21 Jump Street's Spin-Off Series: Booker

21 Jump Street's Spin-Off Series: Booker

"Booker" was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street, starring Richard Grieco as Dennis Booker, a private investigator who had formerly worked with the Jump Street undercover unit. It ran concurrently with Season 4 of 21 Jump Street (1989/90) and was also produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions. Booker only ran one season and had 22 episodes, most of which were written and directed by a lot of the same people working on 21 Jump Street. The show also featured Lori Petty, who went on to star in "Point Break" and "A League Of Their Own."

To the best of my knowledge, Booker is not currently being aired at this time, except for Episode 8 "Deals & Wheels," which airs between Episodes #64 and #65 of 21 Jump Street (see below).

Although Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing 21 Jump Street on DVD, they do not own the rights to Booker.

Booker Episode Guide
Richard Grieco Official Web Site
Richard Grieco Web Site

Marker Home Page
Richard Grieco listing at the IMDB
Officer Dennis Booker page at my 21 Jump Street site
Booker Episode Summaries at my site

Download the theme from the Jumpstreet Yahoo Group Files Page

Lyrics from the official Billy Idol Web Site (http://www.billyidol.com)

"I will move with the beat now. I'm a chain 'round an A-bomb, I'm a ribbon in the heat now.
(New York!) (not in theme song)
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, (tonight) (3 times)
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!"

Crossovers from 21 Jump Street

Steven Williams (Fuller) & Peter DeLuise (Penhall) appeared in #1 "Booker"
Holly Robinson (Hoffs) appeared in #2 "The Pump"
Peter DeLuise (Penhall) appeared in #6 "Bete Noir"
Holly Robinson (Hoffs) appeared in #22 "Father's Day"

The Ultimate Crossover - Episode #8 "Deals And Wheels"

Since Fox was running Booker and 21 Jump Street at the same time, the opportunity was ripe for crossovers, and they did do a few, but for the most part, Dennis Booker was free to investigate crimes in his own unique way. On Nov. 26 and 27, 1989, Fox did a two-part crossover special using both shows. Part One was Booker #8 "Deals & Wheels," while Part Two was 21 Jump Street #65 "Wheels & Deals." Just in time for November sweeps. The plotline wrapped up the gang plotline on 21 Jump Street that had begun with the three part Season 3 cliffhanger/Season 4 premiere. Since Booker is not in syndication, Episode #8 of Booker has been added to the syndication package of 21 Jump Street and is shown between #64 and #65. In the 1997 reruns, FX chose to skip episode #65 until a special Sunday night broadcast, when they ran them together as a 2 hour 21 Jump Street special. The Booker opening theme of "Hot In The City" had been replaced with the 21 Jump Street theme, but visually it was the same.

Picky little detail:

In episode #2, Hoffs has been shot, setting up the entire episode as the gang member who shot her has been killed and the gang blames Booker. In Season 4 of 21 Jump Street, Hoffs was never shot. I have not seen the episode, so maybe they are referring to the set-up pretend shooting of Hoffs by Hanson in 21JS "Loc'd Out," (and Hanson didn't die, but maybe they put out a rumor that he did so they wouldn't blow his cover??)