Another reality based television series from Jack Webb (Dragnet, Emergency), Adam-12 was the first TV series to more realistically portray the joys & frustrations of being a police officer in the late 1960's-early 1970's. This attention to detail made the show a catalyst for uncounted numbers of people to enter law enforcement agencies when they became adults.

Adam-12 was the radio call sign of the patrol unit that Malloy & Reed worked. In Los Angeles, the first digit (1), represented the division worked. "Adam" is the LAPD designation for a 2-person patrol unit; "12" was the beat area assigned. Although, Malloy & Reed could be seen patrolling the streets anywhere in L.A. from downtown to the Valley, they retained the division number 1, no matter where they were. In reality, you work the same disctrict each day and are assigned a zone in that district.

The police station used throughout the series was the newly-built (at the time) Rampart Station, which is in reality, Division 2.