Jon Baker
| Jonathan A. Baker | |
| Actor | Larry Wilcox |
| Appears in | Seasons 1 through 5 (1977 - 1982) |
| Call Numbers | 6 Adam (1975)[1] / 7 Mary 3 (1977-1982) / 79 Charles (1999)[2] |
| Badge Number | 8712[3][4] |
Jon Baker was born in Rawlins, Wyoming[5] and raised on a ranch. (Larry Wilcox was also raised on a ranch in Rawlins, Wyoming.) Jon referred to it as "a pretty big spread."
Jon is a leo[5], which places his birthday between July 23rd and August 22nd.
As a kid, Jon raised parakeets.[5] and had a horse named "Old Grey". It was in Wyoming that he joined the Boy Scouts.[6] He has a brother[7] and an older sister who was widowed. She was left alone with her son Wes Miller.[8]
During high school (when his surname was JB[9]), Jon worked in a bowling alley as a bowling instructor. (He currently wears a 10D bowling shoe.)[10] Jon was also on the high school football team. One of his teammates was Leo Norrison, who was a year ahead of him.[9]
Later, Jon served in Vietnam (probably USMC like Larry Wilcox).
After joining the CHP, as any aspiring motor officer before being assigned to a motor squad, Jon was assigned to a patrol car. In 1975, he met Frank Poncherello and convinced him to become a CHP officer.[1]
In the mid-1970s, Jon was partnered with Gary Bertrom. He was 28 years old when he was killed while chasing a speeding car. Gary's brother, Pete, wanted to be a CHP but he is colorblind. Pete was later arrested for impersonating an officer.[11]
When Frank Poncherello was put on six month probation in early 1977, Getraer partnered him with Jon.[7] They served as partners for five and a half years before Jon returned to Wyoming to help out on his father's farm in the middle of 1982. Bobby Nelson took his place at Central.[12]
Jon lives in the Raintree Condominiums and Townhouses community where pets are not allowed.[13] He doesn't have a TV[14], but somehow knows how to fix them.[15] He used to drive an Austin Mini with vanity plates "J A B"[16] or "JAB 5" [13] but got his blue truck for the second season. (Although several blue trucks were used in the series, the most common was a 1978 GMC Sierra Grande with the license plate 1E49964.)
His accomplishments and talents include: being a bowling instructor[10], an attempt writing a book[15], jet-skier[17], volleyball player[6], certified flight instructor, plays handball better than Ponch, horseback rider, calf roper, wind-surfer, hang-glider, sky-diver, and talented skate boarder. His favourite quote: "Take it easy ! Will you ?", you can hear him saying that in numerous episodes to many distressed drivers.
Jon speaks French in "The Sheik" but couldn't speak a word of it when he pulled over the three-wheeled car in "Hustle". He must have taken lessons.
Shortly after the sixth season, Jon returned from Wyoming and became Ponch's partner once again. A year and a half later, Ponch retired and moved to Marin County.
By 1999, Jon had been promoted to Captain and had married Officer Sandy Baker. He teamed up with Ponch after Ponch returned to the CHP.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Episode 122: "Flashback!"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Episode CHiPs '99: "CHiPs '99"
- ↑ Episode 323: "Nightingale"
- ↑ Episode 501: "Suicide Stunt"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 118: "Cry Wolf"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Episode 119: "Crash Diet"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Episode 101: "Pilot"
- ↑ Episode 203: "Family Crisis"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Episode 110: "Highway Robbery"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Episode 109: "Hustle"
- ↑ Episode 210: "Return of the Turks"
- ↑ Episode 601: "Meet the New Guy"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Episode 103: "Dog Gone"
- ↑ Episode 108: "Green Thumb Burglar"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Episode 107: "Taking Its Toll"
- ↑ Episode 102: "Undertow"
- ↑ Episode 115: "Surf's Up"