Highway Patrol S04 E05

Highway Patrol is a 156-episode action crime drama series produced for syndication from 1955 to 1959. Background. Ziv Television Programs was founded by Frederick Ziv in 1948. Ten years later, Ziv TV was a major producer of 1950s and early 1960s first-run syndicated series, including Bat Masterson, The Cisco Kid, Men into Space, Science Fiction Theater, Lock-Up, Sea Hunt, and Ripcord. Highway Patrol was created by Ziv in response to the California Highway Patrol wanting to be featured in a TV series. However, because Ziv thought that the show needed to have a broader police scope than the real CHP, the generic show name was adopted. Crawford signed in April 1955. Premiere. Highway Patrol premiered October 3, 1955, with "Prison Break", an episode filmed April 11–13, 1955. Initial ratings were strong, the show running second to I Love Lucy. Ziv Television Programs produced 156 episodes spanning four TV seasons, 1955–1959. In the four years of its run, Highway Patrol would feature many actors who would later become successful stars in their own right, among them Stuart Whitman, Clint Eastwood, Robert Conrad, Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, Paul Burke, Leonard Nimoy, and Ruta Lee. Episodes are generally fast paced, which is notable considering how a typical episode was filmed: two days on location and one day at the studio. The budget for an episode ranged from $20,000 to $25,000, and somewhat higher when a Bell 47 helicopter was used. Producer Frederic W. Ziv said the show moved fast to match Broderick Crawford's acting pace. Ziv said Highway Patrol introduced quick cutting to television, which started a new trend. Highway Patrol is famous for its location shooting around the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley, then mostly rural. Other notable Los Angeles area locations include Griffith Park, as well as Bronson Canyon just above Hollywood. The show was also filmed at railroad stations in Glendale, California, identified by a large sign; Alhambra, California; Santa Susana, California; and Chatsworth, California.