"The Mod Squad" (1968-1973)

Before "21 Jump Street" came this youth-oriented cop show that was produced by comedian Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling. The premise was that three troubled young folks were recruited to fight crime. Capt. Adam Greer (Tige Andrews) figured they would be able to infiltrate places where the regular cops could not. They could help stop criminals who preyed on young people. Pete (Michael Cole) was from a wealthy family; he had gotten in trouble for stealing. Linc (Clarence Williams III) had been arrested during the Watts riots in Los Angeles. Julie (Peggy Lipton) was a runaway, having had enough of her prostitute mother.

Despite the fact that Pete, Julie and Linc were on the side of the law, didn't mean they trusted "the establishment". They often butted heads with Capt. Greer over policies and procedures they were supposed to follow. The three also wondered sometimes if they were sellouts in helping "the man".

All of the principal actors still peform. Cole does a lot of TV appearances, and had a role on the ABC soap "General Hospital". Clarence Williams III was seen in Hoodlum (1997) and the made-for-cable movie "George Wallace" (1997). Peggy Lipton was married to music mogul Quincy Jones. She had a small roll in the film The Postman (1997).