Editing Sledge Hammer!

{{Short description|American television crime comedy series (1986–1988)}}
{{Other uses|Sledgehammer (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Sledgehammer-dvd.jpg
| image_size           = 200
| caption              = Cover of season 1 DVD collection
| genre                = [[Television comedy|Comedy]]
| creator              = [[Alan Spencer (writer)|Alan Spencer]]
| writer               =
| director             = 
| starring             = {{ubl
 | [[David Rasche]]
 | [[Anne-Marie Martin]]
 | [[Harrison Page]]}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Danny Elfman]]
| opentheme            = 
| composer             = {{ubl
 | [[Arthur B. Rubinstein]]
 | Arthur Kempel
 | [[Don Davis (composer)|Don Davis]]
 | Ron Grant
 | Lance Rubin
 | [[Richard Stone (composer)|Richard Stone]]
 | David Spear
 | [[Ron Ramin]]}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 2
| num_episodes         = 41
| list_episodes        = List of Sledge Hammer! episodes
| executive_producer   = {{ubl
 | William P. D'Angelo
 | Alan Spencer
 | [[Robert Lovenheim]]}}
| producer             = Thomas John Kane
| editor               = {{ubl
 | Janet Ashikaga
 | Briana London
 | Craig Ridenour
 | [[Peter V. White]]}}
| cinematography       = {{ubl
 | Chuck Colwell
 | Norman Leigh}}
| camera               = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime              = 22–24 minutes
| company              = {{Plainlist|
* Alan Spencer Productions
* D'Angelo Productions (1986–1987; season 1)
* [[New World Television]]
}}
| channel              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1986|09|23}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1988|02|12}} 
}}

'''''Sledge Hammer!''''' is an American satirical police sitcom produced by [[New World Television]] that ran for two seasons on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 23, 1986, to February 12, 1988. The series was created by [[Alan Spencer (writer)|Alan Spencer]] and stars [[David Rasche]] as [[Inspector]] Sledge Hammer,<ref>O'Connor, John. (September 23, 1986). "2 New Series, 'Matlock' and 'Sledge Hammer{{'"}}. ''The New York Times''. p. C18.</ref> 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.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://hornsection.blogspot.com/2011/09/happy-25th-sledge-hammer-part-1-of-2.html|title=Happy 25th, SLEDGE HAMMER! (Part 1 of 2)|work=[[The Horn Section]]|date=September 23, 2011|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116003905/https://hornsection.blogspot.com/2011/09/happy-25th-sledge-hammer-part-1-of-2.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Sledge Hammer! episodes}}
{{:List of Sledge Hammer! episodes}}

==Cast and characters==

===Main===

* [[David Rasche]] as [[Inspector]] Sledge Hammer: The titular character of the series, he is stubborn, sexist, and reactionary (all of this by his own admission), but also a serious and respectful [[detective]] from the [[San Francisco Police Department]]. Hammer's most prized possession is his [[Smith & Wesson Model 29]] [[.44 Magnum]]<ref name="cracked">{{cite news|first=Brian | last=VanHooker | url=https://www.cracked.com/article_35334_the-making-of-sledge-hammer-with-creator-alan-spencer.html?|title=The Making of Sledge Hammer with Creator Alan Spencer|work=[[Cracked.com|Cracked]]|date=September 19, 2022|access-date=September 19, 2022|archive-date=19 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220919193356/https://www.cracked.com/article_35334_the-making-of-sledge-hammer-with-creator-alan-spencer.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with a customized grip, featuring an engraving of a [[sledgehammer]]. Hammer sleeps and showers with his gun (which has its own satin pillow), and even talks to it, referring to it as his "amigo." He believes in shooting {{em|first}} and asking questions {{em|never}}. Unlike other comic crime fighters, Hammer is a blunderbuss that is effective and even capable of humanity on rare occasions.  Spencer chose Rasche, since he was someone who was not already known as a comedian, but "someone that could make you believe that this man really was having a relationship with his gun".<ref name="avclub"/>
* [[Anne-Marie Martin]] as Detective Dori Doreau: A sensitive, intelligent, and sophisticated police detective, she becomes Hammer's partner. In an interview with [[The A.V. Club]], Spencer said he needed someone that the "audience would look up to, and adore, and like. And she was the validation for Sledge Hammer because Anne-Marie is such a wonderful actress—appealing person, sexy, with authority, and strong. And if she likes Sledge Hammer, that means he’s okay, so she was kind of the insurance on screen. No matter what he was doing, as long as she liked him, believed in him, and was his partner, he was going to be okay". In season 2, Spencer was asked to develop her relationship more with Hammer as with ABC's flagship ''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]'' but he preferred to have it be more like in ''[[Get Smart]]''.<ref name="avclub">{{Cite news |last=Teti |first=John |date=January 15, 2016 |title=Sledge Hammer! creator Alan Spencer on humanizing a gun-crazy nihilist for a network sitcom |url=https://www.avclub.com/sledge-hammer-creator-alan-spencer-on-humanizing-a-gun-1798243408 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116005759/https://www.avclub.com/sledge-hammer-creator-alan-spencer-on-humanizing-a-gun-1798243408 |archive-date=January 16, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |work=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref>
* [[Harrison Page]] as Captain Trunk: Hammer and Doreau's supervisor, he is regularly driven into fits of rage by Hammer's inconsiderate and brash attitude. Spencer related Page's portrayal to [[Louis Gossett]]'s character in ''[[An Officer and a Gentlemen]]'' with regards to his yelling, and also [[Herbert Lom]]'s character [[List of The Pink Panther characters#Chief Inspector Charles LaRousse Dreyfus|Inspector Dreyfus]] in ''[[The Pink Panther]]'' film series.<ref name="avclub"/><ref name="cracked"/>

