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The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of
procedural drama A procedural or procedural drama is a cross-genre type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail. A documentary film may also be written in a procedural style to heighten narrative interest. Television pro ...
and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a
police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
or department as the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on either a private detective, an amateur investigator or the characters who are the targets of investigations. While many police procedurals conceal the criminal's identity until the crime is solved in the narrative climax (the so-called whodunit), others reveal the perpetrator's identity to the audience early in the narrative, making it an
inverted detective story An inverted detective story, also known as a "howcatchem", is a murder mystery fiction structure in which the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator. The story then describ ...
. Whatever the plot style, the defining element of a police procedural is the attempt to accurately depict the profession of law enforcement, including such police-related topics as forensic science, autopsies, gathering
evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...
, search warrants, interrogation and adherence to legal restrictions and procedure.


Early history

The roots of the police procedural have been traced to at least the mid-1880s. Wilkie Collins's novel '' The Moonstone'' (1868), a tale of a
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...
detective investigating the theft of a valuable diamond, has been described as perhaps the earliest clear example of the genre. As detective fiction rose to worldwide popularity in the late 19th century and early 20th century, many of the pioneering and most popular characters, at least in the English-speaking world, were private investigators or amateurs. See C. Auguste Dupin,
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
,
Sam Spade Sam Spade is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon''. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett. ''The Maltese Falcon'', first published as a serial in the pulp ...
, Miss Marple and others. Hercule Poirot was described as a veteran of the Belgian police, but as a protagonist he worked independently. Only after World War II would police procedural fiction rival the popularity of PIs or amateur sleuths.
Lawrence Treat Lawrence Arthur Goldstone (1903–1998), better known by his pen name, Lawrence Treat, was an American mystery writer, a pioneer of the genre of novels that became known as police procedurals. Treat began his professional life as a lawyer, having ...
's 1945 novel ''V as in Victim'' is often cited as the first police procedural, by Anthony Boucher (mystery critic for the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
Book Review'') among others. Another early example is
Hillary Waugh Hillary Baldwin Waugh (June 22, 1920 – December 8, 2008) was a pioneering American mystery novelist. In 1989, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Pseudonyms used by Waugh included Elissa Grandower, Harry Walker and H. ...
's '' Last Seen Wearing...'' 1952. Even earlier examples from the 20th Century, predating Treat, include the novels ''Vultures in the Dark'', 1925, and ''The Borrowed Shield'', 1925, by
Richard Enright Richard Edward Enright (August 30, 1871 – September 4, 1953) was an American law enforcement officer, detective, and crime writer and served as NYPD Police Commissioner from 1918 until 1925. He was the first man to rise from the rank-and-file ...
, retired
New York City Police Commissioner The New York City Police Commissioner is the head of the New York City Police Department and presiding member of the Board of Commissioners. The commissioner is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the mayor. The commissioner is respons ...
, ''Harness Bull'', 1937, and ''Homicide'', 1937, by former Southern California police officer Leslie T. White, ''P.C. Richardson's First Case'', 1933, by Sir Basil Thomson, former Assistant Commissioner of
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...
, and the short story collection ''Policeman's Lot'', 1933, by former Buckinghamshire High Sheriff and Justice of the Peace
Henry Wade Henry Menasco Wade (November 11, 1914 – March 1, 2001) was an American lawyer who served as district attorney of Dallas County from 1951 to 1987. He participated in two notable U.S. court cases of the 20th century: the prosecution of Jack Ru ...
. The procedural became more prominent after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and, while the contributions of
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...
s like Treat were significant, a large part of the impetus for the post-war development of the procedural as a distinct subgenre of the mystery was due, not to prose fiction, but to the popularity of a number of American films which dramatized and fictionalized actual crimes. Dubbed " semidocumentary films" by film critics, these motion pictures, often filmed on location, with the cooperation of the law enforcement agencies involved in the actual case, made a point of authentically depicting police work. Examples include '' The Naked City'' (1948), '' The Street with No Name'' (1948), '' T-Men'' (1947), '' He Walked by Night'' (1948), and '' Border Incident'' (1949). Films from other countries soon began following the semi-documentary trend. In
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, there was '' Quai des orfevres'' (1947), released in the United States as ''Jenny Lamour''. In Japanese cinema, there was Akira Kurosawa's 1949 film ''
Stray Dog A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house. Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million, of w ...
'', a serious police procedural film noir that was also a precursor to the buddy cop film genre. In the UK, there were films such as '' The Blue Lamp'' (1950) and '' The Long Arm'' (1956) set in London and depicting the Metropolitan Police. One semidocumentary, '' He Walked By Night'' (1948), released by Eagle-Lion Films, featured a young radio actor named
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sgt. Joe Friday in the ''Dragnet'' franchise, which he created. He was a ...
in a supporting role. The success of the film, along with a suggestion from LAPD Detective
Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...
Marty Wynn, the film's
technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie. Nipo T. Strongheart was a noted technica ...
, gave Webb an idea for a
radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...
that depicted police work in a similarly semi-documentary manner. The resulting series, '' Dragnet'', which debuted on radio in 1949 and made the transition to television in 1951, has been called "the most famous procedural of all time" by mystery novelists William L. DeAndrea,
Katherine V. Forrest Katherine V. Forrest (born 1939) is a Canadian-born American writer, best known for her novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. Her books have won and been finalists for Lambda Literary Award twelve times, as well as other awards. S ...
and Max Allan Collins. The same year that ''Dragnet'' debuted on radio,
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
-winning playwright Sidney Kingsley's stage play '' Detective Story'' opened on Broadway. This frank, carefully researched dramatization of a typical day in an NYPD precinct detective squad became another benchmark in the development of the police procedural. '' Dragnet'' marked a turn in the depiction of the police on screen. Instead of being corrupt laughingstocks, this was the first time police officers represented bravery and heroism. In their quest for authenticity, '' Dragnet'''s producers used real police cars and officers in their scenes. However, this also meant that in exchange, the LAPD could vet scripts for authenticity. The LAPD vetted every scene, which would allow them to remove elements they did not agree with or did not wish to draw attention to. Over the next few years, the number of novelists who picked up on the procedural trend following ''Dragnet'''s example grew to include writers like Ben Benson, who wrote carefully researched novels about the Massachusetts State Police, retired police officer
Maurice Procter Maurice Procter (4 February 1906 – 28 April 1973) was an English novelist. He was born in Nelson, Lancashire, England. Early life Maurice Procter was born in Nelson, Lancashire, on 4 February 1906. His parents were Rose Hannah and William ...
, who wrote a series about North England cop
Harry Martineau Harry Martineau is a fictional British police detective created by Maurice Procter. He is a Chief Inspector in the industrial Northern city of Granchester, which was inspired by Manchester. Procter, himself a former police officer, wrote fourt ...
, and Jonathan Craig, who wrote short stories and novels about New York City police officers. Police novels by writers who would come to virtually define the form, like
Hillary Waugh Hillary Baldwin Waugh (June 22, 1920 – December 8, 2008) was a pioneering American mystery novelist. In 1989, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Pseudonyms used by Waugh included Elissa Grandower, Harry Walker and H. ...
, Ed McBain, and John Creasey started to appear regularly. In 1956, in his regular '' New York Times Book Review'' column, mystery critic Anthony Boucher, noting the growing popularity of crime fiction in which the main emphasis was the realistic depiction of police work, suggested that such stories constituted a distinct subgenre of the mystery, and, crediting the success of ''Dragnet'' for the rise of this new form, coined the phrase "police procedural" to describe it. As police procedurals became increasingly popular, they maintained this image of heroic police officers who are willing to bend the rules to save the day, as well as the use of police
consultants A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servi ...
. This would allow Hollywood to form a friendly relationship with law enforcement who are also responsible for granting shooting permits. This, however, has garnered criticisms.


Written stories


French ''roman policier''

French ''roman policier'' (fr) value induction over deduction, synthesis of character over analysis of crime. *1866:
Émile Gaboriau Émile Gaboriau (9 November 183228 September 1873) was a French writer, novelist, journalist, and a pioneer of detective fiction. Early life Gaboriau was born in the small town of Saujon, Charente-Maritime. He was the son of Charles Gabriel Ga ...
:
Monsieur Lecoq Monsieur Lecoq is the creation of Émile Gaboriau, a 19th-century French writer and journalist. Monsieur Lecoq is a fictional detective employed by the French Sûreté. The character is one of the pioneers of the genre and a major influence on ...
*1905:
Maurice Leblanc Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc (; ; 11 December 1864 – 6 November 1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French c ...
:
Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin (French pronunciation: ʁsɛn lypɛ̃ is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazi ...
*1908: Gaston Leroux: Joseph Rouletabille *1931: Georges Simenon:
Inspector Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...
*1949:
Frédéric Dard Frédéric Dard (Frédéric Charles Antoine Dard; 29 June 1921, in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, France – 6 June 2000, in Bonnefontaine, Fribourg, Switzerland) was a French crime writer. He wrote more than three hundred novels, plays and screenplay ...
: "San-Antonio"


1931: Georges Simenon

The ''
Inspector Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...
'' novels of Georges Simenon feature a strong focus on the lead character, but the novels have always included subordinate members of his staff as supporting characters. Simenon, who had been a journalist covering police investigations before creating Maigret, gave the appearance of an accurate depiction of law enforcement in Paris. Simenon influenced later European procedural writers, such as Sweden's
Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö Martin Beck is a fictional Swedish police detective and the main character in the ten novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, collectively titled ''The Story of a Crime''. Frequently referred to as the Martin Beck stories, all have been ada ...
, and
Baantjer ''Baantjer'' is a Dutch television programme which was broadcast by RTL 4 from 6 October 1995 until 1 December 2006 for a total of 123 episodes in 12 seasons. It stars Piet Römer as Jurriaan 'Jurre' de Cock, a police detective, and Victor Reinier ...
.


