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Highway Patrol
- 115 statements
- 21 feature instances
- 5 referencing feature instances
| Highway Patrol | type |
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Highway Patrol | |
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HIghwayPatrol | |
| Highway Patrol | comment |
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Highway Patrol was a police drama that, much in the vein of Dragnet focused on the life and activities of American law enforcement officers.The series, which aired form 1955-1959 and like The Adventures of Superman was syndicated (rather than airing in prime-time), starred character actor Broderick Crawford as the main protagonist, Capt. Dan Mathews, head of a highway patrol unit in a regional area that — although never stated — is implied to be in central California. (Indeed, the series was filmed with the cooperation of the California Highway Patrol.) Like Dragnet, episodes were introduced with a short opening monologue about the episode's main plot, after which the story played out. Usually but not always, this was criminals planning and (to varying degrees of success) carrying out a series of crimes, before Matthews and his officers would begin their investigation and ultimately stop the bad guys. The degree of urgency often varied widely, particularly when a hostage situation or other danger/loss of life was imminent. At episode's end, Crawford would deliver a short moral before inviting viewers to tune in again next week.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })While crime and stopping criminals were the primary focus, a few episodes each season focused on traffic enforcement, with plots focusing on such things as reckless driving and habitual offenders, community service and so forth.A total of 156 episodes were produced and aired during its four-year run. Because the workings of television syndication was far different in the 1950s than today, the scheduling of Highway Patrol varied greatly depending on the market; often, the show aired during off-peak hours on the weekends, or sometimes in pinch-hitting spots (such as when a live sporting event was rained out or ran short).Considered realistic for the time and because of its fast-paced action style, Highway Patrol (like Dragnet) would inspire thousands of young men and women to pursue careers in law enforcement. Following its four-year run (depending on the market, "new" episodes sometimes aired in a given area as late as early 1961, two years after production ended), reruns would air throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s; Highway Patrol can still be seen today on the digital TV channel ThisTV.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); }) | |
| Highway Patrol | fetched |
2021-05-27T13:39:54Z | |
| Highway Patrol | parsed |
2021-05-27T13:39:54Z | |
| Highway Patrol | processingComment |
Dropped link to ChaseScene: Not a Feature - IGNORE | |
| Highway Patrol | processingComment |
Dropped link to JustInTime: Not a Feature - IGNORE | |
| Highway Patrol | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Highway Patrol / int_1c9537cd | type |
The Main Characters Do Everything | |
| Highway Patrol / int_1c9537cd | comment |
The Main Characters Do Everything: Depending on the week, Mathews might be investigating a string of homicides and/or robberies, while another week he and his team are seen working traffic enforcement. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_1c9537cd | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_1e1afc1b | type |
Framing Device | |
| Highway Patrol / int_1e1afc1b | comment |
Framing Device: Much like the similar Dragnet, Crawford — always out of character — would introduce each episode with a short monologue about the upcoming episode. | |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_27f10418 | type |
Impersonating an Officer | |
| Highway Patrol / int_27f10418 | comment |
Impersonating an Officer: One episode had a gang of thieves run a pretty good scheme based on this - one of the gang would hold up a store or gas station, another would witness the hold up and flag down a phony Highway Patrol car, and the third played the fake officer who would "arrest" the holdup man and then confiscate the money as "evidence". | |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_2cbadc | type |
The Good Guys Always Win | |
| Highway Patrol / int_2cbadc | comment |
The Good Guys Always Win: Without fail, by episode's end. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_2cbadc | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_37a6a66a | type |
Instrumental Theme Tune | |
| Highway Patrol / int_37a6a66a | comment |
Instrumental Theme Tune: Like Dragnet, the show's theme has marching-inspired fanfare and dramatic sting. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_37a6a66a | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_394282f | type |
They Fight Crime! | |
| Highway Patrol / int_394282f | comment |
They Fight Crime!: Just like Dragnet. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_394282f | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_3f0b2f50 | type |
Make It Look Like an Accident | |
| Highway Patrol / int_3f0b2f50 | comment |
Make It Look Like an Accident: A first-season episode, "Hitchhiker," sees a hitchhiking young migrant worker bludgeoned to death on the side of the highway, after which the suspect places his body behind the wheel of his car and sends it careening over a tall cliff, making it appear like an accident. Mathews and his team, working with the coroner and forensics, are able to uncover the truth (the fatal blow was to the back of the head; the man's body went through the windshield as it was crashing at the bottom of the cliff ... after he was already dead. The crash was part of a string of similar deaths, perpetrated by a seemingly genial but migrant-hating storeowner who had concocted a scheme to collect on their insurance. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_3f0b2f50 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_4127eb1 | type |
Shut Up, Hannibal! | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4127eb1 | comment |
Shut Up, Hannibal!: Several times, as the bad guys were giving their Motive Rant, they would go on about how their victims were deserving and so forth, only for Mathews to make a comeback. Example: In a second-season episode "Hot Rod," one of the criminals, who is woefully remorseful for his part in a deadly hit-and-run earlier in the episode, remarked that he never killed with a gun. Mathews reminded him that his vehicle in this case was the deadly weapon. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4127eb1 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_438ed383 | type |
