Before Viva Laughlin (one of the worst shows to premiere on television in the past five years) debuted, no one would have believed a show like Cop Rock ever existed. Cops and crooks suddenly breaking into song and/or dance about robberies, shootings, drug deals, and murder? Sure, why not!
It came from Steven Bochco and ran on ABC in 1990. Check out the video after the jump. It's the classic scene you saw on Hill Street Blues all the time, the cops getting their morning rundown on what's going on. Then the captain suddenly starts singing "Let's Be Careful Out There." There's a cameo by another Bochco star at the end. I'm still wondering why the cops don't look at the guy singing and say "um, shouldn't we call the police psychologist?"
The Prisoner -- An early look
Sesame Street's 40th: Five funniest characters
Sesame Street's 40th: Five biggest controversies
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-27-2007 @ 3:27PM
Chris said...
OMG WOW TV Squad, Where did you find this Crown Jewel of the Internet! I've never seen someone so excited about fighting crime.
"187 at the Seven Eleven" Priceless.
Reply
10-27-2007 @ 3:32PM
Brent McKee said...
Say whatever you want about "Cop Rock", at least the songs were original and sung by the actors. In "Viva Laughlin" I always had the sense that the actors were barely contributing their voices at best to songs done by other artists. The music in "Viva Laughlin" was badly done Karaoke; "Cop Rock" was a true, original, musical.
Reply
10-27-2007 @ 4:14PM
Oreo said...
Viva Laughlin had terrible music, singing, and dancing?! They should have showed it on The Disnet Channel! People there love High School Musical so why not another badly done musical?
Reply
10-27-2007 @ 9:46PM
Drew said...
Before my time, so maybe I just don't "get it", but it boggles the mind that both ABC and Steven Bochco thought this was going to be a hit. I mean, I can see pushing the envelope and such and such, but it's far fetched to see this becoming huge and sinking millions into it.
Also, this clip was the most amazing thing ever. I'm so gonna find the rest of the episodes now.
Reply
10-27-2007 @ 10:43PM
BartmanDK said...
The problem with Viva.. Was that the songs werent orginalt songs.. im not saying that the show would have survived with that, but at least it would have had a chance with its "orginall" and "edgy" ways
Reply
10-28-2007 @ 12:12AM
Joey Geraci said...
I must have lost my mind, because I thought that was kind of cool. Of course, most of that cool went away when the podium piano came out of nowhere.
Reply
10-28-2007 @ 12:32AM
Allen said...
It wasn't as horrible as people make it out to be. Bochco's Fish Police cartoon was much much worse.
Thing is, the seargent has already finished with the rundown THEN he starts to sing, what is another rundown. It's redundant so it doesn't move the story along. It stalls it. In a music, the music should gently push the story along. But someone was beholden to opening with the words, "Lets be careful out there" and that is the END of the sarge's speech, so that's where they put it.
The whole scene is surreal and a bit awkward, but I imagine had they thought of things like this a little more carefully it might have had a better shot.
Reply
10-28-2007 @ 12:38AM
Allen said...
Maybe Fish Police wasn't Steve's. I thought it was. Still horrible, though.
Reply
10-28-2007 @ 10:40AM
MacGuffin said...
What is more amazing than Viva Laughlin being taken off the air so quickly is the fact that Cavemen has survived 4 episodes so far.
The critics say that 'Viva Laughlin' is the worst show ever. I think Caveman is a close second.
Reply
10-28-2007 @ 7:33PM
Chris said...
Another thing about Viva Laughing is that the main guy couldn't hold a tune with a pitch fork, it was just bad.
Reply
11-08-2007 @ 9:27PM
tooter31911 said...
well i really liked the show i think it would have been a big hit it only giving a chance i grew up on that music and i still listen to it today at least you can understant the words the sing insread of having a mouth full of gritts, or mashed potatoes ,something . welll i am sorry to see it gone....
Reply