1940: John Creasey/J. J. Marric

Perhaps ranking just behind McBain in importance to the development of the procedural as a distinct mystery subgenre is John Creasey, a prolific writer of many different kinds of crime fiction, from espionage to criminal protagonist. He was inspired to write a more realistic crime novel when his neighbor, a retired
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...
detective, challenged Creasey to "write about us as we are". The result was ''Inspector West Takes Charge'', 1940, the first of more than forty novels to feature Roger West of the London Metropolitan Police. The West novels were, for the era, an unusually realistic look at Scotland Yard operations, but the plots were often wildly melodramatic, and, to get around thorny legal problems, Creasey gave West an "amateur detective" friend who was able to perform the extra-procedural acts that West, as a policeman, could not. In the mid-1950s, inspired by the success of television's '' Dragnet'' and a similar British TV series, '' Fabian of the Yard'', Creasey decided to try a more down-to-earth series of cop stories. Adopting the pseudonym "J.J. Marric", he wrote ''
Gideon's Day ''Gideon's Day'' is the first in a series of police procedural novels by John Creasey writing as J.J. Marric. Published in 1955, it features a day in the professional life of Detective Superintendent George Gideon of the C.I.D., Scotland Y ...
'', 1955, in which George Gideon, a high-ranking detective at Scotland Yard, spends a busy day supervising his subordinates' investigations into several unrelated crimes. This novel was the first in a series of more than twenty books which brought Creasey his best critical notices. One entry, ''Gideon's Fire'', 1961, won an
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
from the
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
for Best Mystery Novel. The Gideon series, more than any other source, helped establish the common procedural plot structure of threading several autonomous story lines through a single novel.


1952: Hillary Waugh

Hillary Waugh Hillary Baldwin Waugh (June 22, 1920 – December 8, 2008) was a pioneering American mystery novelist. In 1989, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Pseudonyms used by Waugh included Elissa Grandower, Harry Walker and H. ...
, in 1952, wrote ''Last Seen Wearing ...'', a commercial and critical success, exploring detailed and relentless police work.


1956: Ed McBain

Ed McBain, the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...
of
Evan Hunter Evan Hunter, born Salvatore Albert Lombino,(October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter best known for his 87th Precinct novels, written under his Ed McBain pen name, and the novel upon which the film ''Blackbo ...
, wrote dozens of novels in the '' 87th Precinct'' series beginning with ''
Cop Hater ''Cop Hater'' (1956) is the first 87th Precinct police procedural novel by Ed McBain. The murder of three detectives in quick succession in the 87th Precinct leads Detective Steve Carella on a search that takes him into the city's underworld and ...
,'' published in 1956. Hunter continued to write 87th Precinct novels almost until his death in 2005. Although these novels focus primarily on Detective Steve Carella, they encompass the work of many officers working alone and in teams, and Carella is not always present in any individual book. As if to illustrate the universality of the police procedural, many of McBain's 87th Precinct novels, despite their being set in a slightly fictionalized New York City, have been filmed in settings outside New York, even outside the US. Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film, '' High and Low'', based on McBain's ''King's Ransom'' (1959), is set in
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
. ''Without Apparent Motive'' (1972), set on the
French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...
, is based on McBain's ''Ten Plus One'' (1963). Claude Chabrol's '' Les Liens de Sang'' (1978), based on ''Blood Relatives'' (1974), is set in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
. Even '' Fuzz'' (1972), based on the 1968 novel, though set in the US, moves the action to
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Two episodes of ABC's
Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC fr ...
, set in Los Angeles, were based on McBain novels.


1960: Elizabeth Linington/Dell Shannon/Lesley Egan

A prolific author of police procedurals, whose work has fallen out of fashion in the years since her death, is Elizabeth Linington writing under her own name, as well as "Dell Shannon" and "Lesley Egan". Linington reserved her Dell Shannon pseudonym primarily for procedurals featuring LAPD Central Homicide
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
Luis Mendoza (1960–86). Under her own name she wrote about Sergeant Ivor Maddox of LAPD's North Hollywood Station, and as Lesley Egan she wrote about suburban cop Vic Varallo. These novels are sometimes considered flawed, partly due to the author's far-right political viewpoint (she was a member of the
John Birch Society The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ideas. T ...
), but primarily because Miss Linington's books, notwithstanding the frequent comments she made about the depth of her research, were all seriously deficient in the single element most identified with the police procedural, technical accuracy. However, they have a certain charm in their depiction of a kinder, gentler California, where the police were always "good guys" who solved all the crimes and respected the citizenry.


1965: Sjöwall and Wahlöö

Maj Sjöwall and
Per Wahlöö Per Fredrik Wahlöö (5 August 1926 – 22 June 1975) – in English translations often identified as Peter Wahloo – was a Swedish author. He is perhaps best known for the collaborative work with his partner Maj Sjöwall on a series of ten nov ...
planned and wrote the
Martin Beck Martin Beck is a fictional Swedish police detective and the main character in the ten novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, collectively titled ''The Story of a Crime''. Frequently referred to as the Martin Beck stories, all have been ada ...
police procedural series of ten books between the 1960s and 1970s, set in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
. The series is particularly renowned for its extensive character development throughout the series. Beck himself is gradually promoted from detective in a newly nationalised Swedish police force to
Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...
Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
of the National Murder Squad, and the realistic depiction, as well as criticism of the Swedish welfare state at the time whilst the tedium of the police procedural continues in the background, is something still widely used today, with authors such as
Jo Nesbø Jo Nesbø (; born Jon Nesbø; 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian writer, musician, economist, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014; his work has been translated ...
and Stieg Larsson. The books gave rise to the Swedish noir scene, and '' The Laughing Policeman'' earned a "Best Novel" Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1971. The books were translated from Swedish into 35 different languages, and have sold roughly ten million copies. Sjöwall and Wahlöö used black humour extensively in the series, and it is widely recognised as one of the finest police procedural series.


1970: Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman, the author of 17 novels involving Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, wrote procedurals in which the procedures were those of the Navajo Tribal Police.


1971: Joseph Wambaugh

Though not the first police officer to write procedurals,
Joseph Wambaugh Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr. (born January 22, 1937), is a best-selling American writer known for his fictional and nonfictional accounts of police work in the United States. Several of his early novels were set in Los Angeles and its surroun ...
's success has caused him to become the exemplar of cops who turn their professional experiences into fiction. The son of a
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, policeman, Wambaugh joined the Los Angeles Police Department after a stint of military duty. In 1970, his first novel, ''
The New Centurions ''The New Centurions'' is a 1972 American Panavision neo-noir action crime film based on the 1971 novel of the same name by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh. It stars George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jane Alexander, Rosalin ...
'', was published. This followed three police officers through their training in the academy, their first few years on the street, culminating in the Watts riots of 1965. It was followed by such novels as ''The Blue Knight'', 1971, '' The Choirboys'', 1975, ''Hollywood Station'', 2006, and acclaimed non-fiction books like ''
The Onion Field ''The Onion Field'' is a 1973 nonfiction book by Joseph Wambaugh, a sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, chronicling the kidnapping of two plainclothes LAPD officers by a pair of criminals during a traffic stop and the subsequent m ...
'', 1973, ''Lines and Shadows'', 1984, and ''Fire Lover'', 2002. Wambaugh has said that his main purpose is less to show how cops work on the job, than how the job works on cops.


Detective novel writers

It is difficult to disentangle the early roots of the procedural from its forebear, the traditional detective novel, which often featured a police officer as protagonist. By and large, the better known novelists such as
Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the " Golden Age of De ...
produced work that falls more squarely into the province of the traditional or "cozy" detective novel. Nevertheless, some of the work of authors less well known today, like Freeman Wills Crofts's novels about Inspector French or some of the work of the prolific team of G.D.H. and
Margaret Cole Dame Margaret Isabel Cole (née Postgate; 6 May 1893 – 7 May 1980) was an English socialist politician, writer and poet. She wrote several detective stories jointly with her husband, G. D. H. Cole. She went on to hold important posts in Lo ...
, might be considered as the antecedents of today's police procedural. British mystery novelist and critic Julian Symons, in his 1972 history of crime fiction, ''Bloody Murder'', labeled these proto-procedurals "humdrums", because of their emphasis on the plodding nature of the investigators.


