Police Story

S01E14: Countdown (1)

When policeman Joe LaFrieda kills a member of an underworld family during a robbery attempt; a contract is put out on his life.

Overview

Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV. Although it was an anthology, there were certain things that all episodes had in common; for instance, the main character in each episode was a police officer. The setting was always Los Angeles and the characters always worked for some branch of the LAPD. Notwithstanding the anthology format, there were recurring characters. Scott Brady appeared in more than a dozen episodes as "Vinnie," a former cop who, upon retirement, had opened a bar catering to police officers, and who acted as a sort of Greek chorus during the run of the series, commenting on the characters and plots.

Episodes

S01E01 Slow Boy (1)

March 20, 1973 60 min
A special surveillance detail set up to catch criminals in the act finally nabs Slow Boy while he is robbing a supermarket. Complications arise when the robber takes a hostage before the police can detain...

S01E02 Slow Boy (2)

March 20, 1973 60 min
A special surveillance detail set up to catch criminals in the act finally nabs Slow Boy while he is robbing a supermarket. Complications arise when the robber takes a hostage before the police can detain...

S01E03 Dangerous Games

October 2, 1973 60 min
Undercover cop Charlie Czonka tries to catch the big man behind a ring of prostitution, dope and extortion

S01E04 Requiem for an Informer

October 9, 1973 60 min
A down-and-out addict becomes an informer for the bank robbery detail and wins the friendship of a cop.

S01E05 The Ten Year Honeymoon

October 23, 1973 60 min
Two partners on the police force start getting on each other's nerves after ten years together when one begins acting strange.

S01E06 The Violent Homecoming

October 30, 1973 60 min
A Mexican-American police sergeant who's been assigned to his original neighborhood leads the Juvenile Division in an attempt to head off a gang war.

S01E07 The Ho Chi Minh Trail

November 6, 1973 60 min
An undercover cop nearly loses his life trying to crack a big-time drug-selling operation.

S01E08 Collision Course

November 20, 1973 60 min
The question of whether or not policewomen should be assigned to ride in patrol cars is brought to the head in a gun battle with two killers.

S01E09 Death on Credit

November 27, 1973 60 min
Sergeant Rick Calvelli works undercover in order to crack a phony credit card ring that plays dangerously.

S01E10 The Big Walk

December 4, 1973 60 min
A beat cop has his newly established authority challenged when a wealthy girl he arrests avoids retribution in court.

S01E11 Man on the Rack

December 11, 1973 60 min
An unauthodox cop accidentally kills a fellow officer and is put under investigation by Internal Affairs.

S01E12 Line of Fire

December 18, 1973 60 min
A young police officer joins a special unit and must learn to cope with killing.

S01E13 Chain of Command

January 8, 1974 60 min
The possibility of a conspiracy to murder cops creates a war between a black community and the police.

S01E14 Countdown (1)

January 15, 1974 60 min
When policeman Joe LaFrieda kills a member of an underworld family during a robbery attempt; a contract is put out on his life.

S01E15 Countdown (2)

January 22, 1974 60 min
The police clash head-on with the Mob when a contract is taken out on Officer Joe LaFrieda's life.

S01E16 Cop in the Middle

January 29, 1974 60 min
A cop on the take devises a plan to save himself from disgrace.

S01E17 The Ripper

February 12, 1974 60 min
Two officers from Robbery-Homicide attempt to track down a killer of homosexuals who mutilates the bodies of his victims.

S01E18 Country Boy

February 19, 1974 60 min
A young recruit from a rural community attempts to defy his background by completing the tough Police Academy training to become a cop.

S01E19 Big John Morrison

February 26, 1974 60 min
Two detectives become emotionally involved in a case when a friend is the victim of a robber/rapist/murderer.

S01E20 Wyatt Earp Syndrome

March 5, 1974 60 min
As an officer tracks down a rapist, his marriage dissolves in favor of his badge.

S01E21 Fingerprint

March 12, 1974 60 min
A police veteran in the Latent Prints Division is discouraged with his job until some unexpected combat gives him a new perspective.

S01E22 Chief

March 19, 1974 60 min
A police chief must overcome an assissination plot and political games in order to speak at a local meeting of police-haters.

S01E23 The Gamble

March 26, 1974 60 min
The transfer of desk officer Lisa Beaumont to the vice squad leads to a series of explosive developments.

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