On this day April 20, 1987, the comedy drama series Hard Knocks premiered in syndication. The show starred Bill Maher in an early acting role as Guy, a street smart private investigator trying to make a name for himself in Los Angeles alongside his slick partner Nick.
Hard Knocks mixed detective drama with lighthearted comedy, offering a slightly offbeat take on the buddy cop formula. It ran for one season with a total of 13 episodes and was part of the wave of independently produced shows distributed outside the major networks. Even though it didn’t last long, the series gave audiences a glimpse of Bill Maher before his rise to fame in the world of stand up and political commentary.
Fun fact: Hard Knocks was one of the first major acting roles for Bill Maher, years before he became known for Politically Incorrect and Real Time.
Trivia question: What 1987 syndicated series featured Bill Maher as a private investigator and ran for just 13 episodes?