Televised stories


TV creators

*
Barbara Avedon Barbara Avedon (June 14, 1925 – August 31, 1994) was an American television writer, political activist, and feminist. She founded the anti-war organization Another Mother for Peace. Biography She was one of the writers for the television ...
, co-creator of '' Cagney & Lacey''. *
Donald P. Bellisario Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' (1982), ''Airwolf'' (1984), ''Quant ...
, creator of '' NCIS'' and '' JAG''. *
Ann Biderman Ann Biderman (born August 15, 1951) is an American film and television writer. She is the creator and executive producer of the NBC/TNT series '' Southland'' (2009–2013), and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing i ...
, creator of '' Southland''. * Steven Bochco, creator of '' Hill Street Blues'', the experimental musical police procedural '' Cop Rock'', the longer-lived '' NYPD Blue'' and short lived ''
Brooklyn South ''Brooklyn South'' is an American ensemble police drama television series that aired on CBS for one season from September 22, 1997, to April 27, 1998. It was aired during the 1997–98 television season. The series was co-created by Steven Bo ...
''. * Jon Bokenkamp, creator of '' The Blacklist''. * Andy Breckman, creator of ''
Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
''. *
Shane Brennan Shane Brennan (born 1957 in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian television writer and producer, best known as the executive producer of the American CBS drama '' NCIS'', as well as the creator of the ''NCIS'' spin-off series, '' NCIS: ...
, creator of '' NCIS: Los Angeles''. *
Stephen J. Cannell Stephen Joseph Cannell (; February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios. ...
, creator of '' Silk Stalkings'', '' 21 Jump Street'' and '' The Commish''. * Barbara Corday, co-creator of '' Cagney & Lacey''. * Jeff Davis, creator of ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...
''. * Robert Doherty, creator of '' Elementary''. * Tom Fontana, creator of '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and '' The Beat''. *
Steve Franks Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series ''Psych''. Education Franks graduated from the University of California, Irv ...
, creator of '' Psych''. *
Leonard Freeman Leonard Freeman (October 31, 1920 – January 20, 1974) was an American television writer and producer who is best remembered as the creator of the CBS series ''Hawaii Five-O'' in 1968. He appeared in a 1953 episode (#112) of the TV serie ...
, creator and producer of '' Hawaii Five-O''. * Anna Fricke, developer of '' Walker''. *
Bryan Fuller Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', ''Hannibal'', and ''American Gods.'' Fuller worked as ...
, creator of ''
Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...
''. * Gary Glasberg, creator of '' NCIS: New Orleans''. * Hart Hanson, creator of '' Bones''. * Alexi Hawley, creator of '' The Rookie''. * Bruno Heller, creator of '' The Mentalist''. * Martin Gero, creator of '' Blindspot''. * Dan Goor, co-creator of ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Da ...
''. * Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, creator of '' Blue Bloods''. *
Tim Kring Richard Timothy Kring (born July 9, 1957) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the drama series '' Strange World'', ''Crossing Jordan'', ''Heroes'', and ''Touch''. Early life Kring was born in El Do ...
, creator of '' Crossing Jordan''. * Richard Levinson, co-creator of ''
Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC fr ...
''. * William Link, co-creator of ''
Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC fr ...
''. * Barbara Machin, creator of '' Waking the Dead''. *
Abby Mann Abby Mann (December 1, 1927 – March 25, 2008) was an American film writer and producer. Life and career The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Mann was born as Abraham Goodman in Philadelphia. He grew up in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. D ...
, creator of '' Kojak''. *
Andrew W. Marlowe Andrew W. Marlowe (sometimes Andrew Marlowe) is an American screenwriter. Marlowe is best known for being the creator of, a executive producer of, and a writer on ''Castle'', a crime mystery and comedy-drama TV show, that ran on ABC from 2009 ...
, creator of ''
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
''. *
Quinn Martin Quinn Martin (born Irwin Martin Cohn; May 22, 1922 – September 5, 1987) was an American television producer. He had at least one television series running in prime time every year for 21 straight years (from 1959 to 1980). Martin is a mem ...
, producer of such shows as '' The Untouchables'', ''
The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
'' and '' The Streets of San Francisco''. *
Geoff McQueen Geoffrey McQueen (24 July 1947 – 6 July 1994) was a British television screenwriter. He is best known for creating Thames Television's long-running police procedural ''The Bill'' and the popular comedy-dramas '' Give Us a Break'', '' Big ...
, creator of ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
''. * Jed Mercurio, creator of '' Line of Duty'' and '' Bodyguard''. * David Milch, co-creator of '' NYPD Blue''. *
Christopher Murphey ''Body of Proof'' is an American medical/ crime comedy-drama television series that ran on ABC from March 29, 2011, to May 28, 2013, and starred Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt. The series was created by Christopher Murphey an ...
, creator of ''
Body of Proof ''Body of Proof'' is an American medical/ crime comedy-drama television series that ran on ABC from March 29, 2011, to May 28, 2013, and starred Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt. The series was created by Christopher Murphey an ...
''. * Jonathan Nolan, creator of ''
Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...
''. * Shawn Ryan, creator of '' The Shield''. * Michael Schur, co-creator of ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Da ...
''. * David Simon, co-creator of '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and creator of '' The Wire''. *
Hank Steinberg Hank Steinberg (born November 19, 1969) is an American television and film writer, producer and director. Personal life Hank Steinberg was born in Manhasset, New York, and raised in nearby Great Neck, both on Long Island. The son of Judy Hiller ...
, creator of ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
''. *
Meredith Stiehm Meredith Stiehm (born 1968) is an American television producer and writer. She is the creator of the hit crime drama ''Cold Case'' and the FX thriller drama '' The Bridge''. She is President of the Writers Guild of America. Early life and educ ...
, creator of '' Cold Case''. *
Joseph Wambaugh Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr. (born January 22, 1937), is a best-selling American writer known for his fictional and nonfictional accounts of police work in the United States. Several of his early novels were set in Los Angeles and its surroun ...
, creator of '' Police Story''. *
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sgt. Joe Friday in the ''Dragnet'' franchise, which he created. He was a ...
, creator, producer, and principal actor in '' Dragnet'', and co-creator of ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...
''. * Dick Wolf, creator of the ''Law & Order'' franchise, '' FBI'', '' FBI: Most Wanted'' and ''Chicago'' franchise. * Anthony Yerkovich, creator of ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
''. * Graham Yost, creator of '' Justified'' & ''
Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...
''. *
Anthony E. Zuiker Anthony E. Zuiker (pronounced ; born August 17, 1968) is an American television writer, television producer, and author. He is best known as the creator of '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. He produced all four editions of the ''CSI'' fran ...
, creator of the ''CSI'' franchise.


TV series


Australia

For details see the PhD dissertation by Antony Stephenson (2019). * '' Bellamy'' (Network Ten 1981) * '' Bluey'' (Seven Network 1976–77) * '' Blue Heelers'' (Seven Network 1994–2006) 510 episodes set in the fictional rural town of
Mount Thomas Mount Thomas is the fictional town featured in the long-running Australian police procedural drama ''Blue Heelers'', which ran from 1994 up until its cancelation in 2006. The program was filmed in Victorian suburbs of Werribee, Williamstown ...
, Victoria, was produced by
Southern Star Entertainment Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was Australia's largest independent television production and distribution group. On 26 Jul ...
for the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
. * '' City Homicide'' (Seven Network 2007–11) Set in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, Victoria. Follows the investigations of six detectives and their two superior officers in the homicide squad of the
Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian state of Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victoria Police had over 22,300 staff, comprising over 16,700 ...
. * '' Cop Shop'' (Seven Network, 1977–84) * '' Division 4'' (Nine Network 1969–75) made by Crawford Productions, ran on the Nine Network for 301 episodes. * ''
The Feds ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (Nine Network 1993–96) * '' Homicide'' (Seven Network 1964–76) was an Australian police procedural television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network. One of the first commercial TV series produced especially for Australian TV, and the first to depict the operations of a modern-day Australian police force, its historical significance in Australian television is analogous to the importance of ''Dragnet'' in the United States. * ''
The Link Men ''The Link Men'' was an Australian television series shown in 1970. Synopsis The series was the first drama series made in-house by the Nine Network as part of an attempt to rival the cop shows produced by Crawford Productions such as ''Homicide ...
'' (Nine Network 1970) * '' The Long Arm'' (Network Ten 1970) * '' Matlock Police'' (Network Ten 1971–75) was set in a rural town and lasted 229 episodes. * ''
Murder Call ''Murder Call'' is an Australian television series, created by Hal McElroy for the Southern Star Entertainment and broadcast on the Nine Network between 1997 and 2000. The series was inspired by the ''Tessa Vance'' novels by Jennifer Rowe, b ...
'' (Nine Network 1997–99) * '' Phoenix'' (ABC 1992–93) * '' Police Rescue'' (ABC 1991–96) * '' Rush'' (Network Ten 2008–11) follows the stories of a tactical police unit in Melbourne, Victoria. * ''
Skirts (TV series) ''Skirts'' is an Australian television police drama broadcast on the Seven Network in 1990. ''Skirts'' was produced by Roger Le Mesurier and Roger Simpson. It was directed by Brendan Maher, Richard Sarell and Ian Gilmour. 40 episodes were p ...
'' (Seven Network 1990) * '' Small Claims'' (Network Ten 2005–06) * '' Solo One'' (Seven Network 1976) a short-lived spin-off from ''Matlock Police'' * '' Special Squad'' (Network Ten 1984) * '' Stingers'' (Nine Network 1998–2004) * '' Water Rats'' (Nine Network 1996–2001) 177 episodes set in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, focusing on the Sydney Water Police. * '' White Collar Blue'' (Network Ten 2002–03) * '' Wildside'' (ABC 1997–99) * '' Young Lions'' (Nine Network 2002)


