Watch 21 Jump Street Online - Full Episodes

21 Jump Street is a television show that aired on FOX from 1987 to 1991. While a popular show at the time, it is best known for being the vehicle that launched Johnny Depp's career. In it, Depp plays one of several young police officers -- Tom Hanson -- who work primarily on crimes involving teen hangouts and educational institutions. The name of the show derives from the address of the headquarters of this youthful bunch of police officers. They are located in an old church on Jump Street.

The premise of the show is that these officers must look young so they can go undercover to investigate crimes involving teens. The cases they investigate are rife with drama. They touch on topics like rape, abuse, racism, homophobia and HIV, which was a common theme on television when the show was aired. Each episode was an hour long, allowing for some depth into each story. Because of the content of the show and because public service announcements were popular at the time, cast members would often read a public service announcement on these topics after the show.

21 Jump Street centers on Depp's character, who got into a bit of trouble as a police officer because he looked so young. This led to him being placed at 21 Jump Street with other officers who had similar problems. The first few episodes deal with relatively tame topics, but the show gradually finds its feet and quickly moves on to more sensitive subjects. Even the officers become victims of a bit of drama in their lives ranging from theft to drunk driving. In some cases, they are the perpetrators. The series ended without a finale, though spin-offs and a new movie have carried the plot further and explained some of the show's loose ends.