The Name Is Bond, James Bond | |
| Highway Patrol / int_438ed383 | comment |
The Name Is Bond, James Bond: A pre-Bond example ... Mathews frequently introduced himself by just his last name, although his close friends and co-workers do address him by his first name. | |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_4781adbb | type |
Jerk with a Heart of Gold | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4781adbb | comment |
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: At times, Mathews comes across as unduly gruff ... but he has moments where he shows compassion. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4781adbb | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Highway Patrol / int_4781adbb | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4d044580 | type |
Motive Rant | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4d044580 | comment |
Motive Rant: A frequent staple after the criminals were caught. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4d044580 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_4f84cdef | type |
Smug Snake | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4f84cdef | comment |
Smug Snake: Several, in various episodes throughout the run. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_4f84cdef | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_7d7a7d0f | type |
Opening Narration | |
| Highway Patrol / int_7d7a7d0f | comment |
Opening Narration: In the vein of Dragnet, in that it often tied into the plot of that week's episode. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_7d7a7d0f | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Highway Patrol / int_7d7a7d0f | |
| Highway Patrol / int_82518cf7 | type |
Motor Mouth | |
| Highway Patrol / int_82518cf7 | comment |
Motor Mouth: Mathews often talks so quickly it's a wonder his own officers understand him. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_82518cf7 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Highway Patrol / int_82518cf7 | |
| Highway Patrol / int_85537320 | type |
Police Procedural | |
| Highway Patrol / int_85537320 | comment |
Police Procedural: Although not as well known or regarded as Dragnet, it was — thanks to assistance from the California Highway Patrol (for first- and early second-season episodes; other state patrols provided technical assistance later on once the CHP began disassociating itself from the show due to star Broderick Crawford's personal problems) a fair and accurate depiction of police work of the era. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_85537320 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_8a8b2a87 | type |
And Knowing Is Half the Battle | |
| Highway Patrol / int_8a8b2a87 | comment |
And Knowing Is Half the Battle: A very early example with the Once per Episode ending, wherein Broderick Crawford gave a short moral stressing safety and so forth. For instance, "Leave your blood at the Red Cross, not on the highway!" | |
| Highway Patrol / int_8a8b2a87 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_8a8b2a87 | featureConfidence |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_a11f8240 | type |
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop | |
| Highway Patrol / int_a11f8240 | comment |
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop and Dirty Cop: Overwhelmingly, police officers were depicted as the good guys who were skilled and knew what they were doing. But on occasion, Lt. Mathews had to work with officers who, because of poor skill, limited abilities or other bad and/or reckless habits, put other officers in danger, result in jeopardizing an investigation and so forth. A couple of episodes depicted officers who either used the badge as a way to engage in criminal activity or police brutality, something that Mathews would put a stop to in short order. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_a11f8240 | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_a11f8240 | featureConfidence |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_a8221f1f | type |
SpiritualPredecessor | |
| Highway Patrol / int_a8221f1f | comment |
Spiritual Predecessor: In a roundabout way, CHiPs ... it was implied (though not outright stated) that Highway Patrol took place in California (and in fact, at least for the first year or so, the show's assistance from the California Highway Patrol bore this out). The latter series did take place in southern California, and in fact one episode early in CHiPs run had a guest cameo by Broderick Crawford. Both series are distributed by MGM, too. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_a8221f1f | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol / int_a8221f1f | featureConfidence |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Highway Patrol / int_a8221f1f | |
| Highway Patrol / int_d076824c | type |
Every Episode Ending | |
| Highway Patrol / int_d076824c | comment |
Every Episode Ending: Broderick Crawford delivering the moral or some other simple safety rule, followed by an invitation to viewers to tune in again next week. | |
| Highway Patrol / int_d076824c | featureApplicability |
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| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
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| Highway Patrol / int_d259fea2 | type |
Speak Ill of the Dead | |
| Highway Patrol / int_d259fea2 | comment |
Speak Ill of the Dead: Several times, by the bad guys, claiming their victims had it coming or something. One example is the early second-season episode "Hot Rod," where the dominant partner of a criminal duo of brothers insists that the woman killed in a hit-and-run accident was just stupid enough to have been standing on the roadwaynote (the younger brother, a skilled hot rod driver, was driving at more than 100 mph and she never had a chance). | |
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| Highway Patrol / int_name | itemName |
Highway Patrol |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Alan Smithee / int_dd4bb8f2 | |
| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
First-Run Syndication / int_dd4bb8f2 | |
| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Instrumental Theme Tune / int_dd4bb8f2 | |
| Highway Patrol | hasFeature |
Series of the 1950s / int_dd4bb8f2 | |
| HighwayPatrol | sameAs |
Highway Patrol |
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Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.