Police Academy (also known as Police Academy: The Animated Series) is a 1988 animated television series based on the Police Academy series of films. The show was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises for Warner Bros. Television. It aired weekdays and lasted two seasons for a total of 65 episodes.
Some episodes feature a crime boss named Kingpin. His keen intelligence, girth, and stature are very similar to the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Other new characters were added to the show as well. Among them were a group of talking police dogs called the Canine Corps. They were made up of Samson (the bulldog leader), Lobo (the noble yet clumsy husky), Bonehead (the dimwitted giant St. Bernard), Chili Pepper (the excitable chihuahua), and Schitzy (the only female, a Golden Retriever with an identity crisis). The theme song is performed by the Fat Boys, who also make an appearance in two episodes as House's Friends: Big Boss, Cool and Mark. Robert Folk's theme for the movies is used, uncredited, over the closing credits.
The animated series was more popular in Europe, especially in Italy. It was especially popular in the Arab world, where it was broadcast on Spacetoon and Al Aoula.
Contents
Synopsis
The animated series takes place chronologically between the fourth and fifth films.
Thirteen characters are re-created for this animated version, including a team of Academy graduates led by Carey Mahoney, a likeable rogue bachelor boy, who unconsciously—and consistently—does his best to make life miserable for Captain Harris and his knucklehead assistant Sgt. Proctor.
Mahoney's friends include the aptly named Moses Hightower, sound effects master Larvell Jones, trigger-happy Eugene Tackleberry, sweet and timid Laverne Hooks, hardened Debbie Callahan, colossal House, and the duo of reformed gang member Zed McGlunk and his best buddy, Carl Sweetchuck.
Eric Lassard is the highly respected (albeit dreamy) Commandant, and Academy newcomer The Professor is also on hand, and also the cadets new friends, the K-9 Corps, a group of police dogs, and stocking the crime-fighting heroes with an endless supply of wacky gadgets as they combat a motley crew of Kingpin and other recurring villains such as Numbskull, The Claw, Mr. Sleaze, Lockjaw, and Amazona.
Characters
Cadet Carey Mahoney – The most clever among the officers. Mahoney is always ready to lend a hand to his companions. He is also the patrol partner of Larvell Jones.
Cadet Larvell Jones – Mahoney's usual sidekick. He is a master of the martial arts and his main talent, beatboxing. He is also able to imitate all manner of noises, including sirens, gunfire, helicopters, and so forth.
Cadet Carl Sweetchuck – The shortest member with a cowardlike personality. He is very accident prone and oblivious to the harm caused by his clumsiness.
Cadet Zed McGlunk – The messy and unkempt hillbilly and former criminal. He usually drags his patrol partner, Sweetchuck along in his wily, but erratic pursuits.
Cadet Moses Hightower – The group's strongman who is well known for his great size and strength. His stature often comes into play when the characters find themselves in situations in which bars must be bent or walls need to smashed through.
Cadet Laverne Hooks – A small, soft-spoken, and passive woman. However, Hooks has shown herself capable of being extremely forceful and loud in situations in which she gets provoked. She is Hightower's patrol partner.
Cadet Thomas "House" Conklin – A very obese man who is well known for his large frame, big appetite, and congenial nature. He patrols with Sweetchuck and Zed and often accompanies them in their escapades.
Cadet Eugene Tackleberry – A weapons fanatic with a pronounced jawline who almost always wears sunglasses and a helmet. Tackleberry often uses the police's armored car, which he usually wrecks. He is fond of using a bazooka.
Sergeant Debbie Callahan – The statuesque beauty of the group who is extremely resilient and has a beautiful singing voice. She has a weakness for her fellow patrol partner, Tackleberry.
Other characters
The Clown Gang - A trio of clown-themed criminals. Their plan is to sneak into the Police Academy and disguise themselves as new recruits for their looting schemes. They sometimes talk about their boss, Freddie The Fence.
Wiz - The trio's leader.
The Claw - A wanted cat burglar who uses his gadgets to break into buildings and rob people of their jewelry. He speaks in cat-like sounds. He is a male parody of DC Comic's Catwoman.
Mouser - The Claw's loyal pet cat.
