The Matchmakers

Written by
 Directed by
 Previous

## **Briefing**

A woman threatened with eviction finds it hard to re-home her pets and animals decides to end her life. Ponch acts as a matchmaker when a gung-ho motor officer arrives a week before retirement. A PI causes trouble for a mother and her child.

## **Report**

Jon and Ponch are on patrol.  A white pick up truck runs a red light on the opposite side, Jon and Ponch chase after it. The pick up weaves in and out of traffic and then mounts the central median to turn a corner just before a junction. Seeing that she's being chased the driver turns into a dirt road with a wooden barrier.  She puts her foot down and and drives through it and into a lake.  Ponch removes his belt and wades into the water.  Jon calls in the accident requesting a tow.  Ponch asks the driver if she's okay, crestfallen she tells him she's not.  Jon shouts over to see if they need a paramedic.  Ponch tells him they don't.  The driver tells Ponch that she can't get anything right.  Ponch is puzzled.  The woman stares at the water and tells him she will have to find a deeper lake. Ponch opens the door gently and she looks at him, she apologises for getting his boots wet.  Ponch smiles and lifts her out taking her back to the bank.  Jon helps Ponch settle her down on the ground.  Ponch looks at Jon and tells him that they have an attempted suicide.

The woman's pick up is being towed from the lake.  The driver is sitting out of Sindy's patrol car.  The woman still forlorn tells them that the Deputy Sheriff came to her in the morning to tell her she had two days to leave before the bulldozers came.  She tells them she'd lose her house, her garden and her animals so today she thought there was no point.  Her name is Cora.

Jon and Ponch walk away, Ponch puts his arm around Jon and descretly asks him if she really wanted to kill herself.  Jon reminds him that he's still wet.  Jon doesn't believe she was.  But he knows that they have to either give her a $150 fine for reckless driving or remand her to the County Mental Ward.  Ponch asks him if it really is one or the other whilst giving him the eye.  Jon looks at Ponch and then repeats what he said only louder.  Cora tells them she'll take the ticket.  Sindy chuckles to herself.  Ponch smiles.  They walk back, Ponch tells Jon they have some time off.  He suggests they tag along with Sindy and see if there's anything they can do.  Cora tells them they can have brunch if it's okay with them.  Cora perks up and tells them what they could have to eat.  Ponch agrees and Sindy nods with a smile.

They arrive at Cora's place.  She tells them she found the place in 1964 and has been there ever since.  Sindy compliments her place and Ponch tells her he never knew places like this existed anymore.  A wide shot of her place shows a sign for a future development.   Jon is surprised she's lasted so long.  Cora tells them there used to be more places like hers but they've since been redeveloped into houses with swimming pools.  She knew one day the landlord would want to sell up and she was hoping he wouldn't.  Ponch reminds her that she only has two days to move.  Cora shows them more of her animals.  Ponch points at a pig and tells everyone it reminds him of Getraer. Cora introduces them to Bucky a horse.  Ponch tells her that he has a feeling everything will work out and that they have to go, Cora tells them that she didn't even make them anything to eat yet.  Jon apologises again and tells them they don't have time.  Sindy opts to stay to help her make a list of things to do.  Cora tells Jon and Ponch she was desperate and is glad they found her.

Back at Central there's a briefing going on and Getraer introduces a new member, Derk Hutchens.  He tells everyone he doesn't usually make a fuss when they get someone new but Derk has been riding motors for 30 years.  Has never had an accident and was around some of the original members of the CHP.  Getraer tells him it's an honour and a privilege to have him complete his duty on their shift.  Derk salutes Getraer.

Everyone is awestruck that they have a celebrity in their midst.  Jon, Ponch and Getraer leave the briefing room.  Jon and Getraer talk outside the room.  Getraer tells Jon he can't wait to fly the coup and ride with him.  Jon tells Getraer that he bets he can't wait to hang up his helmet.  Getraer tells Jon that Derk has used every loophole to keep him on the bike.  However a computer at Sacremento has finally caught up with him and put it's foot down.

Jon and Ponch are on patrol again.

A truck carrying flattened cars suffers a puncture and flips over causing two cars avoid each other and crash, one hits the overturned truck.  A call goes out regarding the accident and Jon and Ponch answer the call.

When the arrives someone is placing flares around the accident.  The flattened cars are tettering.  The driver is helped out and he tells them what happened and then tells them to get out of there.  The driver who hit the truck is semi-concious.  Jon and Ponch jog over to the driver, Jon sees the other car and runs over to it.  The driver of the truck hysterically shouts it was an accident and the tyre blew.  Jon attempts to open the door to the car that struck the truck.  Ponch asks the crowd to move back.  An ambulance arrives.  Jon tells them they need to get the car away from the truck before they remove him.  Getraer and Derk arrive on the scene.  The paramedic tells them the cars will fall on them before they can get the driver out of the car.  Ponch asks the truck driver if he has any cable. He tells them he has some in the truck and tells them he'll get it.  Derk follows after him.

