| The Academy | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality show |
| Starring | Revolving cast |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox Reality Channel |
| Original run | May 2007 – July 2008 |
The Academy is a reality television series that provides a behind-the-scenes look at police recruits of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy as they go through an 18-week training course to become deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The program premiered in May 2007 on Fox Reality Channel with class 355. As of fall 2007, the series is also aired on MyNetworkTV. There were 111 recruits to start out and 24 were separated. Separations occur when recruits fail make-up exams, simply decide to resign due to injury or by personal choice, or when the instructors feel the recruit shouldn't continue with training.
The lead drill instructor was Deputy Miley a.k.a "The Ramrod". Class 355 was mostly made of recruits for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, but there were recruits for other agencies as well such as the Los Angeles Port Police, Torrance Police Department, Inglewood Police Department, Redondo Beach Police Department, and the Pomona Police Department. The finale for the first season was on Thursday, August 2, 2007.
Fox Reality started taping the second season of the show in early November 2007 at the STARS Center, the Los Angeles County Sheriff academy. The second season premiere aired on May 24, 2008, and the second season finale aired on July 26, 2008. The third season of The Academy, which premiered on October 24, 2009 provides a behind-the-scenes look at recruits of the Orange County Fire Authority, California.
Contents |
An inside look at the training academy of the largest sheriff's department in the nation. For class 355 all hell is about to break loose on day one of the intense 18 week training process.
Separations:
It's half way through the first week of the academy and Class 355 is about to learn that Los Angeles is one of the most dangerous counties in the country as they get their first introduction to defensive tactics.
It's week two and Recruit Class 355 is already showing signs of weakness. Deputy Miley decides the class doesn't have what it takes, so he makes himself the class sergeant and the recruits pay dearly for their inability to work together.
Separations:
It's week three as one recruit defies direct orders and goes to Mexico over a weekend, which resulted in a physical altercation with a local gang. Meanwhile the rest of the recruits are given the privilege of wearing their uniforms for the first time, but that honor is short lived.
Separations:
Drama at the academy is at an all time high as two recruits have a heated dispute at the shooting range, while another recruit has a life-threatening issue during defensive tactics and is rushed to the hospital.
The recruits are sent to vehicles training where they learn to do quick driving maneuvers, skids and high speed pursuit chases. Some recruits start to get sloppy in their actions and The Ramrod lets them know that they are going to have to pay for it.
Separations:
Love is in the air at the academy as two recruits are discovered to have had an ongoing romance while another takes a weekend off from studying to get married. The Ramrod, Deputy Miley pays an emotional visit to a former recruit who is severely battling cancer.
Separations:
The Ramrod decides to throw a pop quiz on Class 355, but the surprise is on him when they can't answer one question correctly. The drill instructors take away all senior privileges and the class must go back to as if they were starting from day 1.
Separations:
Class 355 starts to pull together as a group as graduation day approaches. However not everything is going to plan as an instructional boxing match goes awry when one of the recruits is rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening injury.
Separations:
Class 355 participates in a traditional run through cities in Los Angeles County to signify a right of passage and honor a fallen peace officer. For some recruits the pressure is getting to be too much as they struggle to qualify at the shooting range.
Separations:
Class 355 has been waiting 18 weeks for this day, but one recruit learns he will not be graduating. This day is a poignant yet emotional time for the recruits as they start to see the significance of the badge they will wear.
Separations:
Class 368 is made of 115 recruits, including two who were separated from Class 355.
Deputy Miley and the other drill instructors are back to train Class 368. The LASD Staff has many new surprises planned for the first day of training, known as "Black Monday."
Separations:
Recruit Paez struggles as the first class sergeant, and Deputy Miley gives her an ultimatum. Recruit Villareal finds himself in hot water when the drill instructors learn he went out to a club rather than studying.
Separations:
Recruit Villareal is on the hot seat as the new class sergeant. Then he leaves his locker unlocked with his newly issued gun inside.
Class 368's first trip to the shooting range is a disaster when Recruit Valladares can't figure out how to shoot his weapon. Recruit Marquez, a recent cancer survivor, becomes violently ill and is sent to the hospital.
Separations:
The staff confidently appoints Recruit Leos to the role of class sergeant, but the class doesn’t follow her lead.
Separations:
Recruit Santos is in a bind when she is appointed to the role as class sergeant, but can't lead the class. The recruits have a big argument while the drill instructors figure out how to get them to work better as a team.
A few careless recruits are in hot water after their weapons are stolen from their vehicle. Recruit Santos fights for her job as she struggles with all aspects of the training.
Separations:
Class 368 has its final shooting test and endures a house filled with tear gas. Emotions are high at the “The Colors Run” ceremony, which is dedicated to the family of a fallen officer.
Separations:
Recruit Villareal continues to disappoint the drill instructors and Class 368. Recruit Turner and others face separation as they retake the final test...just days before graduation.
Class 368 graduates from The Academy, and for the first time, the new deputies take to the streets the next day (Class 368 ends with 97 graduates out of 115).
Class 36 consists of recruits from various backgrounds, including EMTs, firefighters from other cities, a construction manager, dispatchers, a corporate vice president, and a former professional football player. The class started out with 28 recruits (the top one percent of all applicants). Through the entire 18 week program, four were released:
References