Police TV: Ten Classic Cop Shows

While it's true that many people today dislike and even don't trust the police, there's no denying that television shows about cops have always been a staple of the medium. Over the course of TV history, a number of shows have even been responsible for making young people want a career in law enforcement because of the way they glamorized police work and made it appear exciting.

The formula would seem to be relatively simple: bad guys do something illegal, cops chase and nab suspects, recover stolen loot. It hasn't always been that simple. Some shows took us behind the scenes, going to great lengths to describe what the cops go through during their investigations. While you would think this would be abominably boring, one program that did this was so memorable that even its theme music is known around the world by its opening four notes. Police shows have been made into comedies and one was a musical showcase that was revolutionary but failed miserably. Called "Cop Rock", it involved officers, judges, and even juries who broke into song at the drop of a handcuff, and was cancelled after eleven episodes.

If you were expecting to find "Cops" listed here, you'll be disappointed. That program is one of my favorites, but we're here to talk about fictional drama cops, not the real ones. So, are you ready for a ride-along with the cops? Put on your bullet-proof vest and join us as we check out some of the most influential police shows on TV.

Racket Squad (Syndicated/CBS June 7, 1951-September 7, 1953) Reed Hadley starred as Captain John Braddock, a fictional cop who introduced and partially narrated programs dealing with how criminals swindle average citizens. Like a good number of cop shows, Racket Squad episodes were based on actual case files from all over America, but were usually set in nondescript cities that were named but rarely located on a map. "Squad" was nominated for an Emmy two times, and quite a few episodes are available on DVD. When compared with modern cop shows, it gives great insight on how little con men have changed.