Favorite or least favorite TV Cop Show

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pktrekgirl
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Post by pktrekgirl »

jdb1 wrote: Aside from that, I'd say my favorite cop show was "Cagney and Lacey." It had a very nice NYC tang to it.
I forgot about that one. I used to LOVE that show. Actually, one of the best series of episodes of any TV show *ever* comes out of that show, IMO.

When Chris's father dies and she goes on a several day drunk - truly harrowing TV for the time. And that one scene when David finally comes to her apartment and confronts her, drunk and in her pajamas...

Sharon Gless deserved an Emmy for that episode. Really.

Wow...what a show!
In addition, my experience of NYC police stations for various reasons (a victim of robbery and burglary, and as a donor of winter coats) has led me to believe that the station house depicted on Barney Miller wasn't all that fanciful. There are a lot more "characters" brought into neighborhood precincts than there are criminals.
You know...I feel the same way about Alaska and Northern Exposure.

It's meant to be a sitcom...but in truth, it's alot closer to reality than you might imagine. :lol:
pktrekgirl
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Post by pktrekgirl »

pktrekgirl wrote:
jdb1 wrote: Aside from that, I'd say my favorite cop show was "Cagney and Lacey." It had a very nice NYC tang to it.
I forgot about that one. I used to LOVE that show. Actually, one of the best series of episodes of any TV show *ever* comes out of that show, IMO.

When Chris's father dies and she goes on a several day drunk, culminating in her realization that she is an alcoholic - truly harrowing TV for the time. And that one scene when David finally comes to her apartment and confronts her, drunk and in her pajamas...

Sharon Gless deserved an Emmy for that episode. Really.

Wow...what a show!
In addition, my experience of NYC police stations for various reasons (a victim of robbery and burglary, and as a donor of winter coats) has led me to believe that the station house depicted on Barney Miller wasn't all that fanciful. There are a lot more "characters" brought into neighborhood precincts than there are criminals.
You know...I feel the same way about Alaska and Northern Exposure.

It's meant to be a sitcom...but in truth, it's alot closer to reality than you might imagine. :lol:
pktrekgirl
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Post by pktrekgirl »

pktrekgirl wrote:
pktrekgirl wrote:
jdb1 wrote: Aside from that, I'd say my favorite cop show was "Cagney and Lacey." It had a very nice NYC tang to it.
I forgot about that one. I used to LOVE that show. Actually, one of the best series of episodes of any TV show *ever* comes out of that show, IMO.

When Chris's father dies and she goes on a several day drunk, culminating in her realization that she is an alcoholic - truly harrowing TV for the time. And that one scene when David finally comes to her apartment and confronts her, drunk, barely functional, and in pajamas she'd been wearing for days without bathing...

Sharon Gless deserved an Emmy for that episode. Really.

Wow...what a show!
In addition, my experience of NYC police stations for various reasons (a victim of robbery and burglary, and as a donor of winter coats) has led me to believe that the station house depicted on Barney Miller wasn't all that fanciful. There are a lot more "characters" brought into neighborhood precincts than there are criminals.
You know...I feel the same way about Alaska and Northern Exposure.

It's meant to be a sitcom...but in truth, it's alot closer to reality than you might imagine. :lol:
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cinemalover
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Post by cinemalover »

My favorite cop show was and is Hill Street Blues. This is a show that brought me back to television when I had all but given up on the medium. It was the first cop show that felt "real" to me and that I could honestly care about the characters. The ongoing story arcs made this can't miss TV. Many quality shows have sprung from the trend that this one set, such as NYPD Blues and The Sheild, but this was the original.

Worst: Too many to remember but I'll throw out C.H.I.P.S. as my nominee for worst ever.
Chris

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Post by JulieMarch4th »

I know a guy who does CSI type stuff for Baltimore MD, and he HATES CSI and it's various variations. He says the most realistic cop shows have been Barney Miller and Hill Street Blues. Next time I see him, I'll ask him why. . .

I did love Cagney and Lacey when it was on. It's one of three TV shows (I believe) that got a cancellation reprieve from fans writing in to the network. I'm pretty sure that one of the others is original Star Trek, and I can't remember the third.

