CHiPs was a US television series running on NBC from 1977 to 1983. A light-weight drama created by Rick Rosner , it starred Erik Estrada (Frank "Ponch" Poncherello) and Larry Wilcox (Jon Baker) as police officers of the Los Angeles branch of the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The program ran for 139 episodes over six seasons and there was one belated television movie. In season 5, Estrada was occasionally replaced by Bruce Jenner (Steve McLeish) due to a contract dispute. Prior to season 6, Wilcox fell out with Estrada and left to be replaced by Tom Reilly (Bobby Nelson) who was in turn replaced in later episodes by Bruce Penhall (Bruce Nelson) following a falling out between Estrada and Reilly. Due to falling ratings through seasons 5 and 6 the show was cancelled in 1983.
Other regular actors were Michael Dorn (Officer Turner), Brodie Greer (Officer Baricza), Paul Linke (Grossman), Robert Pine (Sergeant Getraer), Randi Oakes (Officer Bonnie Clark), and Lou Wagner (Harlan).
Filming locations were generally in the San Fernando Valley of California. Freeway crashes were done on recently constructed highways that were about to open to the public. For the first season, the Glendale Freeway (Highway 2) in Montrose, California was used. After the first season, the intersection of the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) and the Simi Valley Freeway (Highway 118) in Sylmar, California were used. For the racing scenes in the episode Drive, Lady, Drive they used the Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California.
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