The BEST episodes of CHiPs season 1

Every episode of CHiPs season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of CHiPs season 1!

Lighthearted look at the adventures of two Highway Patrol officers in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jon Baker and Frank Poncherello, two motorcycle officers always on the street to save lives.

Last Updated: 11/16/2024Network: NBCStatus: Ended
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Pilot
star
7.58
232 votes

#1 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/1977

Series pilot: Ponch and Jon chase a sports car theft ring.

Directors: Paul Krasny
Writer: Paul Playdon
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Moving Violation
star
7.49
111 votes

#2 - Moving Violation

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1977

While on a date, Ponch receives a ticket and decides to attend traffic school to hide the citation from Getraer.

Directors: Edward M. Abroms
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Vintage '54
star
7.45
44 votes

#3 - Vintage '54

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/26/1978

An 85-year-old woman reports her vintage car was stolen

Directors: Barry Crane
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Cry Wolf
star
7.38
37 votes

#4 - Cry Wolf

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/16/1978

A man calling in false alarms causes trouble for the highway patrol.

Directors: John Florea
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Career Day
star
7.37
108 votes

#5 - Career Day

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1977

Two enterprising hustlers use CB radios to identify and rip off homes adjacent to local freeways; Ponch's former high school principal invites him to speak at the school's Career Day assembly after he and Jon arrest some joyriding frat bothers in a hearse.

Directors: Ric Rondell
Writer: Bruce Shelly
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Taking Its Toll
star
7.35
98 votes

#6 - Taking Its Toll

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/1977

A pair of bandits rip off wealthy targets while they're stopped at local toll booths; Jon decides to write a novel based on Ponch's misadventures.

Directors: Georg Fenady
Writer: Bill Taub
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Baby Food
star
7.35
101 votes

#7 - Baby Food

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1977

When an unsecured load of defective baby food spills onto the freeway, Ponch and Jon must race against time to find two of the missing cases.

Directors: Paul Krasny
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dog Gone
star
7.34
119 votes

#8 - Dog Gone

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1977

Jon takes a liking to a stray pooch found on the freeway, but when the dog won't stay quiet, he leaves the pup with Ponch; after a traffic stop, a trio of young toughs decide to teach Ponch a lesson, but it may be Jon who'll pay the price.

Directors: Michael Caffey
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Green Thumb Burglar
star
7.33
93 votes

#9 - Green Thumb Burglar

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/1977

Fresh plantings stolen from the highways near the command post nearly drive Getraer to distraction; a pair of psychic twins foretell gloom and doom in Ponch's immediate future

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Undertow
star
7.31
153 votes

#10 - Undertow

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/1977

A tow truck driver robs women who called for assistance. Ponch breathes in nitrous oxide (laughing gas) at an accident scene and becomes loopy.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hustle
star
7.31
87 votes

#11 - Hustle

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1977

A leather-clad duo on dirtbikes heists cash from area supermarkets; an eccentric defendant from traffic court vows to demonstrate that Ponch is incompetent.

Directors: Georg Fenady
Writer: John Groves
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Aweigh We Go
star
7.29
75 votes

#12 - Aweigh We Go

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/22/1977

A rash of tractor trailer rig hijackings finds Jon and Ponch assigned to the nearby highway scale station for training; Ponch tries to convince Jon that they should buy a speedboat.

Directors: Ivan Nagy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Crack-Up
star
7.29
41 votes

#13 - Crack-Up

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/9/1978

After Jon is injured in an accident, Ponch must partner with Sergeant Getraer.

Directors: Phil Bondelli
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Highway Robbery
star
7.26
81 votes

#14 - Highway Robbery

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/1/1977

A down-and-out vet lifting purses from women in traffic jams turns out to be a former classmate of Jon's; Ponch convinces Getraer to introduce him to the Easy-On Suntan Lotion model.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Surf's Up
star
7.23
77 votes

#15 - Surf's Up

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/19/1978

The officers request a change of scenery and are temporarily assigned to beach patrol in Malibu.

Directors: Georg Fenady
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Crash Diet
star
7.21
38 votes

#16 - Crash Diet

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/23/1978

The CHP officers have to lose weight as part of a comprehensive physical conditioning program.

Directors: Don McDougall
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hitch-Hiking Hitch
star
7.19
43 votes

#17 - Hitch-Hiking Hitch

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/9/1978

Two teenage girls learn about the dangers of hitch-hiking.

Directors: Phil Bondelli
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Flashback!
star
7.16
44 votes

#18 - Flashback!

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/1/1978

A brash rookie patrolman causes Ponch to look back on his own early days as an officer.

Directors: Michael Caffey
Writer: Bruce Shelly
Watch Now:Apple TV
One Two Many
star
7.15
72 votes

#19 - One Two Many

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/5/1978

A civilian impersonating a CHP officer terrorizes female drivers and lands Jon in hot water with Getraer; with his motorhome in the shop for repairs, Ponch temporarily moves into Jon's apartment.

Directors: Paul Krasny
Watch Now:Apple TV
Rainy Day
star
7.12
41 votes

#20 - Rainy Day

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/2/1978

Jon and Ponch must carry out their patrols in a car during a rainy day and deal with a compulsive gambler and a string of carjackings.

Directors: Gordon Hessler
Watch Now:Apple TV
Name Your Price
star
7.09
106 votes

#21 - Name Your Price

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/8/1977

A sophisticated ring of thieves drives away Rolls Royces in broad daylight; Ponch receives tickets to his favorite game show, "Name Your Price", which is similar to The Price Is Right.

Directors: Ric Rondell
Watch Now:Apple TV
Rustling
star
7.03
68 votes

#22 - Rustling

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/12/1978

Jon and Ponch confront dirt-bike-riding cattle rustlers.

Directors: Phil Bondelli
Watch Now:Apple TV