CHiPs

CHiPs episodes were usually a combination of light comedy and melodrama. A typical episode would start with Ponch and Jon on routine patrol or being assigned to an interesting beat, such as Malibu or the Sunset Strip. In roll call briefing, Sgt. Getraer would alert his officers to be on the lookout for a particular criminal operation, such as people staging accidents as part of an insurance scam or punks breaking into cars. A few interesting, unrelated vignettes often transpired during the course of "routine" traffic enforcement. Criminal characters menacing L.A.'s freeways, the episode would invariably culminate in Ponch and Jon leading a chase of the suspects often assisted by other members of their division, climaxing with a spectacular series of stunt vehicle crashes. There was little if any violence on CHiPs, and the show can be classified as a dramedy. The episodes filled a standard hour long time slot, which at the time required 48 minutes of actual programming.