Posted on 04/20/2006 3:39:06 PM PDT by SquirrelKing
The LA Daily News caught up with That '70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama and asked him about Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming adaptation of the TV series CHiPs. Valderrama will play Ponch, the character played by Erik Estrada in the series, and says the movie won't make fun of the show.
"What we're doing is, we're having fun with it, but we're not making fun of 'CHiPs.' A lot of the remakes that have happened in the last couple of years have failed because they make fun of their franchise. You can't be making fun of something that at some point people cared so much about," he points out. "For the world, 'CHiPs' is a very serious drama. You can't disrespect that. What we want is for the comedy to be very organic and just be character driven -- not to have funny costumes or funny gags."
CHiPs, created by Rick Rosner and running from 1977 to 1983, followed the pursuits of California highway patrol officers Francis Llewellyn Poncherello and Jon Baker, played by Larry Wilcox, from 1977-1982.
Baker has not yet been cast.
1. Donny Most (Ralph Malph) from Happy Days as a Gene Simmons-esque rocker named Moloch, singing "Devil Take Me."
2. Larry Linville from MASH as a psycho blowing up cars.
3. The "Punk Rock" episode where Estrada sings "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang to a bunch of punks.
Man, that one stands out for me too - freaked me out as a kid, corny as it was. I could never look at Ralph "Mouth" the same again.
Other memorable episodes include:
1. Two kids living in a culvert under the freeway - pulled from flaming death by Ponch and Jon.
2. Chasing a rougue stunt motorcyclist around the freeway and catching him with a special souped-up motorcycle.
3. Some stupid robot is assigned to Ponch and Jon. [The robot's gaydar goes off and sets it on fire, Ponch and Jon rescue it.]
4. Some dude using a jet pack to fly his way out of a ticket. I have always wanted to do this and as God as my witness, someday I will.
Ah, memories.
Yes Yes! So few remember the God like Most flying down the freeway in his rockin hearse!!!!
Oh and the punk band 'Pain' with their hit 'I dig pain'
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