble with the law, are given a chance to avoid jail time by working as undercover cops. Because regular cops are/were so square, these kids would have an easier time infiltrating the youth subculture.
Cheesy sounding? Yeah, but in a good way.
Included here are three featurettes. Forming the Mod Squad is your basic “here is how it all came together” segment. It runs a little under 15 minutes, with the original stars delving into their memories (though Williams, the biggest star of the bunch, is absent.) and offering up some anecdotes. Having not been very familiar with the series, I found this fairly interesting. There is also a shorter segment that talks about the era (late 60s) and how The Mod Squad fit into those very turbulent times.
The final bonus feature has Louis Gossett jr., Leslie Ann Warren and Tyne Daley all talking about their appearances on the show. While enjoyable, it is a bit odd since only Gosset is actually seen in this bunch of episodes.
Nobody is going to mistake The Mod Squad for great television, but the style and overall vibe of the show make for a fun trip back to the late 60s. Can you dig it?
Jeremy Lynch
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
