SHOW FACTS

CAR 54 DEBUTED ON SEPTEMBER 17TH 1961 AND RAN FOR TWO SEASONS ON THE NBC NETWORK, WITH  60 EPISODES. NAT HIKEN CREATED AND PRODUCED THIS SERIES, ALONG WITH THE CLASSIC "SGT. BILKO" SHOW. HE INCORPORATED MANY "BILKO" ACTORS TO STAR IN CAR 54, INCLUDING FRED GWYNNE, AL LEWIS, JOE E. ROSS, BEATRICE PONS, AND PAUL REED.

CAR 54 WAS THE FIRST COMEDY TELEVISION SHOW ABOUT COPS. IT WAS FILMED ON LOCATION IN NEW YORK CITY. THE SHOW'S INTERIOR SCENES WERE FILMED AT THE OLD BIOGRAPH STUDIOS IN THE BRONX. IT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE GOLD MEDAL STUDIOS DURING THE SILENT FILM ERA. ITS ADDRESS WAS 807 EAST 175th STREET. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BUILDING IS GONE NOW. IN ITS PLACE IS A DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION DEPOT. MANY OF THE EXTERIOR SHOTS WERE FILMED AT CITY ISLAND. THE POLICE CAR USED WAS A SIMILAR REPLICA OF THE NYPD PATROL FLEET AT THE TIME, EXCEPT FOR THE COLOR OF THE PAINT. UNIT 54 WAS PAINTED RED AND WHITE INSTEAD OF THE OFFICIAL BLACK, GREEN, AND WHITE, SO THE PUBLIC WOULD NOT MISTAKE THEM FOR THE REAL POLICE WHILE FILMING ON LOCATION. THE HOME VIEWER DIDN'T NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE SINCE THE SERIES WAS A BLACK AND WHITE SHOW.

CAR 54 WAS SET IN THE FICTIONAL 53RD PRECINCT OF THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT. ACTUALLY, THERE ONCE WAS A 53RD PRECINCT FROM THE 1920'S THROUGH THE 1940'S.  TODAY HOWEVER  IT IS KNOWN AS THE 101ST PRECINCT.

MUNSTERS FANS, INCLUDING MYSELF, ENJOY SEEING AL LEWIS AND THE LATE FRED GWYNNE IN THEIR PRE "GRAMPA" AND "HERMAN MUNSTER" ROLES. IN FACT, PAUL REED (CAPT. BLOCK) ONCE MADE A GUEST APPEARANCE ON THE MUNSTERS.