Top Five Cop Shows

Everyone likes a grizzled, hard-bitten, coffee swilling, donut munching cop show every now and then. The boys in blue out defending the mean streets and clashing with the tide of urban scum that threatens to wash us all away. They can be tracking down murderers, drug dealers or car jackers. They can be pure of heart or completely and utterly corrupt. Whatever the case there is something fascinating about cop shows. So here are my top five picks counting down to the best.

5 - Taggart
I know anyone outside of Scotland will be wondering what the hell Taggart is and anyone in Scotland will be wondering why this is on the list. Taggart was a small, dour, rumpled looking, alcoholic cop in Glasgow who investigated murders and though the series got increasingly awful and unwatchable like all British cop shows it did start out pretty good. Well ok it used to have places I recognised in it and hey I’m Scottish I can’t have an entirely American list.

4 - Dexter
This is perhaps the greatest premise for a show ever: A serial killer who hunts murderers. Dexter works as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami PD and there are various typical cop stories worked around his weekly antics. It may not be the most realistic show and it is tough to be impressed with any group of detectives who can have a serial killer operating out of their office but damn it is entertaining.

3 - Homicide Life on the Street
This is gritty, realistic and enough to give you nightmares. Based on the fantastic book by David Simon, who spent a year with the Baltimore homicide department in the eighties and wrote about his experiences, this show doesn’t pull any punches. It is depressing and relentless, beautifully acted by a well chosen cast (especially Pembleton) and one of the finest cop shows ever made.

2 - The Shield
The adventures of Vic Mackie and his corrupt strike team as they ran riot across Los Angeles. This show was action packed from start to finish with one of the most memorable opening episodes I have ever seen. He was a total scumbag of the highest order and yet somehow you found yourself rooting for Vic. The series also featured some great acting including guest turns by Forest Whitaker and Glenn Close. For adrenaline fuelled action no-one teetered on the edge quite like Vic. This was a gritty show which showed the gang related violence prevalent in LA and with the homicide adventures of Dutch and Wyms often forming a side plot this was like two great cop shows wrapped into one.

1 - The Wire
Back to Baltimore for The Wire which also drew on the writing and experience of David Simon. The first series focussed on the cops but as it wore on we were introduced to all sorts of characters in the city and the rich tapestry which makes up Baltimore life was woven together before our very eyes. Gritty, realistic and heart breakingly honest The Wire refused to compromise. This series achieved a level of depth and characterisation which you just don’t see and for that reason it is definitely the best cop show ever made.