# Adam-12 (1968)

> Two Los Angeles police officers patrol the city in their black-and-white unit, answering calls and handling the day's street problems.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4436

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 174
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Jack Webb, Robert A. Cinader
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Martin Milner, Kent McCord, William Boyett, Joan Shawlee, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Quentin Sondergaard, Melody Patterson, James B. Sikking
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062539/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, sincere, observational, steady

## What critics say

Adam-12 is widely regarded as a solid, realistic procedural that earned respect for its authentic depiction of patrol work, though its format was considered formulaic.

## Synopsis

Adam-12 (1968-1975) is an American police procedural series created by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader for NBC. Officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) patrol the streets of Los Angeles in their radio car, 1-Adam-12, and the engine of the show is the steady rhythm of dispatched calls, each one a small problem to be resolved before the next one arrives. Their supervisor, Sgt. MacDonald (William Boyett), anchors the squad room, while the episodes unfold as self-contained case-of-the-week stories drawn from ordinary street work rather than sprawling conspiracies. Across seven seasons the series keeps a steady, procedural focus on the everyday texture of big-city policing, with the partners' camaraderie providing warmth. Set in late sixties and early seventies Los Angeles, the show carries a sincere, earnest, observational tone that feels like a documentary-style snapshot of its era. Fans of Dragnet, Hill Street Blues and CHiPs will find resonance in its grounded, public-service approach to the police beat.

## Shows like Adam-12

- [Southland (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/16329)
- [Cops (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/3491)
- [21 Jump Street (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/1402)
- [Cagney & Lacey (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/4013)
- [Hunter (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/4350)
- [Dragnet (1967)](https://ember.film/tv/41051)
- [Dragnet (1951)](https://ember.film/tv/3536)
- [The Mod Squad (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/3806)
- [Starsky & Hutch (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/1444)
- [Live PD (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/60067)

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