"Sledge Hammer!" (1986) TV series 1986-1988

Creator:

Alan Spencer

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

23 September 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

If This is Law Enforcement, God Help us All!

Plot:

The adventures of a dumb police detective who always looks for the most violent solution to any problem.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Police Officer | Police Brutality | Police Station | Spoof

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 4 of 35)

David Rasche	...	Sledge Hammer (41 episodes, 1986-1988)
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Dori Doreau (41 episodes, 1986-1988)
Harrison Page	...	Captain Trunk (41 episodes, 1986-1988)
Leslie Morris	...	Officer Majoy (31 episodes, 1986-1988)

Also Known As:

Sledge Hammer: The Early Years (USA) (second season title)

Runtime:

30 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

D'Angelo Productions

Trivia:

In an issue of the "Transformers" comic book, characters are depicted watching "Sledge Hammer!" on a TV screen.

Quotes:

[after being suspended from duty, Hammer saves the day by defusing a bomb. Captain Trunk reluctantly welcomes him back to the force]
Captain Trunk: I hate to say it, but it's good to have you on the force.
[they shake hands]
Sledge Hammer: Thank you, Captain.
Captain Trunk: And if there's ever anything I can do for you, please tell me.
Sledge Hammer: Oh, no.
[pause]
Sledge Hammer: Well, there is one... no, it's... well, I mean, I've always wanted to do it, but it takes two people.
Captain Trunk: This does not involve a gun, does it?
Sledge Hammer: [laughing] No, no!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Phantom Planet (#10.2)" (1998)

The funniest show ever made

This has got to be the most hilarious show to ever pollute the airwaves. Sledge Hammer (David Rasche) is a man's man, a parodical sexist pig who talks to the .44 magnum he carries in his shoulder-holster and drives around with a rocket-launcher in his trunk, and who presumes all suspects to be scum until proven otherwise. There is not a single constitutional right that he has not flagrantly violated during the unfortunately short life-span of this series. Any cops out there will envy Sledge for doing all the things they would have liked to have done but couldn't. But despite Sledge's propensity for wanton and gratuitous violence and his callous use of weapons of mass destruction, he's more of an Inspector Cluseau than a Dirty Harry. His slapstick bumbling and his misogynist remarks are both counter-balanced by his partner, the intelligent and beautiful Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin), who constantly compensates for Sledge's ineptitude and general lack of diplomacy. Rounding out the comedy trio is Captain Trunk (Harrison Page), Hammer's superior, who is constantly swilling Pepto Bismol to counter the ulcer and high-blood pressure that Hammer's antics are causing him to suffer; a futile gesture, as he is usually driven to screaming "Hammer!" at the top of his lungs in a fit of rage at least several times per episode. Our whole residence used to watch this show all the time back in university, and it had us all in side-splitting stitches (okay, maybe not all of us; the feminists didn't pick up on the fact that his sexist antics were a parody, and would frequently leave the room in disgust, but not before hurling verbal abuse, and sometimes beer bottles, at us ...). This is a classic among cult classics. I've scoured the Internet trying to find episodes of Sledge Hammer! on DVD, but all I've been able to find so far are a few bad-quality, copyright-infringing VHS tapes on e-Bay. Shame, I'd buy the whole series if I could find it in reasonable-quality digital form.