In a way the Sixties handed off to the Eighties in the person of original captain of the Jump Street program, Frederic Forrest. He should have had a great career as an oriental leading man, he had the looks, talent and definitely the martial arts skill. I was surprised that Dustin Nguyen didn't break out from 21 Jump Street as well as a big star. He knew what he was capable of back in the day and the rest of us know it now too. He was good, he was very good as Officer Tom Hanson in 21 Jump Street, but he left at what turned out the right time for him before he was trapped as a juvenile teen idol forever and created one fantastic body of work as one of the best players around. I might not agree with all of Johnny Depp's opinions, but I certainly have enormous respect for his artistic vision.

When Depp left the show, it sputtered on for a while, but ultimately died when other regulars left as well. It certainly had at least one cast member who became a mega star in Johnny Depp. Personally I think 21 Jump Street was a much better show. It took another 20 years, another generation, before we were ready for another cop show with young people as undercover cops dealing with crime and other social issues, but where Mod Squad left off in the Sixties, 21 Jump Street took the ball and ran with it in the Eighties.

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