Car 54, Where Are You?

1961

Seasons & Episodes

  • 2
  • 1
7.7| TV-PG| en| More Info
Released: 17 September 1961 Ended
Producted By: NBC
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

The misadventures of two of New York's finest in the 53rd precinct in the Bronx. Toody, the short, stocky and dim-witted one, either saves the day or messes things up, much to the chagrin of Muldoon, the tall, lanky and smart one.

Genre

Comedy

Watch Online

Car 54, Where Are You? (1961) is now streaming with subscription on Freevee

Director

Production Companies

NBC

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.
Watch Now
Car 54, Where Are You? Videos and Images

Car 54, Where Are You? Audience Reviews

Wordiezett So much average
Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
garytheroux Easily one of the funniest sitcoms in television history. Everything about this show worked -- from the superb, rapid-fire writing and lightning-fast editing to the absolutely flawless cast performances. Way, way, way ahead of it's time, every FRAME of every episode of "Car 54" dazzles and delights. You watch and are amazed that so many perfectly crafted and performed gags plus so much story and vivid characterizations were crammed into every 22 minute outing. It's hard to pick a favorite episode, but one of the best features non-actor game show host Jan Murray judging an all-cop barbershop harmony contest in which every quartet entered sings the same song: 1910's "By The Light of the Silv'ry Moon." Murray's resulting slow descent into insanity is unbelievably funny and marked the high water mark of his career. After the high-rated show won an Emmy in 1963, everyone connected to "Car 54" expected it to be picked up for a third season -- but that never happened. Why? Because the wife of NBC's head at the time loved "The Virginian" -- and insisted that her husband expand that western to 90 minutes. That meant something 30 minutes long had to be dropped from NBC's prime-time schedule. Unbelievably, they chose to axe "Car 54" -- the best show on NBC at that time. Series star Fred Gwynne moved on to "The Munsters" and brought along his best friend from the "Car 54" cast, Al Lewis. Joe E. Ross teamed with Imogene Coca to star on the short- lived series "It's About Time." Both of those shows, of course, were enormous steps down from the brilliant insanity of "Car 54." The cancellation broke the heart (and creative drive) of eight-time Emmy winning series creator and chief scriptwriter Nat Hiken. After "Car 54," Nat's only major project was "The Love God," a minor Don Knotts movie. Hiken died of a heart attack in 1968 at age 54. The only good thing about Nat's early passing was that he didn't have to wince like the rest of us did when his "Car 54" concept was ruined by the producers, writers and cast of the insultingly bad 1994 feature film version. Of the original TV cast, only minor players Al Lewis and Nipsey Russell turned up in the movie via cameos (even though other original cast members were still around). Lewis later said he knew the film version was crap but needed the money.
tksaysso Car 54 Where are You? is one of the funniest TV series to ever appear on television. The chemistry between the dim-witted but affable Gunther Toody (played by Borscht-belt stand-up comic Joe E. Ross ) and his cultured but painfully shy bachelor partner Francis Muldoon ( played by the pre-Munsters Fred Gwynne ) rings true in every episode. You definitely get the feeling watching this comedy that these two cops are closer than brothers. What really makes this series outstanding though is the superior writing and the supporting actors. Wally Cox, Nipsey Russell, Godfrey Cambridge, Charlotte Rae, Ossie Davis, Jake LaMotta ( the subject of Scorcese's 'Raging Bull' ), Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Gilford..these are just a handful of some of the well-known actors and personalities you'll see when watching this series.I recently found the entire series for sale on the internet and I have thoroughly enjoyed it."Oooo.....Oooo!!"
democratsforbush i loved the theme song i wish it was on some cable or lptv channel i remember Nipsy Russel, was it his first TV gig? Fred Gwynne and Al lewis are a good comedy duo, later in the Munsters another cute showi did not realize that the networks tried to remake show. A modern day producer is too into anti USA propaganda and anti family themes this show was pure, fun.I would wait for it to come on and i would sing the theme song with them. I was very young and lived in the Bronx, so i was tickled when I heard the name Bronx, even though it was actually a negative comment about a holdup in the Bronx, Brooklyns broken out in fights.well , you know how it goes
Jill-30 "There's a holdup in the Bronx. Brooklyn's broken out in fights. There's a traffic jam in Harlem that's backed up to Jackson Heights. There's a scout troop short a child. Kruschev's due at Idlewild. Car 54, Where Are You?"In the mixed Jewish and Italian 53rd precinct of the Bronx, two mismatched police officers, Gunther Toody and his partner, Francis Muldoon, patrol their section in Car 54. Gunther, a married man, is short, heavyset, and, a dummy. Francis, a bachelor living with his mother, is tall, skinny, and cultured. Practicing an early form of community policing, these two kind-hearted, childish men are beloved in the neighborhood. But their efforts to circumvent stern law usually backfire and embarrass their precinct commander, Captain Block.This program, a gem of Jewish humor, packed a half-hour of riotous laughter into every show. Each character in it was well-formed and extreme. The guest stars were just as hilarious. Although "I Love Lucy" is remembered as the premier TV comedy series of the 1950's, "Car 54, Where Are You?" extracted more humor out of normal situations. One cannot watch it without getting a belly-ache. It was the funniest show on television.