Kingpin – The world's largest overlord in various episodes of the series. Together, him and the four escapees formed a supervillain teamup known as The Council of Crime. He is a parody of Marvel Comic's Kingpin. He is also drawn as overweight, bald, and always wearing a white suit.
Weasel & Wooley – Kingpin's low-level henchmen.
The London Bridge Gang - A group of British crooks from London.
Hack London - The group's boss. His scheme is to use the Professor's new Supercar that they swiped so he could break into The Tower of London and steal the Royal Chalice.
Reggie McDuff & Leroy "Lugnut" Lonningan - London's henchmen. They stole the Supercar to get their boss out of jail.
LeStarla - An obsessed fan who disguises himself as The Phantom of The Opera to kidnap an opera singer for his own selfish desires.
Phoenix Amazona - An intelligent, but beautiful strongwoman who loves to take gold objects for money. She is Sweetchuck's former crush. She is also a parody of Marvel Comic's Titania.
Big Mike & Fuji - Amazona's wrestling henchmen.
Voice cast
Main
Ron Rubin as Sgt Carey Mahoney
Dan Hennessey as Officer Zed McGlunk / Sgt Eugene "Tack" Tackleberry
Howard Morris as Officer Carl Sweetchuck / The Professor
Greg Morton as Sgt Larvell Jones / Sgt Moses Hightower
Len Carlson as Captain Thaddeus Harris
Don Francks as Officer Thomas "House" Conklin / Lieutenant Carl Proctor
Denise Pidgeon as Lieutenant Debbie Callahan / Sergeant Laverne Hooks
Tedd Dillon as Commandant Eric Lassard
Additional
R. Nelson Brown as Elwin Bixby
Dorian Joe Clark
Anthony Correa
Gary Crawford
Catherine Gallant
Charles W. Gray
Rex Hagon as Captain Ernie Mauser
Elizabeth Hanna
Suzette Myers as Anchor
Greg Swanson
Frank Welker
Noam Zylberman as Bobby / Bill
Crew
Howard Morris - Voice Director
In other languages
Finnish: Poliisiopisto (Police Academy)
Italian: Scuola di polizia (Police School)
Spanish: Loca academia de policía/locademia de policía (Crazy Police Academy)
Hungarian: Rendőrakadémia (Police College)
Lithuanian: Policijos akademija (Police Academy)
Arabic: أكاديمية الشرطة (Police Academy)
Japanese: ポリスアカデミー (Police Academy)
Other media
Home video releases
Police Academy was released through chronological volumes on VHS. At least 6 volumes were released, each including two episodes:
1° The Good, the Bad, and the Bogus + Cops and Robots
2° The Phantom of the Precinct + My Mummy Lies Over the Ocean
3° Worth Her Weight Gold + Westward Ho Hooks
4° Numbskull's Revenge + Mr. Sleaze Versus Lockjaw
5° Proctor, Call a Doctor! + Puttin' on the Dogs
6° Little Zed & Big Bertha + Lights, Action, Coppers
On December 11, 2012, Warner Archive released a DVD containing 30 episodes.
Action figures
Kenner produced a line of Police Academy action figures based on the animated series. Each features multiple points of articulation and comical accessories. Two accessories, included with Claw and Eugene Tackleberry, would be reused for the Joker figures in Kenner's Dark Knight Collection. Five of the vehicles and playsets planned were left unproduced; however, the Copper Corner playset would later be released through the Argentinian company Josca.
Carey Mahoney and Samson Dog
Claw with Mouser Cat
Eugene Tackleberry with Armed Flak Vest
Larvell Jones and Bullhorn
Moses Hightower and Meter Reader Scooter
Mr. Sleaze with Foofoo Dog
Numbskull with Smashing Helmets
Zed and Police Skateboard
Captain Harris (mail-away)
S.W.A.T. Eugene Tackleberry with Fistzooka
Flung Hi with Crazy Karate Gear
Kingpin with Thief-Trap Safe
Karate Larvell Jones
Undercover Carey Mahoney
Snack Attack House with Hoagie Blaster
Stakeout Sweetchuck (mail-away)
Sky Glidin' Zed with Hang Glider
Crazy Cruiser
Crash Cycle
Comic books
Based on the cartoon series, Marvel Comics released six issues of a comic book series that published under the main company's name but also featured a "Star Comics Present' byline on the splash page.