more retro rewinds

“21 Jump Street” (Crackle, streaming):

The police drama that made Johnny Depp a star – and gave the Fox network one of its biggest early hits – cast him as Tom Hanson, a member of an undercover unit whose youthful looks let the detectives infiltrate schools to investigate crimes among young people. Depp left before the show’s fifth and final season to focus on his then-burgeoning movie career; Holly Robinson (now known with the last name Peete) also stars.

“Road House” (Tuesday and Wednesday, July 14 and 15, AMC):

“Be nice ... until it’s time not to be nice.” Such is the wisdom of Dalton (Patrick Swayze), nightspot bouncer extraordinaire, as he tries to clean up a hugely corrupted club in this 1989 action classic. Ben Gazzara chews every bit of scenery he can find as a local bigwig who doesn’t take kindly to Dalton’s intervention, and Sam Elliott does his grizzled-mentor bit to perfection.

“Walker, Texas Ranger” (Get TV, daily):

As with his movies, Chuck Norris didn’t have to deliver much dialogue here. He mostly let his fists and feet do the talking by applying his martial-arts skills to the title role of the lawman who kept the Lone Star State safe, with many familiar character actors on the wrong end of his kicks. The CW is rebooting the show, with Jared Padalecki (“Supernatural”) starring, for next season.

“Backdraft” (Cinemax, Friday, July 17):

The pyrotechnics and stunt work are amazing in director Ron Howard’s 1991 drama of Chicago firefighters, two of whom are extremely competitive siblings (Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, both credited here with doing their own very perilous stunts). An apparent arsonist on the loose doesn’t ease the tension between them; also in the expert cast are Robert De Niro, Scott Glenn and Donald Sutherland.