The Canceled TV Show That Refuses to Die

“How many fingers am I holding up?” asks the referee mid-fight.

“Thursday,” the dazed boxer answers.

That one joke had plenty of company on “Police Squad!” The 1982 ABC sitcom reunited the creative team behind “Airplane!” – David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (ZAZ) – to parody the modern cop show. The trio already reinvented the big screen comedy by bombarding audiences with jokes via their 1980 romp.

They reteamed with “Airplane!” standout Leslie Nielsen for the series, casting him as the intrepid Lt. Frank Drebin. His dedicated cop character ran through a gamut of gags without ever cracking a smile.

That was the beauty of the former straight man’s performance.

“Police Squad!” uncorked six sublime episodes that shook up the cop show formula in hilarious fashion.

ABC brass thought the show demanded too much of the viewer and swiftly pulled the plug. That’s show business, and TV is replete with promising shows that never stood a chance.

Except the ZAZ team refused to let the concept die.

They repackaged it years later as “The Naked Gun,” and this time audiences were ready for Frank and friends. The 1988 film, infamously co-starring O.J. Simpson, became a smash and paved the way for two sequels.

Now, naturally, Hollywood is rebooting the franchise. 

“The Naked Gun” casts Liam Neeson as the son of the late Frank Drebin. It’s an attempt to introduce the saga’s warped humor to a new generation. The previous films weren’t always PC, to put it mildly.

The first teaser trailer bowed this week along with a curious nod to Simpson’s days with the franchise.

Neeson is better known of late for his action film chops, but he strikes the right tone in the trailer. He’ll be joined by Pamela Anderson, enjoying a career rebirth courtesy of “The Last Showgirl.”

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane is part of the creative team behind the new film. Will his signature style overwhelm the film, or can “The Naked Gun” pay proper homage to the ZAZ formula?

We’ll find out when “The Naked Gun” hits theaters Aug. 1.

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