Watching MOD SQUAD as a pre-adolescent, this show had sentimental & nostalgic value that almost cannot be expressed in words. This show set standards that were imitated by later iconic 70s, 80s, and 90s TV shows during the Age of Television (when TV was free). -- Virtually every formula and episodic plot that became cliches during the 70s & 80s action TV shows were first presented in MOD SQUAD.-- The salt & pepper undercover cop duo of Pete & Linc (Cole & Williams) was reworked for MIAMI VICE (Crockett & Tubbs) with equally balanced lead roles as in MV.-- The 1st TV show to have a female lead cop character: Julie (Lipton).-- The idea of a trio of youthful undercover cops that bridge the generation gap, working the youth scene was copied in 21 JUMPSTREET; even Jumpstreet's captain's 1st name was "Adam" (Steven Williams) taken from Capt. Adam Greer (Tige Andrews).-- From seasons 3-5, the sporty car of Pete's with the slick red streak design...A concept imitated in STARSKY & HUTCH. Even though S&H was supposed to be an unofficial TV knockoff of THE SUPER COPS (1974), S&H modeled the two cops after Pete & Linc and their wild stunts in chases and fight scenes.-- Hitting the psychedelic scene in-depth a full year before the release of EASY RIDER (1969).-- Spectacular contemporary fight scenes and hip "acid era" music (Earle Hagen and Billy May). -- Dealing with a wide array of contemporary social issues that were not previously covered or spotlighted in TV shows (e.g., from abortion to militant fascist groups).Michael Cole was one super-hip dude with a natural, unassuming, no-nonsense portrayal and a delivery that was his own style (a comparison to Brando's and Dean's brooding deliveries combined with McQueen's hip delivery). Cole rocked as Pete...The coolest white guy on TV. Clarence Williams III was the coolest bruther out there. His posture and walk stood out and was all his own...Before the likes of Calvin Lockhart, Richard Roundtree ("John Shaft"), and Ron O'Neal ("Superfly Priest") hit the scene. Linc was the granddaddy of them all. Not even Sidney Poitier in BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and as Virgil Tibbs evoked the urban contemporary hipness that Williams' Linc presented. Peggy Lipton was so hot (and so cool) as Julie that one cannot imagine anyone else as Julie Barnes...She set the standard for all future female leads in action and urban TV dramas...However, Lipton added a 3-dimensional portrayal to her role...She could be both sensitive, wistful and vulnerable and yet tough and resolute when required. Tige Andrews was arguably the best police captain any TV cop show could ask for....The forefather of KOJAK's McNeil (Dan Frazer), HILL STREET BLUES' Furrillo (Daniel J. Travanti), and LAW & ORDER's Cragen (Dann Florek). Andrews was of pure Syrian descent, son of Syrian immigrants Selma Shaleesh & Jurjy Androwas (Anglicized from the original Arabic to George Andrews). This show took a decade to get accepted by TV executives, being based on the real life concept of Buddy Ruskin (a former LA city policeman who ran a narcotics squad of youthful cops). And the man himself--Danny Thomas (of pure Lebanese descent, born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz), was an executive producer of this iconic show (and the driving force in bringing it on TV...More so than Spelling, who always got most of the credit). MOD SQUAD is a must see for any generation of TV show fans as it set the standard and groundwork for so many others that followed.

The Mod Squad centered around three youthful cops, that were recruited to the LA police force in the late 60s. This show was truly cutting-edge as a concept back then. Three cool, under thirty hipsters as cops?? Yep! And it worked, because this was one of the most popular crime dramas of all-time.The Mod Squad included Pete Cochran, a rich kid looking for kicks, who runs afoul of the law. Then there's Linc Hayes, a black ghetto youth who's struggling to survive, and gets himself busted. Lastly, there's Julie, a gorgeous young woman who suffers from a sad home life, and flees it. She too gets wrapped-up in law-breaking. Instead of throwing these three offenders in the clink, Capt. Greer has the idea of making them undercover cops, as long as they all agree to obey the law from then on.Linc, Pete, and Julie were the coolest cops on TV in the late 60s. They all dressed in the latest 60s youth fashions, used hip lingo, and had the street-smarts necessary to do their jobs, as cops in the urban jungle of LA. The three were almost like a family, with Capt. Greer looking out for them like a kindly father would. By working together in harmony, the Mod Squad showed that the societal chasms of race, class, gender, and even generational strife, could be overcome. It may have been an idealistic vision, but then the 60s were an idealistic period. It was so positive to see the three very different Mod Squad members, have a cooperative working relationship, despite their differences. They set an example, that folks could strive to follow in real life.I highly recommend the Mod Squad, and not only for those who are nostalgic for the 60s. It's simply a quality show, enjoyable for all ages. Like Linc Hayes would say, it's 'solid man'.

When this show first premiered in 1968, little did anyone know that over the next three decades that there would be several youth oriented shows. Shows like "21 Jumpstreet", "Starsky and Hutch" and "David Cassidy-Man Undercover" were all cop shows aimed at the youth market, but this was the granddaddy of them all. Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III were perfectly cast and this show will always come to represent the era that it was produced in.

As a teenager I thought that Mod Squad was one of the coolest shows around. The three friends with their youth, enthusiasm, and beauty fighting crime. They were young people who got in trouble with the law, who got themselves out of trouble and now helped others in the same situation. Michael Cole (General Hospital) "Pete Cochran" stole a car; Clarence Williams III (Twin Peaks) "Linc Hayes"was arrested during riots and gorgeous "Julie Barnes" Peggy Lipton (Twin Peaks) ran away from her San Francisco home. I was fascinated by their fashionable counterculture outfits and the entire idea of the show. It was the sixties and that a cool way to be. There have been movies made for the big screen based on the series. I never cease to be amazed to see how many series Aaron Spelling has produced that had such an impact on my teenagers and young adult years. I enjoyed that type of series as an adolescent.