Cop Shows
There has been a fair amount of blaming movies, games and television shows as being too violent, leading to violence in society.
I think it’s just a ruse so that we don’t talk about what’s really to blame, but this ain’t that sort of blog.
I was watching a rerun of Law & Order SVU (which is my least favorite cop show ever) when it occurred to me that I’ve spent a lot of time watching the cops chase down the bad guys on tv.
When I was a kid there was Kojak, McCloud, Columbo, Hawaii Five O, Cannon, Rockford Files, Mannix.
A whole bunch.
I’d say Columbo was my favorite of those and Cannon was my least favorite.
Poor Frank Cannon.
He had a lot of trouble chasing down the bad guy, and he’d often win the fight with a karate chop.
He’d chop down, while breathing hard.
I then liked Quincy.
Jack Klugman was one of my favorite all-time actors. He always did a great job, and he was intense and funny.
I’ve caught a few reruns and it doesn’t stand up.
That’s because these cop shows have been taken to a whole new level.
The Shield, The Wire, CSI, Blue Bloods, All of the Law & Orders...
...every possible situation has been played out.
We have pedophiles, rapists, cheating spouses, child murders...
...one after another.
And the whole genre is sort of formulaic, right?
The late great Jay Thomas once said that you could always tell who the murderer is by how big a star is cast.
The murderer is acting their ass off and the cops in the crew are just spouting the same old lines.
“I need a bus!”
“We have another body here.”
“You have the right to remain silent.”
We can probably all write the dialogue by now.
Recently, I’ve figured out that I like cop shows that have a slant to them.
Columbo was a character.
Monk is neurotic.
James Garner was great as Rockford.
The cops need to be a little off.
The ones who act all righteous drive me nuts.
“Shut up, Grandpa!” I often yell at the old man on Blue Bloods.
He’s always Mr. Perfect.
I don’t think cop shows will ever go away.
I just can’t wait until baseball season gets under way...
...so I don’t have to watch anymore.
I think it’s just a ruse so that we don’t talk about what’s really to blame, but this ain’t that sort of blog.
I was watching a rerun of Law & Order SVU (which is my least favorite cop show ever) when it occurred to me that I’ve spent a lot of time watching the cops chase down the bad guys on tv.
When I was a kid there was Kojak, McCloud, Columbo, Hawaii Five O, Cannon, Rockford Files, Mannix.
A whole bunch.
I’d say Columbo was my favorite of those and Cannon was my least favorite.
Poor Frank Cannon.
He had a lot of trouble chasing down the bad guy, and he’d often win the fight with a karate chop.
He’d chop down, while breathing hard.
I then liked Quincy.
Jack Klugman was one of my favorite all-time actors. He always did a great job, and he was intense and funny.
I’ve caught a few reruns and it doesn’t stand up.
That’s because these cop shows have been taken to a whole new level.
The Shield, The Wire, CSI, Blue Bloods, All of the Law & Orders...
...every possible situation has been played out.
We have pedophiles, rapists, cheating spouses, child murders...
...one after another.
And the whole genre is sort of formulaic, right?
The late great Jay Thomas once said that you could always tell who the murderer is by how big a star is cast.
The murderer is acting their ass off and the cops in the crew are just spouting the same old lines.
“I need a bus!”
“We have another body here.”
“You have the right to remain silent.”
We can probably all write the dialogue by now.
Recently, I’ve figured out that I like cop shows that have a slant to them.
Columbo was a character.
Monk is neurotic.
James Garner was great as Rockford.
The cops need to be a little off.
The ones who act all righteous drive me nuts.
“Shut up, Grandpa!” I often yell at the old man on Blue Bloods.
He’s always Mr. Perfect.
I don’t think cop shows will ever go away.
I just can’t wait until baseball season gets under way...
...so I don’t have to watch anymore.
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