The Rookies/Cliffy

Cliffy
Season 3, Episode 23
Airdate	March 3, 1975
Written by	Mark Slade
Directed by	Georg Stanford Brown
Produced by	Hal Sitowitz
← 3x22 A Deadly Image	3x24 → Nightmare
The Rookies — Season Three

This article about an episode needs to be expanded with more information. Please help out by editing it.

Cliffy is the twenty-third episode of the third season of The Rookies, and the sixty-eighth episode overall.

Starring: Georg Stanford Brown (Officer Terry Webster), Sam Melville (Officer Mike Danko), Bruce Fairbairn (Officer Chris Owens), Kate Jackson (Jill Danko)

and Gerald S. O'Loughlin (Lt. Eddie Ryker)

Guest Starring: Mark Slade (Cliffy), Alan Fudge (Erle), Glynnis O'Connor (Ellen), Norman Alden (Dennis), Lonny Chapman (Arnie), Paul Cavonis (Louis)

Special Guest Star: Tyne Daly (Mary)

Uncredited: Hoke Howell (Charlie), Bill Erwin (Cook)

Plot Overview

A mentally retarded friend of Mike and Jill's goes from being a murder witness to being a murder suspect. When he runs away, Mike and Chris must not only find him, but also protect him from a vengeful resident of the neighborhood who's accusing him of killing his brother and also save him from possibly being the next victim of the killers. Mike and Jill also straighten out their friend's sister, who's feeling sorry for herself, having given up her own life to tend to her brother, and also try to give hope to their friend, who aspires to be a cop.

Trivia

The Show

An uncredited Hoke Howell plays Charlie, a gas station attendant who's the first murder victim in this episode. Also uncredited is Bill Erwin, who plays a bar owner.

Behind the Scenes

This episode marks the directorial debut of series star Georg Stanford Brown. After the cancellation of The Rookies, Brown successfully made the transition to full-time directing of TV series for about a decade. Interestingly enough, the episode was written by guest star Mark Slade, meaning that both the writer and director appear in the episode, a rare occurrence.