21 Jump Street was an hour long police drama that ran on the fledgling FOX network from 1987 until 1991. It is was an early success for the network and is often credited with helping increase their viability, especially by expanding the teen audience, in the early years before hits like The Simpsons. The series was also instrumental in launching Johnny Depp's career. The show made him a pop-icon, a status he largely rejected and which led to his departure from the show after the fourth season. The show commonly dealt with issues significant at the time and often offered a moral at the end of the show. The show was commonly followed by a public service announcement pertaining to that episode's theme.

All five seasons of 21 Jump Street have been released on DVD through Anchor Bay Entertainment. However, many viewers complain that the original soundtracks, which were often thematically tied to the episode, have been removed. The missing soundtracks have either been replaced with music incongruous to the plot line, or remain totally absent. Also, many words that were said in the original airings of the episodes have been dubbed over with softer alternatives.