The show gained a strong cult following through repeat broadcasts, which led to The Naked Gun film series. Despite critical acclaim, the show was canceled by ABC after just six episodes. Police Squad! was created by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, who had previously worked together on The Kentucky Fried Movie and Airplane!. In 2013, TV Guide ranked it #7 on its list of 60 shows that were 'Cancelled Too Soon'. Although the show was canceled after six episodes, it was later followed by a successful film trilogy, The Naked Gun, which was produced from 1988 to 1994.

While a parody of many television shows and movies, it bore a particular resemblance to the Lee Marvin cop show M Squad (in particular the opening credits) and the late 1960s series Felony Squad. A spoof of police procedurals, the series featured Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs. It was created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, and starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. Police Squad! was an American television crime comedy series broadcast on the ABC network in 1982. Title card for Police Squad! The subtitle 'in color' was a deliberate anachronism network television shows in the United States had transitioned from black-and-white to color by the late 1960s, and identifying shows that were presented in color was phased out by the early 1970s.

Rex hamilton as abraham lincoln