This is one of the funniest shows ever on television. It's a shame more people aren't aware of it. There was one episode in particular, the one where Toody and Muldoon were temporarily separated as partners... Oh my God, absolutely one of the funniest things I ever saw on TV! This classic show needs more exposure!! (Or maybe not. Maybe we'll just keep it to ourselves...)
shareThe problem with the show is, it only ran for two years, and so has *very* seldomly been syndicated. So it's not surprising that so few people know about it. I had never seen a single episode aired anywhere before I discovered the show on Nick@Nite. And I've again never seen it broadcast anywhere since N@N took it off the air.
One of my favorite episodes shows how great the writing was and how it *wasn't* just the stars that made the show go. Toody and Muldoon have relatively small parts in "The Biggest Day Of The Year", but the episode is a total hoot! "Same as last year!"
Back then, shows needed three seasons to get syndication in most markets. Car 54 is one of the all time funniest shows in history. The sit-coms they make today don't come close.
shareWhat I can't believe is why this show, one of the most hilarious in television history, lasted only two seasons. It should have gone on for at least five, let alone three. What was the competition that knocked it off the air? I never knew. All I ever knew was that it was suddenly cancelled and I never read any explanations. All my friends and I in junior high school were very disappointed. It's too dated to ever be remade, and I doubt anyone could recapture the chemistry of Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross. It was a time when most police were respected and before all the charges of police brutality, corruption, and racial bigotry. It even had a black officer who was treated and acted as an equal, not a stereotype. Cops on the NYPD loved it. Sure the cast was mostly middle-aged or old, but no one cared about that back then. Nat Hiken was a comedy genius, and the show portrayed a New York City that is long gone, and in my case, sorely missed. Can anyone tell me why it was cancelled? I'd really like to know.
shareThere's an item under Trivia on the IMDB page that explains the show's cancellation.
I was in high school when this aired and it was everyone's favorite Sunday night show. We cracked up Monday morning over a lot of the lines.
this is a classic top 10 comedies of all times watching on hulu
shareThe lack of comments, I think, is understandable. The demographic that originally watched this show as adults are either dead or not Internet-savvy. I was about 8 years old when Car 54 first aired - I do remember it being in syndication from time to time as a kid but haven't seen an episode on TV in decades. I think if I were to see it again as an adult, I'd probably appreciate it all the more!
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