===Recurring===
* Leslie Morris as Officer Fletcher Majoy: desk sergeant at the precinct.
* Patti Tippo as Officer Daley: another officer at the precinct who is sometimes a gal pal to Doreau.
* [[Kurt Paul]] as Norman Blates: 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 ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Alfred Hitchcock's ''Psycho'']].''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mandatory.com/fun/633741-exclusive-interview-alan-spencer-on-bullet-in-the-face-and-sledge-hammer|title=Exclusive Interview: Alan Spencer on 'Bullet in the Face' and 'Sledge Hammer'|work=[[mandatory.com|Mandatory]]|date=January 21, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116013316/https://www.mandatory.com/fun/633741-exclusive-interview-alan-spencer-on-bullet-in-the-face-and-sledge-hammer|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Diane Sainte-Marie as Lisa Ellerblub: 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!'':
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* [[Adam Ant]] ("Icebreaker")
* [[Lewis Arquette]] ("Witless")
* [[Bill Bixby]] ("Hammer Hits the Rock") – Bixby also directed a number of episodes
* [[Mark Blankfield]] ("State of Sledge", "Comrade Hammer", and "The Secret of My Excess")
* [[Bud Cort]] ("Last of the Red Hot Vampires")
* [[Bill Dana]] ("Haven't Gun, Will Travel")
* [[John Densmore]] ("State of Sledge")
* [[Michael Des Barres]] ("Sledgepoo")
* [[Sarah Douglas (actress)|Sarah Douglas]] ("Play It Again, Sledge")
* [[Norman Fell]] ("They Call Me Mr. Trunk")
* [[Conchata Ferrell]] ("Jagged Sledge")
* [[Dennis Fimple]] ("They Shoot Hammers, Don't They?" and "If I Had a Little Hammer")
* [[Kurt Fuller]] ("Hammer Hits the Rock")
* [[Sid Haig]] ("Hammeroid")
* [[Mark Holton]] ("The Secret of My Excess")
* [[Clint Howard]] ("State of Sledge")
* [[Brion James]] ("If I Had a Little Hammer" and "Model Dearest")
* [[Davy Jones (actor)|Davy Jones]] ("Sledge, Rattle & Roll")
{{col-break}}
* [[Bernie Kopell]] ("Last of the Red Hot Vampires")
* [[Dan Lauria]] ("A Clockwork Hammer")
* [[Robin Leach]] ("The Spa Who Loved Me")
* [[Beverly Leech]] ("Wild About Hammer" and "A Clockwork Hammer")
* [[Lance LeGault]] ("The Spa Who Loved Me")
* [[David Leisure]] ("Hammer Hits the Rock" and "Magnum Farce")
* [[Peter Marshall (entertainer)|Peter Marshall]] ("To Live and Die on TV")
* [[Richard Moll]] ("Hammeroid")
* [[Ronnie Schell]] ("Hammer Gets Nailed")
* [[Armin Shimerman]] ("Hammeroid")
* [[Don Stark]] ("Under the Gun" and "Sledgepoo")
* [[Brenda Strong]] ("Miss of the Spider Woman")
* [[John Vernon]] ("Under the Gun" – parodying his role in the first ''Dirty Harry'' film)
* [[Ray Walston]] ("Big Nazi on Campus")
* [[Patrick Wayne]] ("Brother Can You Spare a Crime")
* [[Duane Whitaker]] ("Hammer Gets Nailed")
* [[Mary Woronov]] ("The Spa Who Loved Me")
{{col-end}}

