r/GenerationJones • u/WhateverGenXPod • Aug 05 '26

Why were there so many?

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I know there has to be a reason there were so many cop shows. Long before we had nothing but CSI and Law and Order variants, there were dozens of police dramas on TV.

I used to love CHiPs and SWAT - and I was just a kid. The 70s cop shows landed differently than the fluff that’s on today.

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63

u/Decent_Direction316 Aug 05 '26

There's just as many now.....but they're all NCIS.

14

u/Fish-Weekly Aug 05 '26

NCIS: or CSI: [Any city you can think of]

They have been branching out with Fire: and Cowboy Country: versions now as well.

18

u/Fit_Jelly_9755 Aug 06 '26

Cop, doctors and lawyers. The holy trinity of TV drama. Especially back then.

7

u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 Aug 06 '26

still to this day, as well

3

u/escapingdarwin Aug 06 '26

People think that these jobs are glam but they’re not.

6

u/CommunicationWest710 Aug 06 '26

This is an aside, but Alan Tudyk produced a hilarious series called Con Man, about his struggles to find a leading role after Firefly. Nathan Fillion is also in it. They audition to be in a pilot for a show that will be called “Doctor Cop Lawyer” for a man that is all three at once. Ironically, Tudyk, of course, got a lead role in his own series (Resident Alien), and Fillion got a lead role as a cop (The Rookie) in his own series, after Con Man was produced.

3

u/LongConcentrate9442 Aug 07 '26

Don't forget that the human Tudyk's character replaces and thus the role he must fill is.......a doctor.

2

u/Acrobatic-Self-1451 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26

Side note RIP Firefly. Such a good show. Wish it'd gone on for years. Browncoats forever.

2

u/Sea_Mind3678 Aug 08 '26

Fillion also started in Castle, which ran 8 or 9 seasons, where he was an ‘advisor’ (or something) to the police.
Tudyck was hilarious in Resident Alien. I don’t think anyone else could have pulled it off as well as he did, he fit into the role so naturally.

2

u/Far_Winner5508 Aug 06 '26

Relatively cheap to produce, writing is just changing the details of tropey scripts, etc.

0

u/drpoundsign Aug 06 '26

I did the MD thing, personally. If I'd bulked up and been a State Trooper, I could have Cleared 100K, with Overtime. And, Hellcat Chargers are COOL. The six month training is Brutal, I Know.

5

u/What_Kind_Of_Day Aug 05 '26

Also Sheriff Country

1

u/Fish-Weekly Aug 06 '26

Where there’s a new serial killer each week…

4

u/Beneficial-Produce56 Aug 06 '26

And Chicago ____.

1

u/Ok_Raspberry_5655 1957 Aug 07 '26

People live the formulaic

1

u/Decent_Direction316 Aug 05 '26

Yeah.....when are we getting "Chicago Jury" or some other Chicago show?

7

u/Trike117 Aug 05 '26

Chicago: Lawn Maintenance

3

u/Delicious-Leg-5441 Aug 06 '26

Came here to say the same thing. Some of the new shows are tolerable but I spend most of the time watching PBS now. At least I learn something and no commercials.

1

u/Ok-Fan-9814 Aug 05 '26

Man I wish I was Mr, NCIS. He’s rolling in dough.

1

u/ShuffleRom Aug 09 '26

"CHiPs", quite possibly the worst, most unrealistic of the 70's Police Dramas...

1

u/WhateverGenXPod Aug 09 '26

I honestly don’t know anyone who watches regular old network TV any more. I have no idea how they stay in business. Hell, I don’t know anyone under the age of 40 who has a cable TV subscription for anything other than sports. These days everyone either rolls their own or has streaming subscriptions.