Austria

* '' Inspector Rex'' (1994–2003) was an Austrian homicide detective series, which aired all over the world and was popular in Australia when broadcast on SBS. It is about a German Shepherd police dog named Rex and his owner, Detective-Inspector Richard Moser of the Vienna Kriminalpolizei. Rex was a bomb squad dog whose handler was killed at a crime scene that Moser was investigating. Moser's team consisted of Ernst Stockinger (seasons 1 and 2), and Peter Hollerer (seasons 1 to 4), and Christian Bock (seasons 3 to 6). Dr Leo Graf served as forensic pathologist/coroner throughout the series, who often described autopsy scenes and procedures much to the disgust of the police staff. Moser was murdered by a psychotic serial killer halfway through season 4. Detective Inspector Alexander Brandtner took over Moser's role after his untimely death. :Rex frequently saved the team's necks during pursuits and catching criminals, sniffing out clues, rescuing child victims, as well as occasionally being a nuisance around the office or while interviewing suspects. The show mixes serious themes with occasional comedy, such as Rex's penchant for ham rolls (wurstsemmeln), demanding to buy many dog toys, and interfering with Moser's and Brandtner's erratic love lives.


Canada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_police_procedural_television_series


France

* ' (1988–1990) – a French TV series created by Dominique Roulet and '' Claude Chabrol'', broadcast on TF1. It follows the films '' Cop au Vin'' (1985) and '' Inspecteur Lavardin'' (1986) by '' Claude Chabrol'', who already feature '' Jean Poiret'' in the role of Lavardin. * '' Monster Buster Club'' (TF1: 2008–2009) * ''
Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie is a French (comedic police crime drama) television program consisting of two series based loosely on Agatha Christie's works of detective fiction, first broadcast on France 2 on 9 January 2009. In English-speaking countries, Series One is t ...
'' (France Télévisions: 2009–2012; 2013–present) – based on
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...
's detective fiction; Series One is set in France in the 1930s, Series Two in the mid-1950s to 1960s. Series Three, announced in 2019, is to be set in the 1970s.


Germany

* '' Derrick'' is a German TV crime series produced between 1974 and 1998. * '' Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series. * ''
Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed b ...
'' (Crime scene) is a German television series running since 1970 with Austria's and Switzerland's national broadcasters in a joined production pool. * '' The Old Fox'' (original German title "Der Alte", lit. "The Old One") is a German crime drama which premiered on April 11, 1977.


Hong Kong

* ''Police Cadet'' trilogy (TVB; 1984–88) consisting of '' Police Cadet '84'', '' Police Cadet '85'' and '. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, it center on his character, Cheung Wai Kit, rise from Cadet School to a working detective.


India

* '' C.I.D.'' (1995–present) – an Indian crime detective series that airs on Sony TV. It is about a team of detectives belonging to the Criminal Investigation Department in Mumbai. The protagonists of the show are played by Shivaji Satam, Aditya Srivastava, Dayanand Shetty,
Dinesh Phadnis Dinesh Phadnis (born 2 November 1966) is an Indian television actor. He is better known for playing the character of Fredericks in one of the longest running TV shows, '' C.I.D''. Apart from working as an Inspector in this TV series, he has als ...
, Hrishikesh Pandey, Vivek Mashru,
Jasveer Kaur Jasveer Kaur, also known as Jaswir Kaur, is an Indian television actress and former backup dancer. Filmography Films Television References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaur, Jasveer Indian television actresses Living people Ac ...
,
Ansha Saeed Ansha may refer to: Chinese towns * Ansha, Yong'an (安砂镇), a town of Yong'an city in Fujian province * Ansha, Changsha Template:image label Ansha () is a town in Changsha County, northeastern Hunan Province, China. It administers 2 ...
. The forensic experts are played by
Narendra Gupta Narendra Gupta may refer to: * Narendra K. Gupta (aka Naren Gupta) (1948–2021), an Indian-American entrepreneur and founder of Integrated Systems Inc. * Narendra Gupta (actor) (born 1962), an Indian actor known for his participation in the ...
and Shraddha Musale respectively.


Ireland

* '' The Burke Enigma'' –
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, whil ...
1978. * '' DDU: District Detective Unit'', (1998–99) was made by RTÉ, set in Waterford City and starring Seán McGinley. * '' Single-Handed'' (2007–) is set in the west of Ireland. * '' Proof'' (2003–04) set in Dublin and starring
Orla Brady Orla Brady (born 28 March 1961) is an Irish theatre, television, and film actress born in Dublin. She has been nominated for several awards from the Irish Film & Television Academy for her work in televised programs, as well as starring in the ...
. * ''Na Cloigne'' (The Heads) a 2010 three-part supernatural police procedural produced for TG4.


Italy

* '' Il commissario Montalbano'' is an Italian television series produced and broadcast by RAI since 1999, based on the detective novels of Andrea Camilleri. * '' Commissario Guido Brunetti'' is a German television series based on the books of Donna Leon. It has been produced since 2000 by the ARD in Germany. This TV series is also shown in Spain. Music:
André Rieu André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...
.


Japan

*'' Taiyō ni Hoero!'' (NTV 1972–1986) The longest series of Japan. *'' Seibu Keisatsu'' (TV Asahi 1979–1984) *'' Patlabor: The TV Series'' (
Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed ...
1989–1990) * ''You're Under Arrest'' ( TBS 1996–1997) *''
Bayside Shakedown is a Japanese police comedy-drama television series originally broadcast by the Fuji Television group in 1997. The series was developed by Ryoichi Kimizuka and stars Oda Yūji, Toshirō Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu, Chosuke Ikariya, Miki Mizuno, and ...
'' (1997) *'' AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo'' (TV Asahi 2003–) *''
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...
'' ( Fuji TV 2007–2013)


Malaysia

*'' Gerak Khas'' (RTM; 1999–present) *''Roda-Roda Kuala Lumpur'' (RTM; 1998–99, 2008–13) *''Metro Skuad'' (RTM; 2012–13) similar to ''Gerak Khas'', ''Metro Skuad'' centers on various criminal cases including
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
s, gangsterisms,
acid throwing An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, t ...
, robberies and others.


The Netherlands

* ''
Baantjer ''Baantjer'' is a Dutch television programme which was broadcast by RTL 4 from 6 October 1995 until 1 December 2006 for a total of 123 episodes in 12 seasons. It stars Piet Römer as Jurriaan 'Jurre' de Cock, a police detective, and Victor Reinier ...
'' (1996–06) – set in Amsterdam and starring Piet Römer. The series is based on the novels of writer A. C. Baantjer * '' Flikken Maastricht'' (2007–present) – set in Maastricht and starring
Angela Schijf Angela Schijf is a Dutch actress. On 3 July 2002 she married the Belgian actor Tom Van Landuyt; together, they have 3 daughters.
and
Victor Reinier Victor Reinier Nieuwenhuijzen (born 1963) is a Dutch actor and screenwriter. Filmography Actor Films * 2014 – KrisKras – tourist * 2012 – De Overloper – Floris Wolfs * 2011 – Caged – Mike * 2011 – Nova Zembla – Jacob van Heem ...


New Zealand

* ''
Mortimer's Patch ''Mortimer's Patch'' was a popular TVNZ police drama from the early 1980s. It featured actors Terence Cooper, Sean Duffy, Don Selwyn and Jim Hickey and depicted detective and police work in the fictional town of "Cobham". It was filmed in and ...
'' (1980–84) – set in provincial New Zealand and starring
Terence Cooper Terence Cooper (5 July 1933 – 16 September 1997) was a British film actor, best known for his roles in Australian and New Zealand television and film. Biography Born in 1933 at Carnmoney, a district of the modern-day borough of Newtownabbey ...
, Sean Duffy, Don Selwyn and Jim Hickey * ''
Shark in the Park ''Shark in the Park'' is a New Zealand police procedural. It revolved around the professional and private lives of a group of officers at a Wellington police station under the command of Inspector Brian "Sharky" Finn. The title came from the i ...
'' (1989–92) – set in Wellington and starring Jeffrey Thomas * '' Duggan'' (1997–99) – set in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds and starring
John Bach John Bach (born 5 June 1946) is a British-born New Zealand actor who has acted on stage, television and film over a period of more than four decades. Though born in the United Kingdom, he has spent most of his career living and working in New Z ...
* '' Plainclothes'' (1995) – set in Auckland and starring
Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequent ...
* '' The Brokenwood Mysteries'' (2014–) – set in a fictional small town in the north of New Zealand and starring
Neill Rea Neill Rea (born 1971) is a New Zealand actor, best known for playing the lead role of DI Mike Shepherd in television police procedural ''The Brokenwood Mysteries''. Rea was born in 1971, and is a graduate of Toi Whakaari drama school. Early rol ...