Actor and director [[Jackie Cooper]] directed a few episodes including "Witless",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer-v306062/|title=Witless|work=[[All Movie]]|access-date=January 15, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116020919/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer-v306062/|url-status=live}}</ref> "All Shook Up"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer%21--all-shook-up-v306066|title=All Shook Up|work=[[All Movie]]|access-date=January 15, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116020918/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer!--all-shook-up-v306066|url-status=live}}</ref> and the first-season finale, "The Spa Who Loved Me".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer%21--the-spa-who-loved-me-v306081|title= The Spa Who Loved Me|work= [[All Movie]]|access-date= January 15, 2023|archive-date= January 16, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230116020919/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/sledge-hammer!--the-spa-who-loved-me-v306081|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Production history==

Inspired by [[Clint Eastwood]]'s no-nonsense approach to law enforcement in the ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' films, teenager Alan Spencer dreamed up the idea of a police officer whose approach was even more over-the-top, to the point of absurdity. At the age of 16, Spencer wrote a screenplay based on this idea. The script and the main character were both named ''Sledge Hammer''.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/lists/13-high-caliber-facts-about-sledge-hammer|title=13 high caliber facts about 'Sledge Hammer!'|work=[[MeTV]]|date=Aug 31, 2016|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116021654/https://www.metv.com/lists/13-high-caliber-facts-about-sledge-hammer|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite his youth, Spencer had already written for [[Rodney Dangerfield]] and such television as ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'' and ''[[One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]''. He sold his script upon the release of the fourth ''Dirty Harry'' movie ''[[Sudden Impact]]'' and the popularity of NBC's ''Dirty Harry''-inspired action series ''[[Hunter (1984 American TV series)|Hunter]]''; the latter property created demand for a satirical police television show. When [[HBO]] approached [[Leonard B. Stern]], former producer of ''[[Get Smart]]'', about developing such a show, Stern recommended Spencer's "Sledge Hammer!" idea.<ref name="mental floss">{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86343/11-bulletproof-facts-about-sledge-hammer|title=11 Bulletproof Facts About Sledge Hammer!|work=[[Mental Floss]]|date=Feb 11, 2018|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116023101/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86343/11-bulletproof-facts-about-sledge-hammer|url-status=live}}</ref>  Stern knew of Spencer trying to help [[Don Adams]] by personally writing a few gags for the comedian on the set of ''[[The Nude Bomb]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/11746-TRAILERS-FROM-HELL-PRESENTS-ALAN-SPENCER-ON-THE-NUDE-BOMB-1980.html|title="TRAILERS FROM HELL" PRESENTS ALAN SPENCER ON "THE NUDE BOMB" (1980)|work=[[Cinema Retro]]|date=August 10, 2022|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116024931/https://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/11746-TRAILERS-FROM-HELL-PRESENTS-ALAN-SPENCER-ON-THE-NUDE-BOMB-1980.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and was returning the favor.<ref name="cracked"/>

Spencer quickly reworked his script for a half-hour television format. HBO executives wanted to produce the pilot<ref name="cracked"/> and suggested casting ideas that Spencer found unacceptable, such as known comedians [[Rodney Dangerfield]] or [[Joe Piscopo]] in the lead role as opposed to a lesser known actor who would become the character.<ref name="cracked"/> Last-place [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] was willing to take a chance on the unorthodox script. ABC insisted that the violence be toned down for [[network television]] and that a [[laugh track]] be included (although some versions – including the DVD release of the show – do not have this track or had it removed; Spencer found it offensive that the audience be told when to laugh and was furious over the decision), but agreed to cast Spencer's first choice for the lead character, the classically trained actor [[David Rasche]]. ''Sledge Hammer!'' entered ABC's fall lineup in 1986.<ref>Shales, Tom. (September 14, 1986) "Fall TV: The Perils and the Programs". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. p. G1.</ref>

