The top recycled cop/adventure show plots of the 1970's-1980's.

[enyawd72]

These were episodes of almost any and every show of the 70's and 80's

1. The young Russian athlete/skater/dancer girl or scientist who wants to defect
2. The outlaw motorcycle gang
3. The little town where everybody's hiding some terrible secret
4. The hero's girlfriend/fiance dies
5. The trucker in trouble
6. The shady carnival/circus
7. The psychic who helps solve a crime
8. The orphaned streetwise kid
9. The hero almost gets killed, their friends relive their past adventures
10. The blind witness to a crime
11. The hero accidentally hurts/kills an innocent bystander, almost quits
12. The gambling/casino episode
13. The drug addict/alcoholic episode
14. The child abuse episode
15. The doppleganger/lookalike episode

Can you think of any more?

[warlock664]

16. A stranger comes to Hazzard County, commits a crime, and Bo and Luke are framed for the act. Car chase ensues, police cruiser is trashed.
17. The amnesia episode
18. The "Gift of the Magi" episode, where the characters each sacrifice something of value to obtain a gift for the other

[Mr.Marion]

I got a kick out of reading this list. Oh you forgot the egomaniac chess player killer who's obsession with winning ruins his plan and the amnesia hospital bedside where his memories are restored by recalling clips from other episodes, and the Star football qb is being blackmailed to throw the game.

[Nostalgiabuff]

the roller derby episode

[johnnystorm]

The hot chick witness to a gangland slaying the hero needs to keep safe.
The episode involving the heroes saving &/or protecting an unusual animal ( usually an elephant or bear).
The search for a dog that needs tested for rabies.
Drug dealers operating out of an automotive junkyard (this one always features someone in the car crusher).
The weird Halloween show with a Scooby-Doo style ghost or monster plot.
The substitute hero who is the missing hero's long lost brother or cousin.
The hero out of his element, like the city cop in the North Woods.
The airplane or helicopter chase.
Killer on an airplane or train.
24 hrs to live unless they find an antidote!
A Christmas Carol.

[Mego Milk]

The escape from a women's prison episode!

[Mr.Marion]

The escape from a women's prison episode!

It happened in Hulk season 5. Hulk has a good 12 of the 15 mentioned.

[thunderbolt]

The robotic sasquatch.

[thunderbolt]

partner cops who are split up and forced to take on a new partner for an episode.

[thunderbolt]

a main character is sidelined with a broken leg, leaving others to take care of whatever problem the show has that week.

[palitoy]

My personal favourite is the "backdoor pilot" where they showcase unrelated characters for an episode and end with the stars saying something like " I can"t wait to see your adventures".

Huggy Bear had one and if I recall CHIPS did one about secret agents with powers (!).

[GlobalObserver]

Aaron Spelling recycled a lot of scripts.

With minimal rewriting, old Mod Squad episodes became new Charlie's Angel's episodes.

[EmergencyIan]

My personal favourite is the "backdoor pilot" where they showcase unrelated characters for an episode and end with the stars saying something like " I can"t wait to see your adventures".

Huggy Bear had one and if I recall CHIPS did one about secret agents with powers (!).

Emergency had one with an episode called "905-Wild." It was a snuck in pilot about two animal control officers with one of them being played by Mark Harmon. This was in 1974, I believe. Pretty good episode, but I doubt the series would have worked on its own.

- Ian

[HardyGirl]

Hmmm....


The Tong/China Town eps
Ghetto/Barrio eps, (in shows where it's pretty much white bread)
Crossovers w/ other shows w/ same producers
Pregnant women giving birth in weird places (did someone say that one already?)
Disasters such as storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, blackouts
a famous recording star or other celebrity in trouble

[johnnystorm]

Trapped in a collapsed building or mine shaft with leg pinned by debris...and running out of air!

The crooked disco owner

Hostages in the bank