Philippines

* '' Ang Probinsyano'' (
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
; 2015–present) – based on the 1997 film of the same name starring
Fernando Poe, Jr. Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004), known professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., and often referred to by his initials FPJ, was a Filipino actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and politician. His long and s ...


Russia

* ''
Streets of Broken Lights ''Streets of Broken Lights'' (russian: Улицы разбитых фонарей, Ulitsy razbitykh fonarey) is a Russian criminal drama-detective TV series anthology about police work in Saint-Petersburg. The pilot episode, known as ''Menty'' (r ...
'' (1995–2017) – Russian criminal drama-detective TV series anthology about police work in Saint-Petersburg. * '' Deadly Force (TV series)'' (2000–2006) – Russian TV series, which first appeared on television in 2000. It was released by '' Channel One Russia'' simultaneously as a spin-off series from ''
Streets of Broken Lights ''Streets of Broken Lights'' (russian: Улицы разбитых фонарей, Ulitsy razbitykh fonarey) is a Russian criminal drama-detective TV series anthology about police work in Saint-Petersburg. The pilot episode, known as ''Menty'' (r ...
'' and as its direct competitor. * '' Investigation Held by ZnaToKi'' – The popular Soviet detective series from 1971 to 1989 was continued in two Russian TV series (2002 and 2003). * ' (2005–2018) – Russian television series based on scripts by retired police colonel Maxim Esaulov and criminal journalist Andrei Romanov. * ' (2008–2011) – The series tells about the employees of the fictional police department "Pyatnitsky" in Moscow. * ' (2021) – The series tells about a Moscow detective investigating the case of the murder of children in the small mining town of Khrustalny.


Singapore

*'' C.L.I.F.'' (MediaCorp Singapore 2011–16) *'' Triple Nine'' (Television Corporation of Singapore 1995–99)


South Korea

*''
Beyond Evil ''Beyond Evil'' is a 1980 American supernatural horror, supernatural horror film directed by Herb Freed and starring John Saxon and Lynda Day George. Its plot follows an architect who suspects his wife is spirit possession, possessed by a former ...
'' (2021) – South Korean television series follows the story of two fearless policemen from the Manyang Police Substation.


The Soviet Union

* '' Investigation Held by ZnaToKi'' (1971–1989) – a popular Soviet series, the main characters are investigator Pavel Znamenski, detective Alexandr Tomin and laboratory analyst Zinaida Kibrit, who were acting together under a group name ZnaToKi (translated as "Experts").


United Kingdom

* '' Fabian of the Yard'', (1954–55) – possibly the first police drama to be made for British TV, this series, based on the memoirs of real-life Scotland Yard detective Robert Fabian, had a lot in common with '' Dragnet''. Just as ''Dragnet'' had been the first network drama series with continuing characters to be shot on film, so ''Fabian of the Yard'' was one of the first British series to be filmed. Both shows featured voice-over narration by the main character; both fictionalized stories derived from real-life cases; and both ended with an epilogue that revealed the ultimate fate of the criminals. On ''Fabian'', this took the form of a medium-shot of Bruce Seton, who played Fabian in the series, seated at a desk. The shot slowly dissolved into one of the real-life Fabian in the same pose at the same desk. At that point, the actual Fabian stood up and told the audience what happened to the criminal he'd caught in the real-life case that had just been dramatized. * '' Dixon of Dock Green'', (1955–76) – Jack Warner reprised the role of
Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
George Dixon, the uniformed beat cop he had played in '' The Blue Lamp'', despite the fact that the Dixon character had been tragically murdered in that film. During the course of this somewhat gentle series, Warner's character became, for many, the living embodiment of what every British "bobby" was supposed to be. As the series progressed, Dixon went through several promotions, eventually winding up as the Station Sergeant at his local division. By the final season, with Warner now over 80, Dixon retired and the focus shifted to the younger officers he'd trained up over the years. * '' No Hiding Place'', (1957–67) – Produced with the cooperation of Scotland Yard, this long-running series featured Raymond Francis as high-ranking Met detective Tom Lockhart. During its run, the series went through several title changes. When it began in 1957, it was known as ''Murder Bag'', referring to the bag of investigative tools that Superintendent Lockhart carried with him whenever he was called to a case. In 1959, with Lockhart promoted to
Chief Superintendent Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the British model. Rank insignia of chief superintendent File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police File:RCMP Chief Superintendent.p ...
, it became ''Crime Sheet''. Later in 1959, the series was given its final and best-remembered title, ''No Hiding Place'', which lasted until the series ended in 1967. * ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it deb ...
'', (1962–78) – a police drama about two teams of uniformed constables ( Brian Blessed, Joseph Brady, James Ellis, and
Jeremy Kemp Edmund Jeremy James Walker (3 February 1935 – 19 July 2019), known professionally as Jeremy Kemp, was an English actor. He was known for his significant roles in the miniseries ''The Winds of War'' and ''War and Remembrance'', the film ''The ...
) assigned to "Crime Patrol" duties in a pair of powerful Ford Zephyrs, under the supervision of Detective Sergeant John Watt ( Frank Windsor) and Detective Chief Inspector Charlie Barlow ( Stratford Johns). A franker, and often less flattering portrait of police work than audience were used to seeing on ''Dixon of Dock Green'', the show was an immediate hit, its popularity generating spin-offs like '' Softly, Softly'' (1966–76), '' Barlow at Large'' (1971–75), and '' Second Verdict'' (1976). * '' Gideon's Way'', (1965–66) – a crime series produced during 1964/65 and based on the novels by John Creasey (as J. J. Marric). The series was made at Elstree in twin production with The Saint TV series. It starred Liverpudlian John Gregson in the title role as Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, with
Alexander Davion Alexander Davion, (March 31, 1929 - September 28, 2019) French-born British actor. He was perhaps best known in the UK for his starring role in ''Gideon's Way'' as Detective Chief Inspector David Keen. He was born in Paris, France. He died in Lon ...
as his assistant, Detective Chief Inspector David Keen,
Reginald Jessup Reginald is a masculine given name in the English language. Etymology and history The meaning of Reginald is “King". The name is derived from the Latin ''Reginaldus'', which has been influenced by the Latin word ''regina'', meaning " queen". ...
as Det. Superintendent LeMaitre (nicknamed Lemmy), Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell and Basil Dignam as Commissioner Scott-Marle. * '' New Scotland Yard'', (1972–74) – a police drama series produced by London Weekend Television (LWT) for the ITV network between 1972 and 1974. It features the activities of two officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
force headquarters at New Scotland Yard, as they dealt with the assorted villains of the day. * '' The Sweeney'', (1975–78) – a drama series focusing on the Flying Squad of the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
and their twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job of catching some of the most dangerous and violent criminals in London. The
television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
featured
Detective Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
Jack Regan ( John Thaw) and other tough-talking hard-drinking members of his elite unit, both on and off duty. With its high level of violence, location filming, bold frankness, and well written scripts, ''The Sweeney'' revolutionized the genre. The series was so phenomenally popular that two feature-length movies, ''Sweeney!'' (1976) and ''Sweeney 2'' (1978) were released to theatres during the show's original broadcast run. *''
The Gentle Touch ''The Gentle Touch'' is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which began on 11 April 1980 and ran until 1984. The series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police o ...
'', (1980–84) – a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Commencing transmission on 11 April 1980, the series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police detective as its leading character, ahead of the similarly themed BBC series Juliet Bravo by four months. *'' Juliet Bravo'', (1980–85) – a British television series, which ran on BBC1. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire. * '' Taggart'' (1983–2010) * ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
'', (1984–2010) – a drama series focusing on both the uniformed and plain-clothes police officers working out of a fictional inner-London police station. The original conception of this series was as purely procedural, with an almost fly-on-the-wall approach that survived to an extent throughout. * The '' Prime Suspect'' series, (1991–2006) – featuring
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...
as Detective Chief Inspector (later Chief Superintendent) Jane Tennison, which focused on the police investigations and on Tennison's conflicts with her fellow officers as a prominent female detective in a heavily male-dominated work environment, as well as her personal problems concerning her family and after-work life. * ''
Cracker Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to: Animals * ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies * '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker" Arts and entertainment Films ...
'' (1993–95) – hard-hitting drama series following dysfunctional criminal psychologist Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane * '' McCallum'' (1995–98) * '' Hamish Macbeth'' (1995–97) – police drama-comedy set in the west coast Highlands of Scotland, starring Robert Carlyle * '' The Cops'' (1998–2000) – perhaps the most realistic police drama series yet seen on British TV, noted for its documentary-style camerawork and uncompromising portrayal of the police force. * '' Heartbeat'' (1992–2010) is made by Yorkshire Television at The Leeds Studios for broadcast on ITV. It lasted 18 series. Set in 1960s
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, in the fictional town of Ashfordly and the nearby village of Aidensfield in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the motorcycle-riding Aidensfield village bobby was originally played by Nick Berry. * ''
Rebus A rebus () is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...
'' (2000–2007) * '' Inspector George Gently'' (2007–2017) is an adaptation of Alan Hunter's George Gently series of novels. Starring Martin Shaw as Gently, and set in the 1960s, it is a combination of police procedural and period drama. It was produced by
Company Pictures Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. It was set up in 1998 by Charles Pattinson and George Faber, colleagues at BBC Films. Their first film was ''Mo ...
for
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. * '' Law & Order: UK'' (2009–2014) is an adaptation of the ''Law & Order'' franchise for the British market. The programme is financed by Kudos Film and Television, Wolf Films (a company owned by Dick Wolf, the creator of the franchise) and NBC Universal and airs on ITV. The show is adapted from scripts and episodes of the original U.S. ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...
''. * '' Suspects'' (2014–present) is an East London-based police procedural shot in a stripped-back documentary style using improvised dialogue, and follows DS Jack Weston (
Damien Molony Damien Molony (born 21 February 1984) is an Irish actor. He is best known for his television roles as Hal Yorke in BBC Three's '' Being Human'', DC Albert Flight in the BBC's ''Ripper Street'', DS Jack Weston in Channel 5's '' Suspects'', Jon ...
), DC Charlie Steele (
Claire-Hope Ashitey Clare-Hope Ashitey (born 12 February 1987) is an English actress. She attended the Centre Stage School of Performing Arts, Southgate while being educated at The Latymer School, located in the Edmonton area of London, for seven years. She took ...
) and their superior DI Martha Bellamy ( Fay Ripley) as they investigate various crimes. * '' No Offence'' (2015–present) is a
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
-based police procedural created by Paul Abbott. The show follows a team of detectives from Friday Street police station, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police (a fictionalised version of Greater Manchester Police), and stars Joanna Scanlan as Detective Inspector Viv Deering. * ''
The Mallorca Files ''The Mallorca Files'' is a British police procedural television drama series set on the Spanish island of Mallorca, starring Elen Rhys and as a pair of detectives. The series, broadcast on BBC One, was created by Dan Sefton and is a co-prod ...
'' (2019–present) is set on the Spanish island of
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...
, starring
Elen Rhys Elen Rhys (born September 2, 1983) is a Welsh actress, known for her roles as Gwen in the 2011 film '' Panic Button'' and Miranda Blake in the BBC drama ''The Mallorca Files ''The Mallorca Files'' is a British police procedural television dr ...
and as English and German detectives investigating crimes for the island's police force.


