Best Classic American TV Police ShowsBy Raymond Lockley
The cop show has long been a staple of American television. But before
there were global cable channels that showed nothing but "CSI" and
"Law & Order" 24 hours a day, there were classic police dramas
with no-nonsense cops that kept the peace during a changing American
landscape. Most "best" lists of series go back only to the '80s, but
for what it's worth, here is my list of the shows that paved the way
in the earlier days of television, and created iconic characters and
oft-imitated classic lines:
Honorable mentionPolice dramas weren't the only shows on TV featuring law enforcement. Here are a few of the series that definitely deserve a mention, but whose plot-lines (or time setting) don't quite fit my police drama category:
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