That’s one of the virtues of “Highway Patrol,” along with a lot of other Ziv shows. They filmed almost exclusively on-location, utilizing real backdrops. Scenes at office buildings, motels, farms, whatever, were real locales. Not Hollywood soundstages. Hence, it really captures the visual and cultural tone of its era.
Plus, I just personally relish the no-nonsense flavor of the narratives. No overblown scenes of self-indulgent emoting, no flamboyant direction that draws attention to itself, none of the weird, operatic excesses that frankly makes modern film fare seem so idiotically contrived and over-the-top. None of the smug, sarcastic ‘detached irony’ of the current culture. Those old shows are like such a breath of fresh air to me.
Just watched another episode and was surprised to see Leonard Nimoy had a part as a small time hood in a protection racket.Episode 8 Blood Money is you want to take a look.