Getraer goes over to the truck, Derk is climbing the truck with a cable.  Getraer tells Derk he wants him off.  Derk tells him there's no time.  Getraer is not happy.  Jon runs over to a white car caught up in the jam, he orders them out of the car.  The driver is resistant.  Ponch runs over while Jon runs back, Ponch asks them to vacate their car.  As soon as they exit, Ponch jumps in.

Getraer tells Derk if the cars fall to jump towards him.  Derk manages to hook the pile of cars.  Ponch uses the white car to anchor the cars.  The ambulance then pulls the green car free allowing the paramedics to tend to the driver.  As Derk climbs down, Getraer asks him if he's okay.  Derk asks why he woundn't be and goes over to his bike.  Ponch goes to Getaer.  Getraer tells Ponch he doesn't think Derk likes being looked out for.  Ponch puts it down to trying to fit in as many frills he can before his week is up.  Getraer doesn't want the resident patriarch going out in a blaze of glory on his shift.  Getraer asks Ponch to keep his eye on him.  Jon goes over to speak to Derk but before he can even breathe, Derk rides off.

Jon and Ponch are on patrol and have stopped to watch traffic on the overpass.  Jon asks Ponch about his date night.  Ponch tells him she was everything he said she was.  The trouble was Jon had told her everything about him so she knew all his moves and left before the night was over.  He tells Jon matchmaking is a high art and he rarely does it.  Ponch tells him how it should be done.  As they finish their conversation they can hear a horn honking which draws their attention.

A man is in a car with a young girl and she seems distraught.  She asks him where her mother is.  Derk is giving a ticket to someone on the freeway.  A distraught woman in a car is giving chase and is the one honking her horn.  They all pass Derk who follows.  Derk rides upto the woman's side and she shouts out the window that the man in front has her child.  Derk rides over to the man and gestures him to pull over.  They all stop on the central median.  The woman hysterical jumps out of her car but is restrainded by Jon and then Ponch.  Derk goes over to the man who has his hands on show.  He's a PI with all the papers.  Derk politely asks him to exit his vehicle.  As soon as the PI exits his car, the little girl jumps out screaming for her mother and runs over to her.

The PI walks over and tells them that he was only trying to return the child to the legal parent.  The mother screams out that she is the legal parent.  She tells them that her ex-husband hired him and is using their daughter, Lisa to gain money.  He lives in Nevada and if Lisa is there with him he gets a large inheritance.  The PI tells them he's only doing his job and that the child belongs to the father.  The mother tells him that he's lying and it's not been decided yet.

Derk arrests the PI and somewhat manhandles him. Derk tells the PI he really enjoys his job, the PI returns it back at him.  Derk spins him around quickly.  Jon and Ponch notice the altercation and interviene quickly.  Jon tells Derk to look after the mother and child and they'll book the PI.  Derks tells them that they should and more or less threatens the PI with a passing comment.  Jon asks Ponch if Getraer really did ask them to keep an eye on him.

Cora is on the phone asking people if they can look after her animals for a week or two but is met with rejection.  She crosses another name off her long list.

Jon and Ponch off duty, arrive at Derk's place.  Derk is listening the the police radio.  They tell Derk they were dune jumping and decided to visit him.  Derk shows them some of his bike collection.

Cora is snoozing on the couch with some of her pets.  She is roused when someone knocks on the door.  It's animal control, they've come to take away all her animals.  He seems reluctant to take them but it's his job.  He tells her what will happen to them and that it will cost to house them, if she can't pay the housing fee then they will sell them.  If they can't sell them they will have to be put down.

Cora walks over to Bucky and tells him she's let them all down. Cora gets into her truck and drives off.  She speeds up and then drives towards the edge of the road, she stops before she goes over.  She reverses back onto the road and drives down the wrong side, causing her to almost hit another car coming the opposite direction.  She mounts the bank and her truck tips over and slides to the edge of the cliff.  Cora is unconcious.

The radio at Derk's place advises of the accident.  Jon, Ponch and Derk are all on old bikes and ride off.  They arrive at the scene and Derk asks them to help him.  Jon tells him not this time, which Derk takes offence to.  Ponch tells him that he's the lightest and he will go.  Ponch pulls her out.  Everyone lets go of the truck and it rolls down the cliff.

Baricza is taking measurements of the accident.  Cora wakes up and sees Derk's face.  Cora asks if she's okay.  Jon chides her.  Cora tells them it was an accident.  Jon doesn't believe her.  Ponch tells her she either goes to the hospital or a nice padded cell.  Cora feigns whiplash and is taken to hospital.  Derk tells them to return his bikes when they've finished.  Jon isn't having any of his nonsense and spins him around.  Derk tells Jon he likes to take over and wants the glory himself, and tells him to go ahead.  Derk composes himself and leaves.  Ponch wonders if Derk and Cora, but Jon shoots him down.  Ponch thinks they should get together for therapy.  Baricza tells Jon and Ponch she's a lucky lady.  Derk comes back over and apologises to them for snapping.  Jon tells Derk he let his mouth run away as well.  Ponch suggests Derk do the follow up work.  Derk tells them he's off duty.  Ponch tells him he was first on the scene and Baricza does need the help.  Baricza agrees.