United States

* '' Dragnet'' (1951–59, 1967–70, 1989–91 and 2003–04) was a pioneering police procedural that began on radio in 1949 and then on television in 1951. ''Dragnet'' established the tone of many police dramas in subsequent decades, and the rigorously authentic depictions of such elements as organizational structure, professional jargon, legal issues, etc., set the standard for technical accuracy that became the most identifiable element of the police procedural in all media. The show was occasionally accused of presenting an overly idealized portrait of law enforcement in which the police (represented by Sgt. Joe Friday) were invariably presented as "good guys" and the criminals as "bad guys", with little moral flexibility or complexity between the two. However, many episodes depicted sympathetic perpetrators while others depicted unsympathetic or corrupt cops. Further, though Jack Webb may have seemed to go to extremes to depict the
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-lar ...
in a favorable light, most depictions of cops at the time of ''Dragnets debut were both unsympathetic and unrealistic. Webb's depiction was meant to offer balance. Also, the show benefited from the unprecedented technical advice, involvement, and support of the LAPD, a first in TV, which may also have been an incentive to depict the Department favorably. After the success of ''Dragnet'', Webb produced other procedural shows like ''The DA's Man'', about an undercover investigator for the
Manhattan District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws ( ...
's Office, ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...
'', about a pair of uniformed LAPD officers patrolling their beat in a radio car, and '' O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'', with David Janssen as a trouble-shooting federal officer. * ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...
'' (1968–1975) is a television police procedural drama that follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they ride the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. The series was created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb, the latter of whom also created Dragnet. It starred Martin Milner and Kent McCord and purported to realistically capture a typical day in the life of police officers. The show ran from September 21, 1968, through May 20, 1975, and helped to introduce police procedures and jargon to the general public in the United States. * '' The Untouchables'' (1959–63) fictionalized real-life Federal Agent
Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago. He was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables. ...
's ongoing fight with prohibition-era gangs in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
and elsewhere. Originally a two-part presentation on the anthology series ''
Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television ...
'', it made such a splash that a series was launched the following fall. That two-part pilot, later released to theaters under the title ''The Scarface Mob'', stuck comparatively close to the actual events, with Ness, as played by Robert Stack, recruiting a team of incorruptible investigators to help bring down Al Capone. Later episodes showed Ness and his squad, after Capone, going after just about every big name gangster of the era, and when the writers ran out of real-life figures to pit against Ness, they created new ones.
Quinn Martin Quinn Martin (born Irwin Martin Cohn; May 22, 1922 – September 5, 1987) was an American television producer. He had at least one television series running in prime time every year for 21 straight years (from 1959 to 1980). Martin is a mem ...
, who would become closely associated with police and crime shows like this, produced the series during its first season, leaving to found his own company, QM Productions, which would go one to produce police procedural shows like '' The New Breed'', ''
The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
'', '' Dan August'', and '' The Streets of San Francisco'' over the next twenty years. The success of the series led to an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning motion picture in 1987, and a new TV series that was syndicated to local stations in 1993. * '' Police Story'' (1973–78) was an anthology series set in Los Angeles created by LAPD Detective Sergeant Joseph Wambaugh. Hard-hitting and unflinchingly realistic, its anthology format made it possible to look at LAPD police work from many different perspectives, what it was like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession, an honest cop suspected of corruption, a rookie cop, an undercover narc, a veteran facing retirement, or a cop who had to adjust to crippling injuries incurred in the line of duty. Despite its anthology format, there were a number of characters who appeared in more than one episode, including Robbery/Homicide partners Tony Calabrese ( Tony Lo Bianco) and Bert Jameson ( Don Meredith), vice cop turned homicide detective Charlie Czonka ( James Farentino), and stakeout-surveillance specialist Joe LaFrieda ( Vic Morrow). Several series were spun off from the show, including '' Police Woman'', ''Joe Forrester'', and '' Man Undercover''. During its last two seasons, the show appeared as an irregular series of two-hour
TV movies A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...
rather than a weekly one-hour program. The show was revived for a season in 1988, using old scripts reshot with new casts when a writers' strike made new material inaccessible. * '' Kojak'' (1973–78, 1989–90) created by
Abby Mann Abby Mann (December 1, 1927 – March 25, 2008) was an American film writer and producer. Life and career The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Mann was born as Abraham Goodman in Philadelphia. He grew up in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. D ...
, focused on a veteran New York City detective-lieutenant played by Telly Savalas. Its exteriors were filmed at New York's Ninth Precinct, the same place where '' NYPD Blues exteriors would be filmed. In 1989, Savalas returned to the role briefly for five two-hour episodes, in which Kojak had been promoted to
inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
and placed in charge of the Major Crimes Squad. It rotated with three other detective shows on ABC. A 2005 remake for the
USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madi ...
starred Ving Rhames. Kojak's most memorable character trait was his signature lollipop. * '' Hill Street Blues'' (1981–87) featured a number of intertwined storylines in each episode, and pioneered depiction of the conflicts between the work and private lives of officers and detectives on which the police procedural was centered. The show had a deliberate "documentary" style, depicting officers who were flawed and human, and dealt openly with the gray areas of morality between right and wrong. It was set in an unidentified east coast or Midwestern US city. The show was written by Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll. * '' Cagney & Lacey'' (1982–88) revolved around two female NYPD detectives who led very different lives. Christine Cagney, played by Sharon Gless, was a single-minded, witty, brash career woman. Mary Beth Lacey was a resourceful, sensitive working mom. Loretta Swit was the original choice for Cagney he played the role in a TV movie however, she could not get out of her contract on ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...
''. During the first season, Meg Foster played the part of Cagney, while Tyne Daly played Lacey, the role she had originated in the pilot. CBS canceled the series claiming low ratings. It was brought back due both to a letter-writing campaign which drew millions of letters nationwide and because the ratings went ''up'' during summer reruns. A ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'' magazine read "Welcome Back". Daly continued as Lacey, but Foster was replaced with Gless, who would become the actress most identified with the part. It had 36 nominations and 14 wins during its run. Four TV movies were broadcast after the series ended. * ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
'' (1984–90) and '' 21 Jump Street'' (1987–91) showed the MTV style of Police procedurals. * The ''Law & Order'' franchise, which started with the long-running series ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...
'' (1990–2010, 2022–present), focuses on the two 'halves' of a criminal proceeding in the New York City criminal justice system: the investigation of the crime by the
New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act i ...
homicide detectives and the subsequent prosecution of the criminals by the New York County District Attorney's office. The success of the original ''Law & Order'' inspired ten other
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
series in four different countries: ** Six in the U.S.: '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–present), which focuses on sex crimes such as rape and child molestation, '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (2001–11), focusing on major crimes from the point of view of the criminal and capturing them from a psychological side, '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' (2005–06), which focuses more on the trial from both the prosecution and the defense teams' points of view, '' Conviction'' (2006), '' Law & Order: LA'' (2010–11) and '' Law & Order: Organized Crime'' (2021–present). ''Special Victims Unit'', ''Criminal Intent'', ''LA'' and Organized Crime series focused more on the police procedurals than ''Trial by Jury'' and ''Conviction''. ** Two in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
: Adaptations of ''Special Victims Unit'' (2007) and ''Criminal Intent'' (2007), both set in Moscow. ** ''
Paris enquêtes criminelles ''Paris enquêtes criminelles'' ( en, "Paris Criminal Investigations") is a French television series broadcast since May 3, 2007, on TF1. Synopsis Adapted from '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (french: New York section criminelle),Gerard Gilber ...
'' (2007), a French adaptation of ''Criminal Intent'' set in Paris. ** '' Law & Order: UK'' (2009–2014), a British adaptation of the original ''Law & Order'' set in London. :Aside from being its depiction of police investigation, this program also relates to the legal drama and "forensic pathology" subgenres, and has inspired such other programs as the '' CSI'' series. * '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–99; TV movie in 2000), a police procedural focusing on the homicide unit of the
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
city police department. Critically praised (although frequently struggling in the ratings), the show was more of an ensemble piece, focusing on the activities of the unit as a whole (although significant characters such as Detective
Frank Pembleton Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six s ...
and Detective John Munch, who has also appeared on the various ''Law & Order'' shows, among others, became popular with viewers). The show (particularly in its first three seasons) used long-form arcs to depict ongoing criminal investigations, such as the investigation of a murdered child in the first season, which ran through 13 episodes but ended without an arrest or conviction, or even conclusive proof of who committed the crime. The show also heavily featured the complex internal politics of the police department, suggesting that rising through the ranks has more to do with personal connections, favors and opportunism than genuine ability. * '' NYPD Blue'' (1993–2005) explored the internal and external struggles of the assorted investigators of the fictional 15th Precinct of Manhattan. The show gained notoriety for profanity and nudity never previously broadcast on American network television. ''NYPD Blue'' was created by genre veteran Steven Bochco and David Milch. The cast of ''NYPD Blue'' included actor Dennis Franz, who previously played Detective Buntz on ''Hill Street Blues'', as well as on a spin-off series, ''Beverly Hills Buntz''. Another cast member, David Caruso, would later play Lt. Horatio Caine on ''CSI: Miami''. * The CSI franchise which started with ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' (2000–2015) and eventually spawned two spin-offs focused on solving ordinary crimes using forensics, ''
CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detec ...
'' (2002–2012) and ''
CSI: NY ''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine season ...
'' (2004–2013). Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, these three shows focus on three groups of forensic scientists in Las Vegas, Miami and New York City who investigate how and why a person has died and if it is a murder or not by investigating not only whodunit but also howdunit. A third spin-off, '' CSI: Cyber'' (2015–2016), focused on cybercrime and its impact on modern society. * The CSI franchise inspired other forensic shows such as ''
Body of Proof ''Body of Proof'' is an American medical/ crime comedy-drama television series that ran on ABC from March 29, 2011, to May 28, 2013, and starred Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt. The series was created by Christopher Murphey an ...
'' (2011–2013), '' Bones'' (2005–2017) and '' Crossing Jordan'' (2001–2007). * The CSI franchise also inspired other crime dramas involving teams solving crimes but not relying on forensics; these include victim and witness memory for cold cases and missing people in '' Cold Case'' (2003–2010) and ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'' (2002–2009) respectively, psychological profiling in ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...
'' (2005–2020), using
mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
in '' Numbers'' (2005–2010) and using deception in '' The Mentalist'' (2008–2015). * '' The Shield'' (2002–08) is about an experimental division of the Los Angeles Police Department set up in the fictional Farmington district ("the Farm") of Los Angeles, using a converted church ("the Barn") as their police station, and featuring a group of detectives called "The Strike Team", who will do anything to bring justice to the streets. Michael Chiklis (Chiklis previously played the title character in the TV series ''The Commish'') has top billing with his portrayal of Strike Team leader Detective Victor "Vic" Mackey. The show has an ensemble cast that will normally run a number of separate story lines through each episode. It was on the FX network and was known for its portrayal of police brutality and its realism. The show inspired other shows similar to ''The Shield'' such as '' Dark Blue'' and '' Southland''. ''The Shield'' was created by writer/producer Shawn Ryan. * The NCIS franchise which was spun off from the CBS series '' JAG'' in 2003. The original series, '' NCIS'' (2003–present) follows the Major Case Response Team of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as they investigate crimes related to the
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and Marine Corps. ''NCIS'' has been among the top scripted series on U.S. television, and has received three spin-offs; '' NCIS: Los Angeles'' (2009–present) deals with an LA-based branch dealing in special undercover assignments, '' NCIS: New Orleans'' (2014–2021) focuses on a small group of agents who handle cases from the Mississippi River to the Texas Panhandle and '' NCIS: Hawaiʻi'' (2021–present) which focuses on agents working out of the Pearl Harbor Field Office. * ''
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
'' (2009–2016), '' The Mentalist'' (2008–2015), ''
Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
'' (2002–2009) and '' Psych'' (2006–2014) feature quirky investigators with their own distinct methods of solving crimes and are equally comedic shows as they are police procedurals. * ''Chicago'' is a multi-genre franchise that focuses on the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
Police Department, the Fire Department and the Medical branch respectively. * ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Da ...
'' (2013–2021) is a single-camera police sitcom focusing on Detectives in the 99th precinct in Brooklyn. * The FBI Franchise (2018–present).


