Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from September 23, 1986 to February 12, 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character. Setting The series takes place in San Francisco, California, with parts of Los Angeles used as a stand-in for filming. However, no mention of San Francisco was made past the pilot episode and none of the city's landmarks are seen throughout the series, though the city name can be read on the police department building sign. The San Francisco newspaper used at the beginning of the pilot episode was censored during the show's initial broadcast, as the city wanted nothing to do with the series. Subsequent episodes showed newspapers that had no city name. Episodes Characters Main Inspector Sledge Hammer Inspector Sledge Hammer (David Rasche) is a stubborn, narrow-minded, opinionated, sexist, and reactionary (all of this by his own admission) detective from the San Francisco Police Department. Hammer's most prized possession is his .44 Magnum with a customized grip, featuring an engraving of a sledgehammer. Hammer sleeps and showers with his gun, (it has its own satin pillow) and even talks to it, referring to it as his "amigo." He believes in shooting and asking questions . Unlike other comic crime fighters, Hammer is a blunderbuss that is effective and even capable of humanity on rare occasions. Detective Dori Doreau Hammer's partner is Detective Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin), who is sensitive, intelligent, and sophisticated. It becomes apparent with time that she has some romantic feelings for Sledge. Captain Trunk Captain Trunk (Harrison Page) supervises Hammer and Doreau. Recurring Officer Fletcher Majoy (Leslie Morris) – desk sergeant at the precinct. Officer Daley (Patti Tippo) – another officer at the precinct who is sometimes a gal pal to Doreau. Coroner Norman Blates (Kurt Paul) – the precinct's medical examiner, he specializes in the sudden deceased at crime scenes. According to executive producer Alan Spencer, the character is an homage to Norman Bates, the character from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Newscaster Lisa Ellerblub (Diane Sainte-Marie) – a local news anchorwoman (a play on Linda Ellerbee), she is usually on the receiving end of Hammer's chauvinistic insults. Guest appearances Some notable figures who made guest appearances on Sledge Hammer!: Adam Ant ("Icebreaker")