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CHiPs

This show falls into the category of a "buddy" show.   The premise of the show was to follow two CHP Motor Officers through a day on patrol.   The scenes take place in three primary locations:  the station, the apartments of the men, or on location at a rescue or an arrest.

These episodes were all family friendly. There was some mild language and sexual innuendo.   The writers stuck to real life situations with no writing devices used such as supernatural or clairvoyant powers, superhuman abilities or extreme talents.  The exception to this would be that both men were portrayed as very athletic with some skills that would not be considered the normal for policemen.  The shows were kept in the present with no flashbacks to childhoods, dream sequences and only minor family involvements.  

The "formula" that was used by the series writers included a conversational theme that carried throughout the episode accompanied by 3 - 4 incidents involving various citizenry of Los Angeles. At least one incident in each episode was sufficiently intense to warrant one of the policemen placing his life in jeopardy in order to successfully perform a rescue or arrest.   This is where the tension and excitement of the story rests.  Although the situation is extremely dangerous, the policeman seldom receives a wound and if they do, it's a minor one that ends up as a release from the hospital by the end of the episode.  Occasionally, we would see the men laid up in the hospital, but they were always conscious and it was never anything that would warrant intensive care.

The two "buddies" that were the center of the show are as follows:

Jon Baker is the blonde, good-natured All American Boy. He was born and raised on a ranch in Wyoming and has a background of cowboy type skills and having expertise with animals. He’s the guy who can ride or drive almost anything. Horses, motorcycles, cars, trucks, semi’s…he’s got it all covered. He’s the efficient but likable guy who represents the quintessential policemen. Highly capable, he presents the more modern image of the policeman as a warm and sensitive professional.

Francis Llwellyn Poncharello, or Ponch as he’s most often referred to on the show, is the good kid who came from a rough background. He comes out of an iffy childhood into a career in law enforcement. His friendship with Jon is the glue that keeps his career held together. He’s prone to be impetuous and is the one most likely to ignore the manual in favor of his own instincts. He’s Hispanic and has an extreme interest in the opposite sex. He sees his job in life to get Jon to loosen up and to become more interested in the wild side of life.

The remainder of the cast can be broken up as follows:  Lieutenant Bates, the man who runs the Central Division, he’s seldom seen on the show but when he is, he’s a by the book man. Sergeant Joseph Getraer is the immediate superior. He’s very fond of Jon but finds Ponch’s antics to be a bit much. Other patrolmen include Barry Baricza, Jeb Turner, Arthur Grossman, Bonnie Clark, and Sindy Cahill.

The dual plot line usually had one subplot that included the personal lives of the men or their extracurricular activities. The second plot involved the incidents that they dealt with in the line of duty. It was not unusual for the incidents shown to be a "theme". For instance, an episode on drunk driving could show several different ways that drunk driving affects the men and their jobs. Storylines were generally not carried through to subsequent episodes.