Adam 12 was a TV series created by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader. The show ran on NBC from 1968 through 1975 and was one of the first TV shows to introduce actual police jargon and police procedures following veteran officer Pete Malloy (badge number 744 for you trivia buffs) and fresh out of police academy Jim Reed (badge number 2430). The series takes place in Los Angeles. The episodes were based on actual cases.
Their call signal 1-Adam-12 is based on their unit being the first division, “A” spoken Adam in their police radio jargon means a two man car and 12 being the number assigned to the car. There never was a 1-Adam-12 car in Los Angeles. LA police enthusiast will tell you that they should actually be the 2-Adam-12 since they mostly worked the second division (Rampart) area of the city.
Veteran officer Pete Malloy was played by Martin Milner who passed away of heart failure at the age of 83 on September 6, 2015. He stared in the TV series Route 66 as Tod Stiles which ran from 1960 to 1964. He also starred in the TV series of Swiss Family Robinson, MacGyver, Airwolf and Murder She Wrote to name a few.
Kent McCord as of this writing in 2018 is still with us at the age of 75. He starred in roles in the ABC Galactica, Mr. Unger on Airplane II, The Sequel,