A light-weight action crime drama (that played as more of a comedy in some episodes, particularly in the first season) created by Rick Rosner, it starred Erik Estrada as macho, rambunctious Officer Francis (”Frank”) “Ponch” Poncherello and Larry Wilcox as his straight-laced partner, Officer Jonathan “Jon” Baker. With Ponch the more trouble-prone of the pair, and Jon generally the more level-headed one trying to keep him out of trouble with the duo’s gruff yet fatherly commanding officer Sergeant Joseph Getraer (Robert Pine), the two were Highway Patrolmen of the Central Los Angeles office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP, hence the name “CHiPs”).
As real-life CHP motor officers rarely ride in pairs, in early episodes this was explained away by placing the trouble-prone Ponch on probationary status, with Jon assigned as his field training officer. Eventually, by the end of the first season, this subplot faded away (Ponch completed his probation) as audiences were used to seeing the two working as a team.