The PI is staking out a house, he watches a van pull in, the man removes some dry cleaning from the van and proceeds to knock on the door to the house.  The man swaps clean clothes for dirty ones.  The PI smiles then calls someone on his car phone.  He tells the person on the other end he needs more money, and then tells them that he'll have the child by the end of the week. The PI's name is Davies.

At the hospital, Derk is watching a sleeping Cora.  He clears his throat and she rouses, he introduces himself to her and tells her he wants to ask her a question or two.   Derk asks her if she was trying to kill herself.  Cora tells him she wanted to and headed for the cliff but decided she didn't want to be a coward anymore and a car came out of no where and she lost control of her truck.  Jon and Ponch sneak in.  Cora looks at Derk knowing he doesn't believe her.  Ponch tells Cora he believes her. Jon tells her they know she's been having a hard time lately.  Cora tells them they took her animals away.  And that she can't afford the boarding fees so they'll either be sold or destroyed.

Ponch motions Derk away from Cora and Ponch asks Derk since they're neighbours if he knows anyone who would be able to take the animals for her.  Jon and Ponch stare at him intently.  Derk realises he's being railroaded.  Ponch tells him it's only temporary.  Jon reminds him that he's retiring soon and he only needs to to a little bit here and there.  Derk tells them they're playing dirty.  Cora tells Derk she'd do all the heavy lifting.  She jumps out of bed and hugs everyone separately.

Back at Central, Getraer is wrapping up the briefing, he asks to see Derk.  Getraer tells Derk he's enjoyed having him with them and since this is his last day to stay loose.  Derk leaves the briefing room and looks down the corridor.  Everyone is standing there.  He walks between them and orders them not to say a word.  As soon as he walks past everyone he turns around and everyone cheers.  Getraer shouts at Derk to tell him someone is waiting for him in reception.

Cora is waiting for Derk, they shake hands.  Derk complements her on her outfit.  Cora still holding Derk's hand tells him he has cold hands.  Derk tells her that people with cold hands have a warm heart.  Cora asks if he's doing anything later.  He tells her he is doing something with himself.  She asks if he wants to have dinner later.  Derk tells her it's supposed to be the other way round.  She tells him it's old-fashioned. Derk gives her a time and she gets excited and kisses him.  Derk is left speechless for the first time.

Davies is at an airstrip, he pays a pilot some money tp be ready for take off.  He arrives at the womans house with some clothes and knocks on the door with the pretense of being the dry cleaning guy.  When the mother peeks through the eyehole she sees the clothes but not his face since it's been covered by the clothes.  As soon as she opens the door the PI pushes her out the way and grabs Lisa.

Jon and Ponch are discussing Cora and Derk whilst waiting on patrol.  Jon tells Ponch he's the one who said matchmaking is an art. The radio informs everyone of the kidnapping.  Jon and Ponch start their engines and ride off.  On the freeway, Jon radios in their position.  Davies passes Sindy's patrol car.  She radios in that she's seen the suspects car and proceeds to follow.  Lisa sees the patrol car and gets hysterical.  Davies starts weaving through traffic before pretending to turn off, but sneaks behind another car getting back onto the freeway.  Sindy falls for his rouse and Jon and Ponch split up and return to the freeway.  Derk spots the car when he's giving a ticket to someone and proceeds to give chase.  Derk radios in his position.  Ponch figures out that he's heading to the airport.  They all arrive at the airport just as the plane takes to the runway.  Ponch speeds up to catch up with the plane and jams his baton into the elevator flap preventing the plane from taking off. He is arrested along with the pilot.

Jon and Ponch arrive at Derk's place at night.  Cora is exited to see them.  She starts unpacking the animals into Derk's garage.  Ponch tells Derk the animal's have started paying their rent and shows him a couple of eggs.

## **Notes**

* When the truck crashes with the cars strapped to the back the load tips over with the truck. The next time we see the cars they're balanced on the tipped over truck.
* When they move the car away from the tipped over truck it's not moved very far and still in harms way should the cars do tip over.
* When Cora crashes for the second time, there's no reason why they couldn't pull Cora out of the back window since she was small enough to get through it. Rather than have Ponch climb up and pull her out.
* When Cora feigns whiplash the paramedics lift up her head towards her chest to put on the brace.
* Ponch does keep his baton on his bike rather than on his hip, again this is to differenciate between Jon and Ponch. So it is not unsual for the baton to suddenly appear when he jams it into the elevator on the plane.
* Deep 6 is a term for putting someone six feet under, meaning to bury someone. Originally a nautical
* term.

### Codes used.

* 10-4
* 11-80
* 11-83

## **Cast**

### **Main Cast**

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### **Recurring**

* Brianne Leary: Sindy
* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Paul Linke: Grossman
* Lew Saunders: Fritz

### **Others**

* Judy Penrod: Doreen Evans
* Hal Frederick: Animal Control Officer (Franklin)
* John Bernabei: Caddy Driver
* Richard Andert: Pilot
* Marc Baxley: Paramedic
* Jerry Boyd: Trucker
* Danny Wells: Phil Davies