One Adam-12 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Adam-12

"Adam 12" told the story of two Los Angeles cops who "Protected and Served" the citizens of the City of Los Angeles over seven seasons from 1968-1975. The show was praised for its accurate depiction of policing in that city.

The title of the TV series was a representation of the actual coding of the police workforce. The code sign of our two heroes' patrol car, as depicted by the frequent interruption of the radio dispatcher was "One Adam-12". One indicated the division of the city. In Los Angeles Area 1 is "central". "Adam" means a two man patrol car and "12 indicated the beat within the division. Because the story is fictional, (and perhaps to protect the actual police details), there were a couple of issues with this designation. "Adam 12" was set in Rampart Division (not Central) which is slightly to the northwest of the city. Hence it should have been "2Adam-12" The other aspect were all the 'beats' in the division ended in odd numbers. Even numbers were reserved for management. For example the protagonists supervisor Lt MacDonald was 1L-20.

As the show was fictional, the distinction was moot. The formatting was correct and it certainly sounded authentic.

Answer: Pete Molloy and Jim Reed

Officer Pete Molloy was a seven year veteran cop who was on the verge of retiring from the police force as his long-term partner had been killed in the line of duty and he had had enough. This backstory occurred prior to the series beginning. Enter rookie Jim Reed who became Molloy's new partner. By the end of the first episode (the pilot), Molloy thought enough of his partner that he might stick around for a bit longer which he did, 174 episodes in total. In the series Molloy was single and Reed, much younger was married. This was one aspect where the show received criticism. Because of a miscasting. It was thought that the much younger Officer Reed (with his square cut jaw and neat hair), should have been single to appeal to a younger female audience. As it turned out, Molloy's lack of a betrothal featured in several sub-plots.

Pete Molloy (born 1931) was played by Martin Milner, a screen veteran who had just finished a four year stint as the star on "Route 66" and had also appeared on "Dragnet" where he met Jack Webb one of the creators of "Adam-12".

Kent McCord (born Kent Franklin McWhirter, 1942) also had a good resume before playing Officer Jim Reed including several appearances on "Dragnet" which included a role as a police officer called Jim Reed!

Answer: Both

The dispatcher's voice was that of Sharon Claridge, an authentic Los Angeles Police Department dispatcher. The show's producers thought using a real dispatcher for the voice-overs would add credibility to the program. During scenes which required Reed and Malloy to receive a radio call in the patrol car, real-life Ms. Claridge would lie on the floor in the back and say her lines on cue, ensuring perfect timing.

Her actual "dispatches" via the radio rather than the back seat were added later in post-production. Because she was such a popular but unseen figure she was given a cameo role in one episode in season five.

However, even in this sight role, she was not seen in sharp focus, presumably to to protect her real identity.

Answer: AMC Matador

The cars used on the set of "Adam-12" were firstly Plymouths in the first four seasons and then AMC Matadors in seasons five to seven. In the pilot, a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere was used. In season 1 a 1968 Belvedere was used then a '69 Belvedere in seasons two and three. If you look closely in these seasons you can see that a '68 and '69 were both used as there were little, cosmetic only, changes between the two years' models. In 1971 a current Plymouth Satellite was used in season four but in the last seasons (5-7) an AMC Matador was used.

There were some other interesting automobile information about the show: In many episodes you could see a Mustang with a gold top. Similarly a blue Ford Maverick was parked on the set in nearly every episode. Also if you look at the licence plates on non-police vehicles the last letter is nearly always an "I". Over the seven years the show was filmed, California-issued six-digit vehicle license plates in the letter and number format as ABC123. to avoid confusion with digits, he final letter was never I, O, or Q. The plates all featuring the letter "I" as final letter indicated that it was a movie/television prop plate.

Answer: Windshield

The squad car used for Reed and Malloy's close-up in-car dialogue was mounted on a very low trailer and towed by a camera car. The car's windshield showed reflections and sometimes the camera and crew were visible. Therefore the car's windshield was taken out. Subsequently this led to the wind blowing the hair of our protagonists (they did not wear their caps in the car), so a plastic shield was created to enclose the camera and front end of the car.

By season four the roofs of LA patrol cars had their number painted in big letters to assist with air patrols. However the whole number was not painted, only the last digits. hence 1-Adam 12 was painted with "012".

Answer: Firearm

The medallions that Reed and Malloy wore quite visibly on their uniforms marked their shooting prowess. Malloy, owned a gold medallion with two bars, so he was qualified as a distinguished expert shot. Reed, owned and wore a silver medallion with one bar.

LAPD officers must demonstrate their firearm skills including shooting performance every two years.

Answer: True

Jack Webb was a producer who took the depiction of the LAPD seriously. Webb had many technical advisors on and off the set to ensure the procedures depicted in a fictional setting represented how they would have played in the real world.

Several of the episodes were so exact in their depiction they were used at the LAPD Academy as instructional films for new recruits.

Answer: Code 2

The accuracy of all aspects of police codes included the codes used. these were never explained but as a viewer you could pick up the lexicon quickly. Code 2 was one of the most frequently used. "Routine call, No Lights or Siren: 2-HIGH meant "Priority Call, No Lights or Siren"; escalation to Code 3 meant "Emergency Call, Lights and Siren" while Code 4 meant "No Further Assistance Needed".

One code most people understood first time was Code 7: "Officer on meal break".
Similarly we all learned the codes for various crimes: A 2-11 "two eleven" was robbery, 4-15 "four fifteen" was a disturbance and 4-59 was a burglary.

Answer: Yes

"Adam-12" was created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. "Dragnet" the TV movie (1966) and subsequent TV series (1966-9). Officer Pete Molloy and Officer Jim Reed and indeed the One Adam-12 call sign all appeared (but independently) on "Dragnet" before Adam 12" was commissioned. Similarly, our two heroes appeared in the pilot of "Emergency!", a parallel paramedic procedural that ran alongside "Adam 12" and used a fictional Rampart General Hospital at its referral centre.

While all three shows existed in the same universe, one episode showed the paramedics of "Emergency!" watching an episode of "Adam 12" at the firehouse.

Answer: Three

The show is based on the initial premise that Molloy wants to get out of the LAPD because his long term partner was shot and killed on duty. Cue rookie cop Jim Reed...

Molloy gets shot in Episode 22 of season 1 while Reed gets shot in a hostage situation in Season 5 Episode 20. However in a two part finale after 174 episodes in total, Officer Reed saved his partner, Officer Molloy's life when he gets shot in the course of discharging his duty. This was a nice juxtaposition to how their story started, Reed's wife urged him to leave the LAPD but his loyalty to his partner is absolute. Reed received the Medal of Valor for his bravery in saving his partner and his wife, recognised his loyalty and dedication to the LAPD and became proud of her husband.