What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPolice Squad!
Jerry Zucker · Series · 1982
If you loved Police Squad!, start with The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (David Zucker, 1988) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Police Squad! across media.
You loved Police Squad! for the relentless commitment to deadpan absurdity and the chaotic incompetence of authorities navigating professional disasters.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
David Zucker · Film · 1988
Adaptation
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Peter Segal · Film · 1994
Books on the same thread
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole · Book · 1980
Explores: eccentric protagonist, social misfit, anachronistic worldview.
Much like the absurdity found in Police Squad!, this novel centers on an eccentric misfit whose rigid, anachronistic worldview creates the same kind of comedic friction and social dysfunction.
Redshirts
John Scalzi · Book · 2012
Shares 3 threads with Police Squad!: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Satire, Parody.
If you enjoyed how Police Squad! broke the fourth wall, you will appreciate this meta-fictional satire that uses similar self-awareness to dismantle the tropes of bureaucratic starship operations.
Catch-22
Joseph Heller · Book · 1961
Explores: Bureaucratic absurdity, Existential dread, The insanity of war.
The institutional logic traps that frustrate the characters here mirror the bureaucratic madness seen in Police Squad!, grounding existential dread in the same vein of sharp, deadpan satire.
Discworld
Terry Pratchett · Book · 1983
Explores: Social Commentary, Bureaucracy, Anthropomorphic Personification.
Pratchett masterfully employs the same bureaucratic absurdity that defined the investigations in Police Squad!, using satire to highlight the incompetence inherent in large, functioning systems of authority.
Films on the same thread
Airplane!
Film · 1980
Shares 2 threads with Police Squad!: Satire, Slapstick Comedy.
Since this film shares the same creative DNA as Police Squad!, you will recognize the rapid-fire sight gags and the dedication to maintaining a straight face during complete catastrophe.
The Naked Gun
Akiva Schaffer · Film · 2025
Shares 3 threads with Police Squad!: Incompetence, Satire, Absurdity.
This direct continuation of the spirit of Police Squad! captures the exact blend of fish-out-of-water incompetence and satirical crime solving that made the original series a cult classic.
Police Academy
Film · 1984
Shares 2 threads with Police Squad!: Incompetence, Slapstick Comedy.
The chaotic assembly of misfits attempting to navigate professional training mirrors the ineptitude of the officers in Police Squad!, offering a similar look at institutional failure through comedy.
Super Troopers
Jay Chandrasekhar · Film · 2001
Explores: Workplace Comedy, Underdogs, Police Incompetence.
These troopers embody the same level of police incompetence found in Police Squad!, turning their workplace rivalry and general lack of focus into a hilarious exercise in failure.
Podcasts on the same thread
Crime in Sports
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: athlete misconduct, legal absurdity, scandalous behavior.
This podcast applies the same satirical lens to legal absurdity that Police Squad! used for police work, finding humor in the gap between professional expectations and reality.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
The hosts use a comedic, investigative spin on tragic events that echoes the tone of Police Squad!, where the gravity of a crime is offset by the hosts' absurd observations.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Police Squad! related to The Naked Gun movies?
Yes, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult are movie adaptations that continue the style and legacy of the original 1982 Police Squad! television series created by Jerry Zucker.
What order should I watch Police Squad! and the movies?
You should start by watching the 1982 Police Squad! television series. After finishing the series, you can proceed to the movies, starting with The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! followed by Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.
How long is the Police Squad! franchise including the movies?
The franchise consists of the original Police Squad! television series released in 1982, followed by two feature film adaptations, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! released in 1988 and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult released in 1994.
Should I watch The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! after the show?
Yes, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is an adaptation based on the 1982 television series. It serves as a continuation of the farce and sight gags established in the original Police Squad! show.