The pilot of ''Sledge Hammer!'' was completed just as [[Peter Gabriel]]'s song [[Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel song)|"Sledgehammer"]] became a huge hit. ABC took advantage of this coincidence by using the song in television, radio, and film advertisements for the show.<ref name="auto4"/>  Spencer said Gabriel had been willing to license his song to the series and even rewrite the lyrics, but [[New World Television]] wouldn't meet the artist's terms.  Nevertheless, Spencer was happy with what would be Danny Elfman's first TV theme.<ref name="mental floss" />

===Intro and theme music===
[[File:SledgeScreenshot.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Image from introduction]]
The introduction to the show features long, near sensual [[closeup]] shots of Hammer's .44 Magnum as it rests on a luxurious [[satin]] [[pillow]]. The show's ominous [[theme music]], composed by [[Danny Elfman]], plays in the background. Hammer then picks up his gun, spins it expertly like a cinematic [[Old West]] [[gunslinger]], and utters his catch phrase ("Trust me, I know what I'm doing") just before firing into the screen, making a hole in it. According to the DVD release extras, the original version had Hammer firing {{em|directly}} at the viewer, but ABC executives feared this could be too shocking, possibly even causing [[myocardial infarction|heart attacks]] (and leaving the network liable). Thus, Hammer fires into the screen at a slight angle.<ref name="mental floss"/>

According to the DVD release, Hammer's original catchphrase was "I'm crazy, but I know what I'm doing." ABC executives objected to a lead character being "crazy", so they insisted on a change.<ref name="mental floss"/> Spencer remarked that "it wound up working just as well and is probably funnier, because then he’s not self-aware".<ref name="avclub"/>

The DVD release uses an updated [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] version of the theme music by Baboon Rising on the main menus.

===Ratings and second season===
Despite critical acclaim<ref name="auto4"/> and garnering high ratings in a special time slot just for the debut,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/23/arts/2-new-series-matlock-and-sledge-hammer.htmll|title=2 NEW SERIES, 'MATLOCK' AND 'SLEDGE HAMMER'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 23, 1986}}</ref> ''Sledge Hammer!'' struggled in the ratings partly due to being repeatedly bounced around ABC's fall schedule.<ref name="auto"/>

During the same season ''Sledge Hammer!'' made its debut, ABC scheduled a high-profile comeback vehicle for a then 75-year-old [[Lucille Ball]] entitled ''[[Life with Lucy]]'' that was not well received by critics or audiences. After only eight episodes aired, Ball's show was canceled and ''Sledge Hammer!'' was given her timeslot.<ref name="auto4"/>

''Sledge Hammer!'' attracted weekly viewership of nineteen million viewers who followed the show religiously through its many time slot shifts. The fact that the series appealed to key target demographics also kept it on the schedule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moviesinfocus.com/interview-sledge-hammer-creator-alan-spencer/|title=Interview: SLEDGE HAMMER! Creator Alan Spencer|work=Movies in Focus|date=March 10, 2012|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116042310/https://www.moviesinfocus.com/interview-sledge-hammer-creator-alan-spencer/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Because ABC intended to cancel the series, the last episode of the first season ends with Hammer accidentally destroying the city when he attempts to disarm a stolen [[nuclear warhead]]. This episode received much better than expected ratings, in large part because the network had moved the show to a better time slot. ABC changed its mind and renewed the show for a second season.<ref name="cracked"/>

The second-season premiere perfunctorily explained that it and following episodes were set "five years before" the explosion, though Doreau is Sledge's partner in the second season, despite being introduced to him in the pilot, and despite the presence of references to contemporary events, rather than those of five years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=dan&p=116&item=T:18655|title=SLEDGE HAMMER!: A CLOCKWORK HAMMER {SECOND SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)|work=[[Paley Center for Media]]|date=September 17, 1987}}</ref>

The second season suffered from another extremely undesirable time slot (this time against ''[[The Cosby Show]]''), a reduced budget, and lowered filming standard (they went from [[35mm movie film|35 mm]] in season 1 to [[16mm film]] in season 2).{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} The cutbacks contributed to the show not being renewed for a third season.<ref name="avclub" />

