September 5, 1967 (1967-09-05) – March 25, 1969 (1969-03-25)
N.Y.P.D. is a half-hour long American police crime drama set in the context of the New York City Police Department. The program aired on the ABC network from 1967–1969 in the 9:30 p.m. night time slot. During the second season, N.Y.P.D was joined by The Mod Squad and It Takes a Thief to form a 2½ hour block of crime dramas.
Plot
N.Y.P.D. centers around three New York police detectives – Lieutenant Mike Haines (Jack Warden), Detective Jeff Ward (Robert Hooks), and Detective Johnny Corso (Frank Converse) – who fight a wide range of crimes and criminals. The show features many real New York City locations, as well as episodes based on actual New York City police cases.
In 1967, N.Y.P.D. was the first television series in America to air an episode with a self-identified gay character ("Shakedown").[1] The plot of the episode centers around the police tracking down a blackmailer who has triggered several suicides by their targeting of gay men. In the course of their investigation, the police also visit a gay rights group, another first.
N.Y.P.D. scripts featured both black and white people as cops, suspects, and witnesses, an unselfconscious racial blend that would not otherwise be seen for several years on U.S. network television (Room 222 and Hawaii Five-O were among the next series to feature casts situated similarly.)
Opening credits
The series' opening credit sequence, prominently featuring a closeup of a police car emergency light as the vehicle drives through the streets of New York, would later be spoofed in the 1980s comedy series Police Squad! and subsequent movies.
The presence of a loan shark results in Ward and Corso going undercover in the construction industry to find out the reason for a series of unexplained deaths.
7
7
"Old Gangsters Never Die"
Alex March
Mark Jam
October 17, 1967 (1967-10-17)
A professional hijacker (Howard Da Silva) emerges from a lengthy prison term and immediately resumes his old bad habits.
8
8
"Catch a Hero"
Robert Butler
Edward DeBlasio
October 31, 1967 (1967-10-31)
Haines breaks down a girl's alibi whereby she incriminates her boyfriend in the brutal killing of a drunk.
9
9
"Murder for Infinity"
John Moxey
Ian McLellan Hunter
November 7, 1967 (1967-11-07)
A sculptor wanted for murder contacts Haines' friend and bargains for a top defense lawyer.
A fanatical anti-Communist (Jon Voight) and his fiancée bomb multiple Iron Curtain consulates, killing and injuring a number of people
15
15
"Wire Finish"
Hal Cooper
Edward DeBlasio
December 19, 1967 (1967-12-19)
A jockey (Robert Salvio) is told during mysterious phone calls that two murders were committed in his name.
16
16
"Cruise to Oblivion"
John Moxey
Roger Hill Lewis
December 26, 1967 (1967-12-26)
Haines gets a tip that a passenger aboard an incoming ocean liner is carrying narcotics into New York.
17
17
"The Patriots"
John Howe
Charles S. Israel
January 2, 1968 (1968-01-02)
The wife of an exiled Latin American dictator is murdered, with the prime suspects being the dictator's political enemies.
18
18
"Red Headed Pigeon"
Lawrence Dobkin
George Bellak
January 16, 1968 (1968-01-16)
An elusive rapist who always attacks young women with long hair results in the police department using a young policewoman just out of the academy as a decoy.
19
19
"Which Side Are You On?"
Alex March
Albert Ruben
January 30, 1968 (1968-01-30)
After an elderly African-American high school teacher is killed, Ward goes to the neighborhood where the killing took place, but is met with cold hostility from the residents.
20
20
"Cry Brute"
Reza Badiyi
Alvin Boretz
February 6, 1968 (1968-02-06)
Corso is accused of police brutality and is the central figure in a $100,000 lawsuit against the city.
21
21
"Last Port of Call"
Unknown
Unknown
February 13, 1968 (1968-02-13)
A merchant seaman is accused of molesting children and instructed to stay aboard his ship, but he makes an effort to clear himself by visiting the parents of one of the children.
22
22
"Macho"
Unknown
Unknown
February 20, 1968 (1968-02-20)
A Puerto Rican grocer's life is threatened and his store is boycotted after he saves a policeman from an attack by a gang of neighborhood boys.
23
23
"Stones"
Unknown
George Bellak
February 27, 1968 (1968-02-27)
Corso infiltrates a gang of "thrill muggers" who victimize elderly vagrants in Central Park.
24
24
"The Private Eye Puzzle"
Joshua Shelby
Alvin Boretz
March 5, 1968 (1968-03-05)
A former private eye reports that he was robbed of a large sum of money, but has no witnesses to back up his story.
25
25
"Nothing Is Real but the Dead: Part 1"
Alex March
Edward Adler
March 12, 1968 (1968-03-12)
Haines and Corso search for a young girl who left her wealthy parents to take up life as a Greenwich Village hippie.
26
26
"Nothing Is Real but the Dead: Part 2"
Alex March
Edward Adler
March 19, 1968 (1968-03-19)
Two Greenwich Village hippies who can identify a killer go into hiding out of fear of him.
