‘CHiPs’ Star Reveals His Favorite Episode Is One IMDb Hates [Exclusive]

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Published Feb 11, 2026, 6:01 AM EST

Few shows were as action-packed and popular as Rick Rosner's CHiPs, the NBC crime procedural that ran from 1977 to 1983. Starring the duo of Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox as California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers Jon Baker and Frank "Ponch" Poncherello, high-stakes action was sidelined in favor of the perfect pairing of Estrada and Wilcox, who had audiences hanging onto their every interaction. So great were these two that Estrada even earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series — Drama in 1980.

Running for a remarkable 139 episodes over six seasons, the series drew in many millions of viewers and became one of NBC's flagship shows. Although a special one-off reunion film was released in 1998 to mixed reviews, most happily remember the original six-season run as the best times of Jon and Ponch. Fans often discuss their favorite CHiPs episode, with Season 5, Episode 17, "Alarmed" taking the crown for the highest-rated episode on IMDb with an impressive 8.2/10. But which episode is the favorite of the CHiPs stars themselves?

When posed this question during a recent panel hosted by Collider's Maggie Lovitt at Big Lick Comic-Con in Roanoke, VA, Wilcox surprised fans by naming an episode that is one of the lowest-rated of its season on IMDb. "The best episode was when I got to do one day of rodeo," Wilcox replied in reference to Season 2, Episode 12, "High Explosive." He added, "So I'm a cowboy, I'm a professional rodeo cowboy, and I rope. I brought my horses, and I told them that to pay me to rent my horse, my horse trailer, and my motor home, it was great. I should be so lucky."

What Was Larry Wilcox's Favorite 'CHiPs' Episode About?

Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox at the CHiPs Reunion at Big Lick Comic Con

The man himself may not have remembered the title of the episode, but Wilcox could remember the unadulterated fun he had making "High Explosive." But what was it about? A synopsis for the episode reads, "Ponch and Jon befriend a fatherless country boy out of place in the big city and in big trouble for firing his pellet gun into traffic. A reckless ambulance driver threatens lives when he illegally transports cases of unstable dynamite." It should come as little surprise that an episode such as this was Wilcox's favorite, considering one of the show's best-selling points was that the sheer joy of its lead performers radiated through the screen and into millions of homes for six great years.

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