Monday, March 28, 2022

Cop Mock: Sledge Hammer! (1987)

 Five years after Police Squad! was given a month on the air, ABC tried again with a police spoof.

Sledge Hammer! fared slightly better, getting two seasons, and a short-lived comic book.

David Rasche was cast in the title role as Hammer, a "Dirty Harry" parody who takes his job a little too seriously. Harrison Page (ex-CPO Sharkey) is his commanding officer. Anne-Marie Martin is Hammer's partner, Dori, who finds Hammer attractive despite his abrasive personality.

As noted, Marvel Comics, which at the time was a subsidiary of New World, published a short run series based on the show. You'd probably find it today in remainder bins.

In this sampler, a blow on the head turns Dori (Martin) into a female Hammer.


Veteran producer William P. D'Angelo (Run, Joe, Run, Monster Squad, etc.), known more as a producer of children's shows, was brought in as a producer here, but was gone more than halfway through the first season. Writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss later became bigger names for their work on The Simpsons and The Critic.

No rating. Never saw the show.

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