ABC premieres the first episode of the cop show spoof Police Squad, in color, starring Leslie Nielsen and created by the Zucker-Abrams-Zucker team behind the hit movie Airplane! Despite the same team’s success on the big screen (with the same star), ABC seems to have little idea how to promote the series, which eschews such prime-time comedy conventions as laugh tracks, and Police Squad proves short-lived, though it will inspire a more successful movie franchise, The Naked Gun, also starring Nielsen. 
A bank teller who’s deep in debt stages a holdup of her own bank, and leaves evidence pointing to a rather nondescript man who just happened to be there, and Frank Drebin is there. Police Squad, a special division of the police department, swings into action and discovers that one person’s story doesn’t add up. Now it’s up to Frank to figure out who that person is…
written by Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker
directed by Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker
music by Ira NewbornCast: Leslie Nielsen (Frank Drebin), Alan North (Ed Hawkins), Lorne Greene (himself), Ed Williams (Mr. Olson), William Duell (Johnny), Barbara Tarbuck (Mr. Twice), Terry Wills (Jim), Terrence Beasor (Dr. Zubatsky), Russell Shannon (Ralph Twice), Jimmy Briscoe (Cop), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Sally), and Rex Hamilton (Abraham Lincoln)
LogBook entry by Earl Green