“The Naked Gun” Legacy: How a Canceled TV Show Spawned Cinematic Comedic Gold
As we eagerly await the theatrical release of the next installment in The Naked Gun franchise on August 1st, this time with Liam Neeson stepping into the role of Frank Drebin Jr., it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the legacy of the original film. An iconic example of slapstick comedy, The Naked Gun not only sparked a successful trilogy but also redefined the parody genre, impacting multiple generations of viewers and leaving an indelible mark on comedy for decades following its release.
The idea for The Naked Gun began in March of 1982, when ABC approached David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, the creative team behind Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) and Airplane! (1980) for a mid-season replacement series. The group, collectively known as ZAZ, came up with a little show called Police Squad!, lampooning dramatic detective shows of the late 1960s like M Squad and Felony Squad. The series starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a hapless detective who’s colossally oblivious to his surroundings, but who also, seemingly by accident, always gets his man. The network decided not to pick up the series, and it was canceled after only 4 of its 6 episodes had been aired. However, critics and fans took notice of the show’s clever wordplay, hilarious sight gags, and Leslie Nielsen’s perfectly deadpan delivery of some of the most absurd lines ever written, and the series gained a powerful cult following. Repeated broadcasts on other networks solidified the popularity of the short-lived series, and soon the idea for a feature-length version was born, resulting in the release of 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! held its own at the box office in a year packed with iconic releases, ultimately landing at No. 21 among film legends of the 1980s such as Die Hard, Big, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Coming to America, and Beetlejuice. Despite stiff competition, the film was a commercial success, which was owed to the combination of its absurd, fast-paced, slapstick comedy, chock-full of visual puns and gags, and Leslie Nielsen’s delivery of Frank Drebin’s wittingly preposterous wordplay, with simple, one-line jokes that hit the funny bone squarely and with force.
Nielsen had previously gained notoriety as an actor in dramatic roles, such as Forbidden Planet (1956) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972), as well as his dramatic portrayals of stern authority figures, including doctors, generals, and detectives, in television dramas. When casting their 1980 disaster spoof, Airplane!, the ZAZ team deliberately sought to cast dramatic actors like Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, and Nielsen to star. According to David Zucker, “We thought they were much funnier than the comedians of that time were.” As it turns out, Zucker’s instinct was correct, and Airplane! would go on to become a critical and commercial success, grossing $171 million on a $3.5 million budget and earning a widely regarded reputation as one of the greatest comedy movies of all time. This success solidified Nielsen as a bona fide comedy actor. With his straight-man delivery, Nielsen could transform even the most preposterous one-liner into an unforgettable quote, making him the natural choice for the role of Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun. Roger Ebert perfectly summed up the film’s comedic style and effect on audiences in his 1988 review, saying, “You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing.”
Following the critical and commercial success of The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, the ZAZ team set out to develop a sequel. By the time The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear was released in 1991, the franchise had already carved a niche in the cultural zeitgeist for its absurd, rapid-fire visual comedy and wordplay. What distinguished this sequel from the original was its confident escalation of comedic set pieces, proving that the formula wasn’t just a fluke but a blueprint. The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear would be the biggest commercial success of the first three films, ousting Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from the No. 1 box office spot in its first week, and ultimately grossing $192 million against a $23 million budget, making it the 10th highest grossing film of 1991 among iconic films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Home Alone, Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, and The Addams Family.
The franchise’s third installment, The Naked Gun 33 ⅓: The Final Insult, was released in 1994, cementing the series as one of comedy’s most beloved parody trilogies. While the previous two films were directed by David Zucker, the third installment handed the reins to Peter Segal in his directorial debut. Segal would go on to direct comedy favorites including Tommy Boy (1995), Anger Management (2003), and 50 First Dates (2004). While the first Naked Gun film focused on a general spoofing of police procedurals and the second leaned into political satire, 33 1/3 heavily incorporated broader visual parodies, allowing audiences to immediately recognize send-ups of famous films, including The Untouchables, The Great Escape, and Thelma & Louise. This shift in comedic style preserved the absurdity for which the franchise had become known while doubling down on visual humor that audiences could instantly identify.
Having established itself as part of a landmark trilogy in modern cinema, 33 ⅓ also treats audiences to cameos by notable names of the 1990’s such as Olympia Dukakis, Shannen Doherty, Vanna White, and Weird Al Yankovic (who makes cameo appearances in all three films). Look closely at the audience in the final scene and you’ll spot a young Paul Feig, who created the short-lived but brilliant comedy series Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) before becoming a big-time movie director himself.
Although the first three Naked Gun films inspired a boom in the parody genre following their respective releases, the category has been relatively quiet in the past decade. However, audiences’ appetite for parody is set to be reawakened by director Akiva Schaffer’s take on the upcoming installment. Schaffer, a Saturday Night Live alum, has serious comedy chops (he also directed the hysterical Andy Samberg-led Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and is, along with Samberg and Jorma Taccone, part of the comedy music group The Lonely Island), and counts as one of his producers Seth MacFarlane, a lover of parodies. Known for his work on Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Orville, MacFarlane has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of both classic and contemporary pop culture, as well as a fearless approach to irreverent, joke-a-second humor. What sets him apart is his ability to blend smart satire with outlandish slapstick, a tone that aligns perfectly with the DNA of The Naked Gun franchise. His comedic sensibilities are rooted in homage. He doesn’t just mock pop culture, he clearly loves it, dissecting tropes with affection as much as sarcasm. Schaffer and MacFarlane’s comedic sensibilities, combined with the audience’s existing fondness for the The Naked Gun series, seem like a recipe for the perfect comedic cocktail that will keep audiences rolling in their seats through the summer. Look for The Naked Gun in theaters on August 1st.
Featured image: SANTA MONICA, CA – 1988: Actor Leslie Nielsen sits in an electric bumper car during the 1988 Santa Monica, California, filming of the comedy movie “The Naked Gun.” (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
