Martin Milner felt that Adam-12 could bridge the gap between the police and the public
"I think our new show will help bridge the gap between ordinary citizens and the law."
In many public-facing occupations, there is a fear of disconnect between those serving, and those being served. However, Martin Milner, one of the stars of the hit television series, Adam-12, hoped that this issue would be a thing of the past.
Milner was well known as Officer Pete Malloy on Adam-12, with the series centrally focused on the crime-fighting duo of Milner's character and Jim Reed, played by Kent McCord. While many crime shows find themselves lost in the moral overdramatic, Adam-12 was a show that made a conscious effort to depict what life actually looked like for the Los Angeles Police Department.
In an interview with The Record America, Milner explained his motivation behind acting in a show like Adam-12, as his time on the series made him a more hands-on actor.
"I'm no longer detached about it," said Milner. "I've been out in the prowl cars with the patrolmen; I know what they have to go through. I'm strictly on the side of law and order — and I think our new show will help bridge the gap between ordinary citizens and the law, to show what police work really is."
Milner was also aware of the appeal of the genre. "TV programs about the police seem to be fascinating to the average viewer," he said.
But while Milner was incredibly dedicated to making his work look real, he was conscious enough that he understood it was a work of fiction, as he explained during an interview with The Washington Post. "In this series, there is more of a risk of being stereotyped," he said. "But there hasn't really been any breach of my own identity. After all, I've changed since the old Route 66 Days," he said, referencing an earlier show he had a starring role in. "I know who I am," Milner said. "I doubt that many will confuse Martin Milner with Officer Pete Malloy."