# 21 Jump Street (1987)

> A team of youthful-looking Los Angeles police officers goes undercover in high schools and youth circles to crack crimes involving teenagers and young adults.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1402

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 103
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Stephen J. Cannell, Patrick Hasburgh
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Holly Robinson Peete, Johnny Depp, Michael Bendetti, Peter DeLuise, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams, Sal Jenco, Tony Dakota
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092312/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, lighthearted, energetic, nostalgic

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, with a strong, steady reception across its five seasons.

## Synopsis

21 Jump Street (1987-1991) is a American network crime drama series created by Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh for FOX. Young-faced Los Angeles police officers Tom Hanson (Johnny Depp) and Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise), along with Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson Peete) and Harry Truman Ioki (Dustin Nguyen), are assigned to a secret unit that sends them undercover as high school students and young adults. Their engine is simple: each week they must blend into a teen world, win trust, and expose dealers, gangs, and predators before their cover is blown. The show runs five seasons and more than a hundred episodes, following a case-of-the-week format with a recurring team and captain Adam Fuller (Steven Williams) directing their missions. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, its tone mixes earnest police procedure with lighthearted banter and youthful energy. Fans of Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues will find resonance in its undercover action, crime stakes, and ensemble camaraderie, while its teen-culture angle gives it a distinctive nostalgic flavor for viewers who remember the era.

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