Greatest cop shows

OK, I read the list. Rather than quibble with the piece's ratings, which had the usual headscratchers common to all such lists but was otherwise OK, I want to note that it assumes television began in the mid-'60s. Only The Naked City from before then. No Peter Gunn (had to be there for theme alone, no M Squad (Lee Marvin's first starring role) and above all, no original Dragnet, the one before Harry Morgan. I think Reno 911 or Starsky and Hutch (laughably bad show) could've been pushed out for at least two of those.

 

The L&O flagship should be ahead of SVU (though it faded badly in seasons 14-17 before Sisto, Anderson and Roche gave it new life down the stretch). I think SVU is trying to do that with its Criminal Intent look. Oh, the fifth L&O was the Los Angeles one that didn't last half a season.

Dragnet belongs nowhere near a tops list, unless it's a comedy category.

 

Did Streets of San Francisco make the list? (I refuse to fall for clickbait.)

 

Yes it did. I don't remember exactly where, but I do remember seeing it.

 

I remember hearing somebody once say that Barney Miller was the most realistic cop show ever.

 

Probably on page 2 of this thread from da man

 

Exactly, for cultural sustainability if anything.

 

"Highway Patrol" with Broderick Crawford was a great show.

 

Former boss of mine also liked "Cannon" because, like Broderick Crawford, William Conrad was a fat, ugly guy who made good.

 

William Conrad kicked ass.

 

These lists always feel like they were made by a 20-something who tossed in a couple pre-2005 shows because someone told them they were good.

My wife and I watch a shitload of old 70s cop shows on DVD. In the last few years we've watched the entire runs of "Streets of San Francisco," "Kojak," "Hawaii 5-O," "Rockford Files," "SWAT" and a few others. ("Magnum PI" has not aged well. "TJ Hooker" was a colossal piece of shit. Just started "Vega$" with Robert Urich.)

Starman is absolutely right about the writing. Even the best ones start to stumble by the end of season two, and around season three everything you loved about them is gone.

"Kojak" should be on the list, and high. Its first season was better than anything else of its era.

Agreed that "Dragnet" and "Adam 12" have to be on there, and including "Andy Griffith" is a joke.

 

Andy Griffith is one of my all time favorites. It is a hilarious sitcom and family show that holds up incredibly well, but it would never have crossed my mind to put it on a cop show list.