Funky Squad



"In an attempt to crack down on crime, the Police Department has created an elite new team, a team that speaks the language of the streets. Young, hip, in touch with the Now Generation...Funky Squad."

Funky Squad was a hit show set in The Seventies. What? You mean you missed it? Completely? Well, here's the deal...

In reality, it was an Australian comedy series created in 1995 as a parody of shows like The Mod Squad where the cops hire a group (in this case, four) of hip undercover cops. Who, in this case, are all wearing bad wigs and hopelessly 1970s fashions.

Compare Danger 5, another Australian parody of '60's spy shows, as well as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a British show with a similar premise about '80s supernatural dramas.

The characters were:
 * Joey Alvarez (Santo Cilauro) as "Stix", the cool one of the bunch. Wears a Funny Afro.
 * Blair Steele (Tim Ferguson) as "Grant", the leader.
 * Verity Svenson-Hart (Jane Kennedy) as "Cassie", a typical 70's feminist
 * and Harvey Zdalka, Jr (Tom Gleisner) as "Poncho", who was mute as he'd "taken a bullet to the tongue" (the joke was that the "actor" spoke little English)

The show contained examples of:

 * Affectionate Parody
 * Angels Pose: Done in the title sequence.
 * Bad Bad Acting: Most notably with the 'spontaneous' laughter in the Everybody Laughs Ending.
 * Cardboard Boxes: Seen in every chase sequence.
 * Catch Phrase: "You wouldn't say much either if you'd caught a bullet in the tongue!" is said in every episode.
 * Plus Da Chief's final words as he handed the Squad their assignment each week: "Oh, and Funky Squad?... Be careful."
 * Da Chief
 * External Combustion
 * Gentleman Thief: The Cat, who leaves a paw print Calling Card at every crime scene.
 * Obfuscating Disability: "Diamonds Are A cat's Best Friend"
 * Oh Cisco / Everybody Laughs Ending: Happens every episode.
 * The Other Darrin: Rob Sitch played Grant in the radio serial, but Tim Ferguson played him in the tv series.
 * Put Down Your Gun and Step Away
 * Totally Radical