Season 2 (1968–69)
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
27
1
"Naked in the Streets"
Stuart Hagman
David Davidson
October 1, 1968 (1968-10-01)
After a young married woman is raped, the detectives are stymied when she refuses to sign a complaint against the attacker.
28
2
"Encounter on a Rooftop"
John Manduke
Gene Radano
October 8, 1968 (1968-10-08)
Ward is accidentally shot by a rookie policeman after he's mistaken for a burglar.
29
3
"Day Tripper"
David Pressman
George Bellak
October 15, 1968 (1968-10-15)
An attractive young girl is found murdered and all the evidence points to her boyfriend as the killer.
30
4
"What's a Nice Girl ..."
Reze Bella
Leo Hutchinson
October 29, 1968 (1968-10-29)
After the death of a beautiful young girl, the damaged relationship between a spoiled son and his wealthy father becomes part of the subsequent interrogation.
31
5
"Deadly Circle of Violence"
David Pressman
Lonne Elder
November 12, 1968 (1968-11-12)
A motive is sought for the attempted killing of a disreputable white southerner (Al Pacino), with suspicions pointing toward black militants who are seeking revenge for the bombing of an African-American church in the South.
32
6
"Case of the Shady Lady"
Vincent Benedict
Alvin Boretz
November 19, 1968 (1968-11-19)
A go-go dancer accuses an influential businessman (Robert Alda) of murdering her husband.
33
7
"The Golden Fleece"
Davis Pressman
Robert Lewis
November 26, 1968 (1968-11-26)
Detectives have difficulty tracking down a con artist who has swindled an out-of-town businessman out of $5,000.
34
8
"The Peep Freak"
David Pressman
Stanley H. Silverman
December 3, 1968 (1968-12-03)
While investigating the murder of a young woman, the police discover a peeping Tom (Martin Sheen) who they believe is connected with the slaying.
35
9
"Walk the Long Pier"
Unknown
Unknown
December 10, 1968 (1968-12-10)
Corso poses as a longshoreman in order to stop the theft of guns on the docks.
36
10
"The Witch of 116th Street"
Unknown
Unknown
December 17, 1968 (1968-12-17)
An extortionist is threatening residents with his self-proclaimed powers of black magic.
37
11
"'L' Is for Love and Larceny"
Unknown
Unknown
December 24, 1968 (1968-12-24)
Haines investigates the theft of an expensive pendant from the apartment of one of his friends.
38
12
"The Love Hustle"
Unknown
Unknown
December 31, 1968 (1968-12-31)
A prostitute staggers into the squad room and just before she dies, she indicates that an unknown man is planning to kill her mother.
39
13
"The Body in the Trunk"
Unknown
Unknown
January 7, 1969 (1969-01-07)
After the mysterious death of a young woman, the detectives are confronted with the woman's frightened boyfriend, her irate parents and an abortion doctor.
The search is on for a health food addict whose fanaticism eventually leads to murder.
41
15
"Three-Fifty-Two"
Alex March
Gene Rodano
January 28, 1969 (1969-01-28)
Ward loses his gun and shield during a holdup, with the entire police squad taking action to apprehend the thieves (Andy Robinson) .
42
16
"The Attacker"
David Pressman
Heyward Gould
February 4, 1969 (1969-02-04)
A man who has been attacking women in a specific neighborhood eludes detection at first when he becomes part of a group that confess to all sorts of crimes.
43
17
"Candy Man: Part 1"
Alex March
Robert Schiltt
February 11, 1969 (1969-02-11)
The detectives head to a drug rehabilitation center run by Candy Latson (James Earl Jones) in their search for a grocery store thief.
44
18
"Candy Man: Part 2"
Alex March
Robert Schlitt
February 18, 1969 (1969-02-18)
In an attempt to capture the grocery store thief, Corso observes a group therapy session at the rehab center.
45
19
"Who's Got the Bundle?"
Tom Donovan
Alvin Boretz
February 25, 1969 (1969-02-25)
Both police and criminals are in search of a valise that contains $150,000 in stolen money.
46
20
"The Face on the Dart Board"
Nicholas Colasanto
Gene Radano
March 4, 1969 (1969-03-04)
Haines' wife is harassed by crank calls, obscene letters and other disturbances, which are attributed to a vendetta against Haines.
47
21
"Boys Night Out"
David Pressman
Burt Armus
March 11, 1969 (1969-03-11)
A number of neighborhood bartenders are being shaken down by extortionists.
48
22
"Everybody Loved Him"
David Pressman
Heyward Gould
March 18, 1969 (1969-03-18)
A film producer who appeared to have no enemies is murdered.
49
23
"No Day Trippers Need Apply"
Nicholas Colasanto
Mel Alright
March 25, 1969 (1969-03-25)
A man is being blackmailed after the appearance of pictures showing him attending an orgy.