==Home media==
[[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. The first season of ''Sledge Hammer!'' was released on DVD on July 27, 2004. The [[laugh track]], which the network had insisted on including on the pilot and first 12 episodes, is removed on the DVD version. For this Spencer in part sourced copies of the episodes from collectors in the UK who had recorded the episodes where they aired without the [[laugh track]] and hired an experienced sound designer. These collectors are thanked on these DVDs. The DVD features a documentary on the series featuring interviews by Spencer, David Rasche, Anne-Marie Martin and Harrison Page. The DVD also includes an unaired version of the pilot that runs several minutes longer and has a different ending and theme music. An [[earthquake]] hit while Spencer was recording commentary for one of the DVDs; the tape kept rolling during the event and was included on the DVD, leaving viewers wondering whether the earthquake was real.  The first season enjoyed strong sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-16-et-taylor16-story.html|title=Duds find new life in a box|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 16, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116044912/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-16-et-taylor16-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The second season was released on DVD on April 12, 2005; the commentary on the final episode ended with Spencer, again, being caught in another earthquake, this time with sound effects and a convenient cliffhanger.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

On September 6, 2011, it was announced that [[Image Entertainment]] had acquired the rights to the series. It was subsequently announced that they will release ''Sledge Hammer!- The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1 on December 13, 2011. The set will not feature the documentary, commentaries, the uncut pilot (the broadcast version is used) and other bonus features from the Anchor Bay release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/news/dvd-blu-ray-new-and-upcoming-release-calendar/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011073626/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Sledge-Hammer-The-Complete-Series/16051|url-status=dead|title=DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming|date=December 3, 2024|archivedate=October 11, 2011|website=www.metacritic.com}}</ref>

In Region 4, [[Shock Records|Shock Entertainment]] has released both seasons on DVD in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenpop.com.au/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113191739/http://www.screenpop.com.au/dvd/sledge-hammer-season-1/1181.html|url-status=dead|title=Account Suspended|archivedate=November 13, 2013|website=www.screenpop.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenpop.com.au/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113184719/http://www.screenpop.com.au/dvd/sledge-hammer-season-2/2564.html|url-status=dead|title=Account Suspended|archivedate=November 13, 2013|website=www.screenpop.com.au}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"|DVD name
! rowspan="2"|Ep #
! colspan="2"|Release date
|-
! Region 1 !! Region 4
|-
| Season 1
| align="center"|22
| July 27, 2004
| June 29, 2011
|-
| Season 2
| align="center"|19
| April 12, 2005
| August 31, 2011
|-
| The Complete Series
| align="center"|41
| December 13, 2011
| N/A
|}

==Awards==
''Sledge Hammer!'' was nominated for a 1987 [[People's Choice Award]] in the category of "Favorite New TV Comedy."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://search.peopleschoice.com/v/27179850/sharon-gless-and-john-ritter-present-the-award-for-favorite-new-tv-comedy.htm |title=Sharon Gless and John Ritter present the award for "Favorite New TV Comedy." |access-date=2014-07-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714121002/http://search.peopleschoice.com/v/27179850/sharon-gless-and-john-ritter-present-the-award-for-favorite-new-tv-comedy.htm |archive-date=2014-07-14 }}</ref>

==Comics==
New World's then-subsidiary [[Marvel Comics]] released a short-lived [[comic book]] based upon the series as a promotion for the second season. In the second issue, Sledge is up against a [[Spider-Man]] imposter and on the cover issue a disclaimer hints that Sledge Hammer is actually a [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]] when the ''[[X-Men]]'' series and its mutant spin-offs were on the height of their popularity.

The series only lasted two issues but was only intended for publicity purposes.<ref name="auto4"/>

==See also==
* ''[[Police Squad!]]'', a similar American TV series from the 1980s that spawned the ''[[The Naked Gun|Naked Gun]]'' film series
* ''[[Angie Tribeca]]'', a similar American TV series that satirizes American procedurals
* ''[[A Touch of Cloth]]'', a similar British comedy (2012–2014)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.sledgehammeronline.com/ ''Sledge Hammer!'' Online] – Alan Spencer's official site
* {{IMDb title|0090525|Sledge Hammer!}}
* {{The Interviews title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sledge Hammer}}
[[Category:1986 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1988 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s American satirical television series]]
[[Category:1980s American single-camera sitcoms]]
[[Category:1980s American crime television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department]]
[[Category:1980s American police comedy television series]]
[[Category:Television shows scored by Danny Elfman]]
[[Category:Television shows set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:American television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:Television series created by Alan Spencer (writer)]]
[[Category:Television series by New World Television]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]