5 TV Shows That Redefined What A Cop Drama Could Be

Cop dramas have existed from virtually the moment television began. “Barney Blake, Police Reporter,” premiered in 1948 and embraced a crime-of-the-week formula that would become a staple of the genre. “Stand By For Crime” premiered in 1949; Whereas the previous show established a key trend, this one’s approach was a bit of a dead end. The series aired for a live audience, and invited viewers to call in with their own guesses as to who the killer was. 

Perhaps the most successful early cop show was “The Plainclothesman,” which ran from 1949 to 1954. The series was also focused around a case-of-the-week format, with the fun gimmick of the camera functioning as the main character’s eyes. Although the show was well-received, all but four episodes have been lost to time, and it’s rarely spoken of as a game-changer for the genre. 

The five cop dramas on this list are shows where their impact on the rest of the genre can be clearly felt. Each series offered a new approach that later shows were happy to run with — codifying archetypes, tropes, and themes. They may not be the five best cop dramas ever made, but they’re certainly among the five most influential. 

Originating as a radio show in 1949, the creators of “Dragnet” worked alongside the Los Angeles Police Department to develop a series that felt more realistic than previous cop dramas. “The LAPD gave [showrunner Jack Webb] carte blanche,” recalled detective-turned-writer Joseph Wambaugh to the Washington Post. “They could shoot wherever they wanted. They could have cops for extras, and police vehicles and equipment,” all of which helped keep the show’s budget low and made it feel refreshingly authentic. 

“Dragnet” was the first hit cop drama to partner up with a real-life police department, a practice that would be repeated by later shows like “Law & Order” and “Blue Bloods.” The latter premiered in 2010, and its writers would get creative input from employees within the New York Police Department. 

While some critics argue the cop genre will always be conservative in nature, plenty of shows gave the police a progressive veneer. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” portrays its cast of officers as progressives. The show’s apparent politics often clashed with the norms of the genre, leading to a breaking point in the show’s controversial, status quo-shattering Season 8. Nearly 60 years before “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” however, the first cop drama to imagine an idealized version of the police premiered. “Decoy” was the first show to ever focus on a female police officer.

Beverly Garland played undercover officer Casey Jones. She’s written as both extremely competent and always respected by her peers. Sexism in the police force certainly existed in the ’50s, but there was no trace of it on the show. Garland would later recall being told by female police officers that her character inspired them to join the force. “Decoy” was both a trailblazing feminist series and a show that uncritically idolized the police — it would hardly be the last of its kind. In the ’70s, the female-led series “Police Woman” took a similar approach, balancing its law-and-order commentary with its progressive gender politics.

“Crime Story” was a groundbreaking ’80s crime drama and the first show in the genre to embrace serialized storytelling. The series does away with the case-of-the-week format and frames each season around one big case. Its creator, Michael Mann, was responsible for “Miami Vice,” another ’80s police drama that nearly made it onto this list, but “Crime Story” wins out for being bolder and more sophisticated with its plotting. 

Mann told Entertainment Weekly in 2012 that the show’s ambition made it hard to sell to NBC: “There was a lot of discussion between [NBC president] Brandon Tartikoff and myself about how do you hook viewers in in so strong a way that they’re following you — because this is all brand new, this is virgin territory — so that they would follow you from episode to episode.” “Crime Story” may not have perfected the approach — it would be canceled after only two seasons — but it did pave the way for series that would. Most of the critically-acclaimed cop dramas of the past few decades have embraced serialization.

Not only is “The Wire” even more serialized and complex than shows like “Crime Story,” it was the first TV series truly willing to embrace the dark side of its police main characters. Its second episode features one character blinding someone in a clear-cut case of police brutality; His lieutenant advises him to lie about what happened while the other cops say nothing. The police in “The Wire” aren’t villains, but they’re often morally compromised and always morally complex. 

The show’s creator, David Simon, drew on his experience as a Baltimore journalist for the series, giving it an authentic edge so rarely seen in this sort of cop drama. It’s hard to accuse Simon of trying to help the Baltimore Police Department’s image, since he was particularly open in interviews about his complaints with the force. “When we finish filming at one in the morning, it’s even odds that one of the African-American members of the cast and crew will be detained,” he told Slate in 2008. “My first assistant director was arrested, dumped unceremoniously at central booking, and ultimately released after seeing a court commissioner. The charge against him was never brought into court. This is common in Baltimore under the current administration.” This was not a “Dragnet”-type situation, that was clear.

“True Detective” was serialized like “The Wire,” but with a more existential, surrealist vibe. Whereas “The Wire” thrilled audiences with its nuance and social commentary, the appeal of “True Detective” was its sheer emotional depth. This was a series where viewers could watch two established movie star actors give the best performances of their career. Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson) weren’t as realistic as the detective characters on “The Wire,” but they left a much bigger impression.

Perhaps most memorably, “True Detective” truly felt cinematic. Season 1 is the best-case scenario of what more traditional TV writers have often dismissed as the “ten hour movie” approach to modern television. Later seasons of “True Detective” failed to match up to Season 1’s brilliance, but when it comes to the show’s cultural impact, one season was all it needed. Since 2014, there have been a string of cop drama miniseries that owe a debt to “True Detective.” Shows like “The Night Of,” “The Mare of Easttown,” and “Under the Banner of Heaven” all have their distinct flavors, but they all sort of feel like they’re trying to capture the highs of “True Detective” Season 1.