Sharks

Sharks
Episode #	413
Air Date	February 22, 1981
Briefing	?

Title screen

Brief Plot

Jon and Ponch think they've disrupted a drugs drop while scuba diving, but have a hard time convincing Sgt. Aikens, an LAPD narcotics officer. Harlan lends the department his hill-climbing Mustang to help catch the drug gang. They are also helped out by Toni and Sharon and their boat with a shark cage.

Plot

Ponch and Jon finish up a day of scuba diving when Ponch smells smugglers. They can't chase the ones in the boat so they go after the lookout on land. They let the guy get away when they stop to help an overturned kelp truck.

After filing reports at Central, Baricza chases someone trying to make a getaway. He's soon joined by Ponch who notices the car he and Jon were chasing earlier. On a tight turn, Baricza almost drives off a cliff. After Ponch and Jon help out Baricza, Ponch check out the car he spotted. When a caterer leaves the suspect's house, Ponch pulls over his truck for nothing except to ask some catering questions. After talking to Getraer, Harlan tells Ponch and Jon to meet him at 8:00 that night. In his garage, Ponch and Jon learn that Harlan has a hill racer similar to the suspects.

The next day, Ponch, Jon, Bonnie, Baricza, and the kelp women go scuba diving. At dinner, they have kelp salad. Later that night, Ponch and Jon take pictures of the license plates at the suspects' house. Minutes later, they crash the party and take more pictures. When they come up with a lame excuse for being at the party, they leave and are followed. After starting a drag race with the guy, they turn around and head the other way.

After the briefing the next morning, Grossie chases the suspect car and is joined by Turner. The suspect turns off on a side road and Ponch and Jon follow to observe. When the smugglers spot Jon, they abandon ship and sink it. The lookout on the hill drives off and right by Jeb and Grossie and is chased by Bonnie in Harlan's hill racer. When Bonnie finally catches up to the suspect's car, the suspect is scuba diving into the water.

Ponch and Jon contact their kelp girlfriends and use their boat to search for the sunken contraband. When they arrive at the sunken boat, the smuggler is there...and so is a shark! Ponch and Jon get in the cage and ride down in safety. Under the sea, either Ponch or Jon (I can't tell in the SCUBA gear) hurts a shark...and they manage to get the smuggler into the cage. In the end, the CHP gathers for a small party with kelp salads and "shark meat" burgers.

Special Guest Star

• Richard Roundtree as Sgt. Aikens

Guest Stars

• Kerry McGrath as Toni
• Susanne Severeid as Sharon
• Douglas Werner as Rodney Cameron III
• Paul Linke as Grossman
• Lou Wagner as Harlan

Co-Starring

• Brodie Greer as Baricza
• Michael Dorn as Turner
• Stacy MacGregor as Driver
• Joseph Sheen as Mel
• Danny Dayton as Kelly
• Robert Miano as Jesus
• Damian Clover as Willie
• Jennifer Post as Amy
• Randi Oakes as Bonnie Clark

Crew

• Produced by: Cy Chermak
• Written by: Frank Telford
• Directed by: Phil Bondelli
• Executive Consultant: Rick Rosner
• Story Editors: William D. Gordon & James Doherty
• Associate Producer: Paul Rabwin
• Developed for television by: Paul Playdon
• Music by: Alan Silvestri
• Theme by: John Parker
• Music Supervisor: Harry V. Lojewski
• Director of Photography: Robert F. Sparks
• Art Director: Stephen Myles Berger
• Editor: Joe Morrisey
• Unit Production Manager: Donald Gold
• First Assistant Director: Chuck Lowry
• Second Assistant Director: Leslie Jackson
• Script Supervisor: Jack Gannon
• Set Decorator: W. Joseph Kroesser
• Production Consultant: Dave McDannel
• Stunt Co-ordinator: Paul Nuckles
• Assistant to the Producer: Randy Torno
• Recorded at: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
• Sound: Harlan Riggs, M. Curtis Price C.A.S.
• Wardrobe Supervisor: Shelly Levine
• Makeup: Richard Cobos S.M.A, Walter Schenck
• Hairdresser: Don Lynch
• Casting: Cathy Henderson
• With Appreciation to Glen B. Craig, Commissioner California Highway Patrol
• Motorcycles Furnished by: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
• Filmed in METROCOLOR / Titles and Opticals MGM
• Rosner Television in association with MGM Television

Fun Facts

• Richard Roundtree is probably best known for his role as John Shaft in Shaft.
• Joe Estevez, credited here as Joseph Sheen, is Martin Sheen's younger brother.

Mistakes

• In the diving scene at the end, Jon's air tank keeps changing color. While Ponch's remains bright yellow, Jon's is red on the surface, pale yellow during the dive and black when they're at the sunken boat.

Preceded by: "Home Fires Burning"

Sharks 413

Followed by: "Ponch's Angels"