Watch The Academy Online - Full Episodes

The Academy is a Fox Reality Channel series. The series followed a group of recruits through the 18 week intensive course, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy. Not all recruits attending the Sheriff's Academy, are intending on becoming Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies. Some were from cities in the area.

Not all recruits entering the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy successfully complete the course. Beginning from day one, which is called "Black Monday" by the instructors, everything that an instructor can do to challenge each recruit, is done. Actually I personally attended this academy 30 years ago. On the first day one man, who was already a police officer in a very small town, was kicked out of the academy. The instructors asked him why he likes being a police officer. He said it was because he liked wearing a gun. Not only did they kick him out, they notified his captain that he was unfit to wear a badge.

There are numerous rules and regulations which govern the academy. If they are not followed to the letter, a recruit is released. Likewise there is a very rigid curriculum of courses. Every facet of law enforcement, first aid, state and federal laws, etc. are covered in academics. Every recruit must meet the required score on every exam. If they don't they are kicked out.

The rigidity of the academy rules reach into off duty hours for the recruits. If a recruit goes out to have fun in the clubs downtown, and the instructors feel they should be studying, that is the last the recruit sees of the academy. It is a rough, intensive and extremely demanding academy course, all designed to save the recruits lives.

During this 18 week course you don't get to wear your uniform the whole time. The commander of the academy will inform the recruits when he feels you've earned the right to wear the uniform. At any point in time, if anything happens to question a recruits' leadership ability, firearms expertise, or knowledge of the law, that recruit is quickly shown out the front door.

The 1st and 2nd year of this show followed recruits at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy. The 3rd year was filmed at the Orange County Fire Academy. This also is an 18 week course. It is equally as demanding and intensive to be trained to be a fireman.