Julie
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Post by SSO Admins »

JulieMarch4th wrote:I know a guy who does CSI type stuff for Baltimore MD, and he HATES CSI and it's various variations.
It's a wonder he has time to watch TV at all.
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Post by SSO Admins »

cinemalover wrote:My favorite cop show was and is Hill Street Blues.
Once of my teenage girlfriends had a role on that. I think she was in two or three episodes. If I remember correctly she played a property clerk who was rebelling when the squad room instituted a no smoking policy.
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Post by MissGoddess »

moirafinnie wrote:
Also like a little Ronald Reagan movie called Night Unto Night (1949) in which Crawford plays a philosophy-spouting abstract painter! He was one of the best tough guys ever, but even better as a tough guy artist!


My pick for a Dumb Cop Show: CHIPS.

Moira---you're the only person I've found so far who liked that crazily off-beat choice in casting Broderick Crawford as a philosphical (almost beatnik) artist in that movie!! It's actually my favorite Reagan movie but mainly for BC.


My choice for "least favorite" too, is CHIPS. I can't tell you how much I loathed Eric Estrada as a child when I saw him in this show. I can't explain what caused my instant dislike for him! Weird.
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Post by MissGoddess »

I guess maybe my favorite is Kojak because I love Telly Savalas. But if I could see "Police Woman" again I might choose that one. I haven't seen it since I was a little kid but I remember liking it. If I liked it as a kid I wonder what I would think now. It seemed to disappear off the map like many other shows I've never seen ("Peter Gunn").


However, if I could broaden this category enough to make it qualify, my all-time favorite series about a police detective is not even American: it's John Thaw as British Chief "Inspector Morse". People look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'm a huge fan of the show but I can't help it, I think Thaw's character is so adorable. :wink:
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Post by movieman1957 »

MissGodess:

"Inspector Morse" is one of my favorites too. I've only seen 6 or 7 out of the 33 but I think they are quite good. I've even seen the one new story for Inspector Lewis.

If you haven't seen the "Cracker" or "Prime Suspect" series you should check those out.
Chris

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Post by MissGoddess »

Hi Chris---I heard about "Lewis" but I haven't seen it yet. I do like the actor---he and John Thaw had a great chemistry between them.

I tried Prime Suspect but I couldn't really get into it. I haven't seen Cracker. I think they are just too realistic for my taste.

It's really just John Thaw's personality as Morse that keeps me into the show---he's so out of step with everything, kind of a romantic, and that's why I'm such a fan. Nothing else is like that in the police show genre that I've seen.
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Post by benwhowell »

"Barney Miller" and "Reno 911!"
A "private detective" show that I miss is "Cannon" with William Conrad.
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movieman1957
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Post by movieman1957 »

[quote="MissGoddess"]

I tried Prime Suspect but I couldn't really get into it. I haven't seen Cracker. I think they are just too realistic for my taste.


If you didn't like "Prime Suspect" then you can probably pass on "Cracker." It is a tough character driven drama. Robbie Coltraine does a great job. One of my favorite lines from a show is where, describing himself, he says "I eat too much. I drink too much, I gamble too much. I am too much." Indeed he is.
Chris

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Post by CharlieT »

I'll have to cast my vote for favorite cop show as being Barney Miller, too. It was a sitcom that had you rolling on the floor laughing (remember Yamana's hashish brownies?) or seeing the hard life of a big city policeman. The entire cast played completely believable characters and brought something special to the screen.

I'd also have to agree with the people who didn't like CHIPS for most of the same reasons.

Of course, who could forget the immortal line, "Book 'em, Dano."? There was a cop show that told a story and advertised the glories of the Hawaiian paradise to a nation ready to stretch its tourist legs. And it had a catchy theme song. Hawaii 5-0 is worthy of a thumbs-up from me.
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Post by MikeBSG »

"Inspector Morse" is a wonderful show. John Thaw is unforgettable as the intellectual detective.

The "Inspector Lewis" episode they showed last summer was the highlight of last year's PBS "Mystery" season.

I really only liked the first and the last "Prime Suspect." The first PS had a great "pendulum" plot, in which all your suspicions are aimed at one character, and then new clues are found that swing them away, but then they swing back. I liked the last PS because it showed what a miserable life Tennyson had. It didn't glamorize her in the least. The other PS series were okay but seemed to exist mostly to highlight various social issues.
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