Storyline

Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character. Al Jean and Mike Reiss, best known for their work on The Simpsons, wrote for the show and worked as story editors.

First Aired

1986-09-23
Last Aired

1988-02-12
Creator

Alan Spencer
Genre

Comedy, Crime
Seasons

2
Episodes

41
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

ABC

Keywords:

san francisco, california gun police satire police detective sitcom

Stream and watch Sledge Hammer!

Season 1

Season 2

1. Under the Gun

Sledge Hammer is a no-nonsense cop whose best friend is his .44 Magnum, and who just loves to use exce...More

Sledge Hammer is a no-nonsense cop whose best friend is his .44 Magnum, and who just loves to use excessive force to collar criminals. In the opener, the mayor's daughter is kidnapped, and Hammer vows to bring her back -- "dead or alive."Less

1986-09-23

2. Hammer Gets Nailed

A reporter spends a day with Hammer and gets more than he bargained for, and Hammer gets fired. Guest ...More

A reporter spends a day with Hammer and gets more than he bargained for, and Hammer gets fired. Guest Stars Ronnie Schell as Phil GummLess

1986-09-26

3. Witless

After a mobster puts out a “one week only” million-dollar contract on Hammer, every killer in the city...More

After a mobster puts out a “one week only” million-dollar contract on Hammer, every killer in the city, and some financially strapped cops, tries to claim the prize. After an attempted hit takes place in Capt. Trunk' s office, Hammer is ordered to spend the week in a small "Hamish” village. Hammer proceeds to disrupt the lives of this pacifistic community. By the time the hired gunmen arrive, the formerly peaceful farmers, who Hammer corrupted into the ways of violence, assist him.Less

1986-10-03

4. They Shoot Hammers, Don't They?

An escaped convict wrecks havoc in the city, promising even more destruction unless Hammer agrees to m...More

An escaped convict wrecks havoc in the city, promising even more destruction unless Hammer agrees to meet him in an old west style showdown. The convict is John Kogan, Hammer's childhood rival as well as former partner in the police department. Kogan is also the only man faster on the draw than Hammer… a fact that Sledge is well aware of.Less

1986-10-17

5. Dori Day Afternoon

When Hammer and Dori make a trip to the bank they become involved in an armed robbery. The detectives ...More

When Hammer and Dori make a trip to the bank they become involved in an armed robbery. The detectives are taken hostage and the robbers demand a plane to take them to Rio. Dori tries to convince Hammer to let her use her training in terrorist psychology and persuasion before he starts blowing everyone away.Less

1986-10-24

6. To Sledge, with Love

Hammer is asked to straighten out some young hoods that have taken over their high school. He discover...More

Hammer is asked to straighten out some young hoods that have taken over their high school. He discovers that the gang is working for a local car theft ring. Hammer convinces the teens to put their violent nature to good use by training them to become cops.Less

1986-10-31

7. All Shook Up

Hammer and Dori are assigned to locate a serial killer who is bumping off Elvis impersonators. In orde...More

Hammer and Dori are assigned to locate a serial killer who is bumping off Elvis impersonators. In order to flush out the killer Hammer attends The Famous School For Elvis Impersonators where all the victims were once students. Complete with sequins and pompadour, Hammer enters an Elvis contest and sings The Battle Hymn of the Republic… setting himself up as bait.Less

1986-11-06

8. Over My Dead Bodyguard

When the press reveals that Capt. Trunk is scheduled to testify against a mob boss, Hammer is assigned...More

When the press reveals that Capt. Trunk is scheduled to testify against a mob boss, Hammer is assigned as his bodyguard. In an attempt on his life Trunk is wounded and taken to the hospital. Sledge decides to make a bogus report that the captain’s been killed, but an assassin learns Trunk is still alive and infiltrates the tightly secured hospital posing as a physician.Less

1986-11-13

9. Magnum Farce

When a group of vigilante cops begin killing criminals who have gotten off due to legal technicalities...More

When a group of vigilante cops begin killing criminals who have gotten off due to legal technicalities, Hammer is assigned to infiltrate the group. To test his loyalty the rogues assign him the task of killing a female district attorney who is out to stop them. While this same D.A. tries to seduce Hammer in her home, Sledge learns that she is really the leader of the vigilantes and plans to kill him.Less

1986-11-22

10. If I Had a Little Hammer

Hammer and Dori pose as a couple wanting to adopt a baby in order to discover who is kidnapping infant...More

Hammer and Dori pose as a couple wanting to adopt a baby in order to discover who is kidnapping infants from a hospital maternity ward. They learn that the hospital’s head nurse and her brother are behind the abductions, which lead to an incongruous shootout in a baby supply warehouse.Less

1986-11-29

11. To Live and Die on TV

After a winning game show contestant is murdered, Hammer investigates. He learns that the show’s host ...More

After a winning game show contestant is murdered, Hammer investigates. He learns that the show’s host did the killing, obscuring the fact that he’d also embezzled the prize money. Hammer signs on as a contestant to make the host try to kill again.Less

1986-12-13

12. Miss of the Spider Woman

Hammer is poisoned by a mysterious woman and learns that he has only twelve hours to live. Hammer lear...More

