'70s Icon Erik Estrada Starred In One Of The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Revival's Worst Episodes

Alfred Hitchcock was a master of branding as well as suspense, but not everything associated with his name was a guaranteed hit. In 1985, five years after the death of the legendary director, a reboot of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" hit the airwaves. Archival footage of Hitchcock was integrated into the intros and outros to provide the same feel as the iconic anthology horror series. 

Unfortunately, sometimes the content in the middle was lacking, and out of 77 episodes, Season 4's "The Big Spin" is considered by viewers as one of the worst. Erik Estrada — a '70s icon after starring as Officer Frank Poncherello on "CHiPs"– plays Vinnie Pacelli, a New York taxi driver. However, in contrast to Poncherello's charming persona, this time the beloved actor is playing a pompous, abrasive character who's cheating on his girlfriend. When one of Pacelli's passengers drops some lottery tickets, he keeps them for himself, and the plot thickens when Pacelli flies into a rage with a model. Despite its worst episode designation, some viewers found the final twist deeply satisfying.

At the height of his "CHiPs" fame, Estrada was on screens and in magazines, and had a lot of teenage fans. While we'll never know the exact reasons so many people have beef with "The Big Spin," this "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode aired just under six years after "CHiPs" wrapped, so it's possible that it was too jarring to see Estrada play such an unlikeable character.

Luckily, Erik Estrada's fans are much more likely to see him on the right side of the law. In fact, he wanted to be a police officer before he considered acting. "[My mom] started dating a cop," the veteran actor informed the "Behind the Badge" podcast in 2026. "The guy was my hero." Surprisingly, Estrada's roles before his big "CHiPs" break were more reminiscent of Vinnie Pacelli on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." When "CHiPs" creator Rick Rosner wanted Estrada for Officer Frank Poncherello, network execs had difficulty seeing past his resume of unsavory characters. Fortunately, a screen test shifted these preconceived notions.

Years later, Estrada returned to his original career aspirations and became a reserve police officer in Indiana. Unfortunately, his fame got in the way initially, since bystanders weren't aware that it wasn't an acting gig. Instead, he found a better fit working undercover on internet crimes.

He's also continued acting and appearing in reality shows like "Battle of the Network Stars." In some instances, he's played a law enforcement role, as in "52 Days: The Triangle," while in others, he's a little less conspicuous, like when he made a cameo as a paramedic in the 2017 "CHiPs" movie remake. While his former "CHiPs" co-star Larry Wilcox wasn't a fan of the film, Estrada took a sanguine view towards any criticism. "If people don't like it, they don't gotta see it," he informed USA Today at the time. It's highly likely that he would take a similar view about fans' reactions to "The Big Spin."