Comic strips and books

The
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...
'' Dick Tracy'' is often pointed to as an early procedural. ''Tracy'' creator
Chester Gould Chester Gould (; November 20, 1900 – May 11, 1985) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the '' Dick Tracy'' comic strip, which he wrote and drew from 1931 to 1977, incorporating numerous colorful and monstrous villains. Ea ...
seemed to be trying to reflect the real world. Tracy himself, conceived by Gould as a "modern-day
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
", was partly modeled on real-life law enforcer Eliot Ness, and his first, and most frequently recurring, antagonist, the Big Boy, was based on Ness's real-life nemesis Al Capone. Other members of Tracy's Rogues Gallery, like Boris Arson,
Flattop Jones Flattop Jones, Sr. is a fictional villain created by Chester Gould for the ''Dick Tracy'' comic strip. His nickname comes from his large head that is perfectly flat on the top. Background of fictional character Gould revealed little about Fla ...
, and Maw Famon, were inspired, respectively, by
John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...
, Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and Kate "Ma" Barker. Once ''Tracy'' was sold to the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' syndicate, Gould enrolled in a criminology class at
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
, met with members of the Chicago Police Department, and did research at the department's crime lab, to make his depiction of law enforcement more authentic. Ultimately, he hired retired
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
policeman Al Valanis, a pioneering forensic sketch artist, as both an artistic assistant and police technical advisor. The success of ''Tracy'' led to many more police strips. While some, like Norman Marsh's '' Dan Dunn'' were unabashedly slavish imitations of ''Tracy'', others, like
Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...
's and
Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist who was best known for creating the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently adapted into many ...
's '' Secret Agent X-9'', took a more original approach. Still others, like Eddie Sullivan's and Charlie Schmidt's '' Radio Patrol'' and Will Gould's ''Red Barry'', steered a middle course. One of the best post-''Tracy'' procedural comics was ''
Kerry Drake ''Kerry Drake'' is the title of a comic strip created for Publishers Syndicate by Alfred Andriola as artist and Allen Saunders as uncredited writer. It debuted on Monday, October 4, 1943, replacing Norman Marsh's '' Dan Dunn'', and was syndicat ...
'', written and created by Allen Saunders and illustrated by
Alfred Andriola Alfred James Andriola (May 24, 1912 – March 29, 1983) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip '' Kerry Drake'', for which he won a Reuben Award in 1970. His work sometimes appeared under the pseudonym Alfred James. Andriola w ...
. It diverged from the metropolitan settings used in ''Tracy'' to tell the story of the titular Chief Investigator for the District Attorney of a small-town jurisdiction. Later, following a personal tragedy, he leaves the DA's Office and joins his small city's police force in order to fight crime closer to the grass roots level. As both a DA's man and a city cop, he fights a string of flamboyant, Gould-ian criminals like "Stitches", "Bottleneck", and "Bulldozer". Other syndicated police strips include Zane Grey's '' King of the Royal Mounted'', depicting police work in the contemporary Canadian Northwest, Lank Leonard's '' Mickey Finn'', which emphasized the home life of a hard-working cop, and ''Dragnet'', which adapted stories from the pioneering radio-TV series into comics. Early comic books with police themes tended to be reprints of syndicated newspaper strips like ''Tracy'' and ''Drake''. Others adapted police stories from other mediums, like the radio-inspired anthology comic '' Gang Busters'', Dell's ''87th Precinct'' issues, which adapted McBain's novels, or ''The Untouchables'', which adapted the fictionalized TV adventures of real-life policeman Eliot Ness. More recently, there have been attempts to depict police work with the kind of hard-edged realism seen in the novels of writers like Wambaugh, such as Marvel's four-issue mini-series ''Cops: The Job'', in which a rookie police officer learns to cope with the physical, emotional, and mental stresses of law enforcement during her first patrol assignment. With
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es having long dominated the comic book market, there have been some recent attempts to integrate elements of the police procedural into the universe of costumed crime-fighters. '' Gotham Central'', for example, depicts a group of police detectives operating in
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
's Gotham City, and suggested that the caped crime-fighter is disliked by many Gotham detectives for treading on their toes. Meanwhile, '' Metropolis SCU'' tells the story of the Special Crimes Unit, an elite squad of cops in the police force serving
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
's
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
. The use of police procedural elements in superhero comics can partly be attributed to the success of
Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the ''Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled '' Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.'' Early life ...
's groundbreaking 1994 series ''
Marvels ''Marvels'' is a four-issue miniseries comic book written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross and edited by Marcus McLaurin. It was published by Marvel Comics in 1994. Set in the 1939 to 1974 time period, the series examines the Marvel Univ ...
'', and his subsequent '' Astro City'' work, both of which examine the typical superhero universe from the viewpoint of the common man who witnesses the great dramas from afar, participating in them tangentially at best. In the wake of Busiek's success, many other writers mimicked his approach, with mixed results – the narrative possibilities of someone who does not get involved in drama are limited. In 2000, however,
Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-o ...
published the first issue of
Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ...
's comic '' Powers'', which followed the lives of homicide detectives as they investigated superhero-related cases. Bendis's success has led both Marvel Comics and
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
to begin their own superhero-themed police procedurals ('' District X'' and the aforementioned ''Gotham Central''), which focus on how the job of a police officer is affected by such tropes as secret identities, superhuman abilities, costumes, and the near-constant presence of
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
s. While the detectives in ''Powers'' were "normal" (unpowered) humans dealing with super-powered crime, Alan Moore and
Gene Ha In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...
's '' Top 10'' mini-series, published by America's Best Comics in 2000–01, centered around the super-powered police force in a setting where powers are omnipresent. The comic detailed the lives and work of the police force of Neopolis, a city in which everyone, from the police and criminals to civilians, children and even pets, has super-powers, colourful costumes and secret identities.


