7 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘CHiPs’
Throughout the course of TV history, there have been plenty of shows centering on law enforcement offers … but have any of them ever been as downright cool as CHiPs? Showcasing the exciting adventures of California Highway Patrol officers Ponch (played by Erik Estrada) and Jon (Larry Wilcox), this popular series gave us everything from car chases (so many car chases!) to hostage situations, all of which were mere obstacles for our heroes before they inevitably saved the day.
The show was a fixture on NBC from 1977 through 1983 (although Wilcox bailed out before the final season) and continues to attract old and new fans to this very day. Whether you are a superfan or just love the theme song, here are seven facts you probably didn’t know about CHiPs!
1 Partners? Yes. Buddies? Not so much.
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The essence of CHiPs from day one was the seamless chemistry between Ponch and Jon, two patrolmen who felt like more than partners — they were best friends. Apparently, Estrada and Wilcox were truly great actors because, in reality, the two stars did not get along at all. In fact, many say that the ever-growing friction between the two was the main reason why Wilcox left the show before the final season.
2 No (… well, very few …) guns allowed
Believe it or not, the patrolmen of CHiPs only drew their guns three times in the entire 139-episode history of the show. Most of the time, Ponch and Jon were able to rely on their reasoning, wit and charm to navigate even the hairiest of situations. This was no accident, as producers were intent on maintaining a family-friendly vibe to match the show’s coveted primetime slot.
3 Arrested development
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While widely regarded as one of TV’s most popular shows, CHiPs was far from an immediate sensation. In fact, the show almost got canceled after its first season after scoring disappointing ratings and reviews in the show’s original Thursday night time slot. Thankfully, NBC decided to give the series a chance to redeem itself by moving it to Saturday nights, where it found the much bigger audience it needed.
4 Estrada and Wilcox got plenty of action (and paid the price)
Both series leads were ready, willing and able to perform their own stunts to add authenticity to the show. Unfortunately, both occasionally suffered the consequences of putting themselves in dangerous situations. Estrada injured himself badly in 1979 when he was jettisoned off his bike and flew into a parked car, while Wilcox suffered a concussion after flipping his own bike. Believe it or not, neither incident deterred the stars from tackling future stunts.
5 Estrada was a motorcycle rookie
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Estrada’s willingness to perform stunts on his motorcycle was all the more impressive when you consider that he’d literally never ridden on one before being cast as Ponch. To get ready for production, he agreed to take an intense eight-week course of motorcycle lessons, all of which proved so difficult that it still took him three tries to pass the required tests and receive his license!
6 Estrada replaced by … Caitlyn Jenner?
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While CHiPs fans who watched the entire series will recall Wilcox’s departure prior to the show’s final season, let’s not forget that Estrada also bolted — temporarily, anyway. At the beginning of the show’s fifth season, the heartthrob left the show after a financial dispute. In a panic to replace their biggest draw, producers recruited none other than Olympic star Bruce Jenner, now better known to reality TV fans as Caitlyn Jenner, to play a new character – Office Steve MacLeish. The new addition to the force ended up being short-lived, as Estrada and the show resolved their dispute quickly enough for Ponch to make his return seven episodes later.
7 Good morning, Vietnam!
Still a touchy subject in the ’70s, CHiPs was actually one of the first scripted television shows of its time to reference the Vietnam War. Taking it one step further, the subject was actually baked into the history of the characters, as Jon was written as a Vietnam veteran turned patrolman. While producers knew that adding this layer to the show could invite controversy, they believed that it was important to reference real-world issues that their audience could relate to.
CHiPs airs on Charge or is available to stream on Prime Video.
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