Those of us fortunate enough to be part of the baby boomer generation are fortunate enough to have seen the world change as we grew up. We can remember the old Philco black and white televisions as we recline in our living rooms watch high definition 3D movies. With all these incredible technological wonders that abound now it is reassuring that some DVD distributors are dedicated to helping us revisit some of our childhood favorite TV shows. One such company to be so commended is Shanachie Entertainment. They release some of the very best of these memories in a way providing a time machine back to a simpler time when people in the 48 states all ‘Liked Ike’. One series that I have very fond memories of is a true television classic, ‘Car 54, Where are You? The silly theme song with its falsetto titular refrain remains firmly embedded in our minds ever though last month may be a little hazy. As I began to watch this four disc DVD set of the first season I was pleasantly surprised just how much I could recall even though I must have been in the third grade back in 1961 when these episodes first hit the air. I do recall this was something the family would watch together and as the youngest in the household I was charged with being the remote control adjusting the volume and wiggling the rabbit ear antenna to receive the optimum picture. The DVD is much clearer than anything broadcast back then and although the audio is mono it does sound a lot better through a modern home theater setup. It is also notable that several of the cast went on to other memorable projects that collectively helped defined the sixties. While the material is understandably dated for those of our generation it still will generate a lot of laughter. The flip side of this, of course, is that much of the humor will be lost on the younger viewers.

The series was the product of a creative team with a proven track record; Nat Hiken as the writer/creator and Al De Caprio tacking up the premise and being responsible for the bulk of the directorial chores. Before this show these men collaborated on one of the biggest television hits of the late fifties, ‘The Phil Silvers Show’, better known to most fans simply as ‘Bilko’. In addition Hiken was part of the origins of television as the center of family entertainment writing for such trailblazing shows as ‘The Show of Shows’ and ‘The Martha Raye Show’. It has to be kept in mind that these people were the pioneers of a relatively new medium. TV had been around for a few years by then but it wasn’t until the early sixties that it began to dominant the field of entertainment. Unlike today’s rotating crew of writers and directors back then it was common for a person to hold down the job for every episode. As you watch this series this is evident in the stylistic uniformity pervading the series. Both the entertainers and audience were still getting used to the transition from radio to TV.

This series was fairly typical for sit-coms of the time. The premise was simple, the situations frequently silly and every episode stands on its own. This helped in summer rerun season when the episodes could be rebroadcast in any order. Right from the start police series were a staple for television but usually took the form of one-hour long crime dramas. This series took the public interest in police work blending it with the new format of the sit-com. This is still a rare occurrence with only a few series like ‘Barney Miller’ following in the footsteps blazed here. You might wonder why crime isn’t running wild in the 53rd Police precinct in the Bronx. The police officers patrolling that neighbor of New York City generally mean well but they are pretty much ineffectual in the performance of their constabulary duties. The main focus here are two officers partnered together in the patrol car designated ‘Car 54’. They are what we used to refer to as a Mutt and Jeff pair; short, squat Gunther Toody (Joe E. Ross) and the lean, tall Francis Muldoon (Fred Gwynne). Not only were they polar opposites physically but in their demeanor as well. Toody is excitable and a bit on the dim side while Muldoon tends to think more carefully and frequently. Usually the high jinks at hand are a result of some wild plan hatched by Toody. In one episode their fellow officer Leo Schaunser (Al Lewis) normally gets along with his wife Sylvia (Charlotte Rae) but like clockwork every Thursday at exactly 11 pm they have a loud fight. In order to break this annoying cycle Toody decides to convince Leo it’s actually Friday which, naturally, backfires almost driving another officer insane; Implausible, yes but also quite hysterical. Devotees of vintage sit-coms will recognize Rae as Mrs. Garrett from ‘Facts of Life’. Many of the casts would go on to extending their fame in other series. Gwynne and Lewis would go on to both star in ‘The Munsters, as Herman and Grandpa. The series was filmed in New York City and frequently featured actors and comedians from the city. Lewis would eventually become a fixture in Greenwich Village opening an Italian restaurant called ‘Grandpa’s’. My Late wife and I enjoyed many a fine meal there with Mr. Lewis always the grand host. This is a real blast from the past back to when police cars had the dome red light on the roof but ultimately still a lot of fun.

There's a hold up in the Bronx,
Brooklyn's broken out in fights.
There's a traffic jam in Harlem
That's backed up to Jackson Heights.
There's a scout troup short a child,
Kruschev's due at Idlewild
Car 54, Where Are You?