Season 3 • Episode 35
LatestRacket Squad is an American TV crime drama series starring Reed Hadley as Captain John Braddock, a fictional detective working for the San Francisco, California Police Department. The show aired in syndication for a season before being picked up by CBS for three seasons. The series was filmed at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, and was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, hence there was a pack of the sponsor's brand on Braddock's desk at the beginning and end of the episode, as well as occasional scenes of him or other characters "lighting up".
Acting
Reed Hadley's hypnotic voiceover — ASMR for noir enthusiasts.
Production
Shameless Philip Morris product placement as set dressing.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Racket Squad pioneered the 'true crime ripped from headlines' format decades before podcasts, with episodes based on actual SFPD cases.
Hal Roach Studios — famous for Laurel and Hardy — produced this gritty noir pivot, proving the lot could do more than slapstick.
US