Hammer is poisoned by a mysterious woman and learns that he has only twelve hours to live. Hammer learns that the only cure for the poison is held by a group of monks in the Andes who have taken a vow of silence. Severely weakened, Hammer must hunt down the perpetrators before it’s too late… made worse by the fact that it’s also daylight savings time.Less

1986-12-20

13. The Old Man and the Sledge

Hammer gets to meet his idol, a retired police detective with a reputation for old school toughness, a...More

Hammer gets to meet his idol, a retired police detective with a reputation for old school toughness, and gets him a job as a security guard at a local jewelry store. When the store is robbed, the old man is wounded and ends up at a retirement home. Hammer feels responsible for what happened and vows to get revenge on the thieves… not realizing he’s also giving the old man one last shot at glory.Less

1987-01-03

14. State of Sledge

When Hammer arrests the leader of a Satanic cult, Internal Affairs insists that the cultist be allowed...More

When Hammer arrests the leader of a Satanic cult, Internal Affairs insists that the cultist be allowed his one phone call. Soon after the cultist makes the call, the precinct headquarters is surrounded by hundreds of demented devil worshippers. With communications to the outside cut off, Hammer devises a risky plan to lift the state of siege.Less

1987-01-10

15. Haven't Gun, Will Travel

A gang of silver thieves, working in cahoots with an unscrupulous police psychiatrist, destroys Hammer...More

A gang of silver thieves, working in cahoots with an unscrupulous police psychiatrist, destroys Hammer's psyche when they steal his beloved 44 Magnum… effectively crippling the crime fighter.Less

1987-01-17

16. The Color of Hammer

When Hammer's favorite hanging judge dismisses charges against a local mobster, Hammer investigates. T...More

When Hammer's favorite hanging judge dismisses charges against a local mobster, Hammer investigates. The judge is found murdered with the only clue leading to a shady pool hall. Sledge poses as a pool shark to uncover the racketeer who has been blackmailing city officials.Less

1987-01-24

17. Brother, Can You Spare a Crime?

When a handsome jewel thief is arrested, he manages to convince Hammer that he’s his long-lost brother...More

When a handsome jewel thief is arrested, he manages to convince Hammer that he’s his long-lost brother… enlisting Sledge’s aid in his rehabilitation.Less

1987-01-31

18. Desperately Seeking Dori

While pursuing a counterfeiter, Doreau gets knocked on the head. The results are a personality disorde...More

While pursuing a counterfeiter, Doreau gets knocked on the head. The results are a personality disorder that makes her behave in the same anti-social, violent manner as her partner Hammer.Less

1987-02-07

19. Sledgepoo

Hammer's search for a jewel thief leads to an upscale beauty salon, where henchmen rob the society mat...More

Hammer's search for a jewel thief leads to an upscale beauty salon, where henchmen rob the society matrons’ homes during their hair appointments. Hammer goes undercover as a hairdresser in order to stop the British thieves who are after the ladies' jewels.Less

1987-02-14

20. Comrade Hammer

Hammer is assigned to protect a Russian scientist who is being pursued by the KGB, leading to a cross ...More

Hammer is assigned to protect a Russian scientist who is being pursued by the KGB, leading to a cross country train journey fraught with peril.Less

1987-02-21

21. Jagged Sledge

Hammer goes on trial for the murder of the city's leading crime boss. Capt. Trunk and Dori are called ...More

Hammer goes on trial for the murder of the city's leading crime boss. Capt. Trunk and Dori are called upon to give damaging testimony against Hammer and everyone is convinced he’s guilty, including Hammer himself.Less

1987-04-21

22. The Spa Who Loved Me

Bodybuilding terrorists led by a female aerobics instructor steal a nuclear warhead from the military ...More

Bodybuilding terrorists led by a female aerobics instructor steal a nuclear warhead from the military and threaten to destroy the entire country. Hammer and Dori are assigned to the case and are captured by the group. When Hammer gets control of the situation he tries to disarm the device. Seconds later, the bomb explodes.Less

1987-04-28

Similar Tv Shows

Dads

Normal Life

The Ted Knight Show

13 Queens Blvd.

Joseph & Lindsey

Monkey Dust

Absolute Power

Double the Fist

The Bill

Austin Stories

Silver Spoons

The New Andy Griffith Show

Life with Bonnie

Sanford

The Flying Nun

Time Trumpet

Daria

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Four Kings

Everybody Loves Raymond

Cast

David Rasche

Sledge Hammer

Anne-Marie Martin

Dori Doreau

Harrison Page

Captain Trunk

Videos and Photos

Movie Reviews

Reviews for Sledge Hammer!

A Review by GenerationofSwine 10

Written by GenerationofSwine on 2023-01-12

Yeah, this was really more of a comedy. And it was a comedy that mocked all of the detective and tough cop shows and movies that were popula... read more

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)

A Review by GenerationofSwine

Yeah, this was really more of a comedy. And it was a comedy that mocked all of the detective and tough cop shows and movies that were popular in the 70s and 80s. In fact, it did such a great job spoofing all of them, hitting all the trop...