Criticism


Masculinity and racism

The police procedural is considered to be a male-dominant genre which very often portrays the
masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors ...
hero dedicated to the professional realm. The introduction of women as protagonists is commonly attributed to either adding sexual appeal, introducing gendered issues like investigating sex crimes, or delving into the personal relationships of the characters. It also often portrays
rape myths Rape myths are prejudicial, stereotyped, and false beliefs about sexual assaults, rapists, and rape victims. They often serve to excuse sexual aggression, create hostility toward victims, and bias criminal prosecution. Extensive research has bee ...
, such as that rape is more often committed by strangers rather than a known acquaintance of the victim, that the majority of rape claims are false, and that rapes only happen to "bad girls". The portrayal of the criminal justice system also under-represents issues of race and institutional racism. A report by
Color of Change Color of Change is a progressive nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization in the United States. It was formed in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in order to use online resources to strengthen the political voice of African Americ ...
Hollywood and the USC Annenberg
Norman Lear Center The Norman Lear Center is a multi-disciplinary research and public policy center exploring implications of the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society. It is based at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. Through scholarship and ...
identified that in these shows there was a severe lack of portrayal of racial bias in the criminal procedure, discussion about criminal justice reform, and victims who are women of color. There is also little representation of people of color in the creation of these shows.


Biased narratives

The police procedural genre is becoming increasingly popular and has accounted for about 22% of all scripted shows on US broadcast network in the last 10 years. This prevalence implies that viewers are often facing TV series that place police officers at the center of the story, showing exclusively their vision of the world. This approach has been denounced as enforcing the idea that the life and views of policemen are more important than the ones of the communities being policed. In police procedural the policemen are presented as the "good guys" or close to superhuman, leading to a potentially biased narrative. Even when they use illegal practices it is presented as a necessary decision made in the general interest. A report by
Color of Change Color of Change is a progressive nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization in the United States. It was formed in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in order to use online resources to strengthen the political voice of African Americ ...
Hollywood and the USC Annenberg
Norman Lear Center The Norman Lear Center is a multi-disciplinary research and public policy center exploring implications of the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society. It is based at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. Through scholarship and ...
revealed that police procedural shows were normalizing unjust practices such as illegal search, surveillance, coercion,
intimidation Intimidation is to "make timid or make fearful"; or to induce fear. This includes intentional behaviors of forcing another person to experience general discomfort such as humiliation, embarrassment, inferiority, limited freedom, etc and the victi ...
,
violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...
, abuse and
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...
.


Misrepresentation of reality

Additionally, criticisms have been raised against the genre for its unrealistic depiction of crime. Particularly, police procedurals have been accused of possessing an unrealistic preoccupation with incidents such as homicide and
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
. In the United States, plot points involving murder investigations appear at more frequent rates than those involving theft, substance abuse, or
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...
—all of which citizens are more likely to personally experience. Following the 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, police procedurals have additionally portrayed attempted terrorism incidents at unrealistically high rates, prompting accusations of racial profiling and fear-mongering. The manner in which crime has been portrayed in the media has subsequently been linked with discrepancies both in popular perception of crime rates, as well as sentencing. In a 2005 study conducted on the German public, it was found that despite a decline in total offences between 1992 and 2003, "the German public believes or assumes, on balance, that crime has increased". It has been further posited that the distorted public perception arising from the prevalence of police procedurals has been a factor in influencing sentencing rates. Countries such as the US, UK and Germany—while experiencing declines in crime rates—reported increases in the volume and severity of
incarceration Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is " false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessar ...
.


Recent efforts and developments

However, alongside protests against
police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to ...
in the United States and abroad, and debates on the role of entertainment in the portrayal of law enforcement in society, the genre has been facing increased scrutiny. As a result, some
television networks A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid- ...
have been making an effort to address and correct the aforementioned criticism. In August 2020, it became known that the CBS writing staff will partner with 21CP Solutions, an advisory group on public safety and
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term ...
, on the network's legal dramas and police procedurals. CBS producers state that the team, including
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
experts, lawyers and police veterans alike, has been hired in order to fill the recently identified lack of reality in crime shows and allow the genre to move with the times. As a result, the main objectives and partnership's attention is supposed to focus on an increase of inclusivity, diversity and authenticity in the production of police procedurals.


See also

*
Crime comics Crime comics is a genre of American comic book, American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence a ...
*
Crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
*
Legal fiction A legal fiction is a fact assumed or created by courts, which is then used in order to help reach a decision or to apply a legal rule. The concept is used almost exclusively in common law jurisdictions, particularly in England and Wales. Deve ...
*
List of police television dramas This is a list of police television programs. (CBDC noted, cancellations) Dramas involving police procedural work, and private detectives, secret agents, and the justice system have been a mainstay of broadcast television since the early days of b ...


References


Further reading

* Agger, Gunhild, and Anne Marit Waade. "Melancholy and murder." in ''European Television Crime Drama and Beyond'' (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018) pp. 61–82. * Arntfield, Michael. "TVPD: The generational diegetics of the police procedural on American television." ''Canadian Review of American Studies'' 41.1 (2011): 75–95. * Bolger, P. Colin, and Glenn D. Walters. "The relationship between police procedural justice, police legitimacy, and people's willingness to cooperate with law enforcement: A meta-analysis." ''Journal of criminal justice'' (2019). * Brunsdale, Mitzi M. ''Icons of Mystery and Crime Detection: From Sleuths to Superheroes'' (2 vol. ABC-CLIO, 2010). * Cummins, Ian, Marian Foley, and Martin King. ...And After the Break': Police Officers' Views of TV Crime Drama." ''Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice'' 8.2 (2014): 205–211. * Cummins, Ian, and Martin King. Drowning in here in his bloody sea': exploring TV cop drama's representations of the impact of stress in modern policing." ''Policing and society'' 27.8 (2017): 832–846
online
* Davis, J. Madison. "He do the police in different voices: The rise of the police procedural." ''World Literature Today'' 86.1 (2012): 9–11. * García, Alberto N. "Baltimore in The Wire and Los Angeles in The Shield: Urban landscapes in American drama series." ''Series-International Journal of TV Serial Narratives'' 3.1 (2017): 51–6
online
* McGovern, Alyce, and Nickie D. Phillips. "Police, media, and popular culture." in ''Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice'' (2017). * Primasita, Fitria Akhmerti, and Heddy Shri Ahimsa-Putra. "An Introduction to the Police Procedural: A Subgenre of Detective Genre." ''Humaniora'' 31.1 (2019): 33+ * Roberts, Les. "Landscapes in the frame: Exploring the hinterlands of the British procedural drama." ''New Review of Film and Television Studies'' 14.3 (2016): 364–385
online
* Sabin, Roger, with Ronald Wilson, et al. ''Cop Shows: A Critical History of Police Dramas on Television'' (McFarland, 2015). viii, pp. 219. * Saunders, Robert A. ''Geopolitics, Northern Europe, and Nordic Noir: What Television Series Tell Us about World Politics'' (Routledge, 2020). * Scheg, Abigail G. and Tamara Girardi, eds. ''Hero or Villain?: Essays on Dark Protagonists of Television'' (2017
excerpt
* Stephenson, Antony. "Kinds of blue: The representation of Australian police and policing in television drama and reality television." (PhD dissertation, Charles Sturt University, Australia, 2019)
online
* Stephenson, Antony. "Police as cop show viewers." in ''Crime, Media, Culture'' (2021): 17416590211005520. {{Crime fiction Crime fiction Genres