We sure love a good old cop show here at Crime Prevention Products and so does a majority of our readers. So, we decided that we would bring together for the very first time a collection of cop / crime shows from both the UK and USA that has dominated our TV screens over the last 40 years. We hope you like our crime show play-offs and remember if you feel we have missed your favourite out or you don’t agree with our choice then let us know via the comments.

The Big UK vs USA Crime Show Play-Off

The Sweeney		Starsky & Hutch
The Sweeney was a hard hitting drama based around 2 characters from ‘The Flying Squad’. Starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, the show focused on the more brutal and violent side of Policing esp, around the 70’s. It has been suggested that ‘Life on Mars’ used ‘The Sweeney’ to model its show on.		Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul were propelled to fame on both sides of the Atlantic as ‘Starsky & Hutch’. The show was based around streetwise undercover detectives. Cool cars, awesome cardigans, smart scripts and Huggy Bear made this cop show become one of the most memorable ever.
Running Time 3 Years Appeal 70’s Quote “Shut it!” Score		Running Time 4 Years Appeal 70’s Quote “I’m Hutch, he’s Starsky” Score

Taggart		Kojak
Based in and around the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland. Detective Chief Inspector Taggart, growled and barked his way through each episode intent on catching the murderer.		NY Detective, Theo Kojak, is a modern icon, with his bald head and red lollypop. Telly Salvalas who played Kojak was probably one of the first recognised Anti-Smoking campaigns to hit TV screens back in the 70’s — hence his passion for lollipops.
Running Time 26 years Appeal 80’s, 90s, 00’s Quote “There’s been a murder!” Score		Running Time 5 years Appeal 70’s Quote “Who loves ya, baby?” Score

The Bill		Hill Street Blues
The Bill first appeared on British TV screens back in 1988 and has been a predominant fixture ever since. Set in London’s East End it tells the drama of day-to-day existence for the ‘bobbies’ in Sun Hill Police Station. The Bill has a knack of showing its drama as real-life as possible. Similar to a ‘Soap’, The Bills storylines can evolve over many months.		Set in an unknown area of America, Hill Street Blues tells the lives of the inhabitants of the Police Precinct. Many episodes were centered around the ‘Gang Culture’ of America in the Eighties. The show also was one of the first to try-put various camera angles to help engage the viewer with what was happening in the scene at that time.
Running Time 21 years Appeal 80’s, 90’s, 00’s Quote Score		Running Time 6 years Appeal 80’s Quote “Let’s be careful out there.” Score

Cracker		CSI
Robbie Coltrane, played the uncompromising expert criminal psychologist, Dr. Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald. Gambler, alcholoic, chain smoking and womaniser, Cracker, was a law unto himself. He has an uncanny ability to get into the minds of the most violent (often killers) of individuals and help the Police track down their suspect.		Focused, primarily, around the Las Vegas Forensics Analysist team, they use scientific evidence to help solve, normally unsolvable and mysterious crimes. The success of the show has helped spawn several spin-offs.
Running Time 4 years Appeal 80’s, 90’s Quote Score		Running Time 9 years Appeal 00’s Quote Score

A Touch of Frost		Columbo
Jack Frost is played by Sir David Jason and is focused on the hard-working often antagonistic cop. Frost nearly always clashed with his superiors. Frost is portrayed as a lonely figure, often finding it difficult to get through the day after his wife dies. He lives for his work!		Lieutenant Columbo is a Homocide Detective played by Peter Falk. Columbo, is basically a scruffbag who has a demanour about him that others often feel they can outsmart him. Despite how he looks, Columbo, is always piecing together the clues and in the end – always outsmarts his opponent and get his man.
Running Time 17 years Appeal 90’s, 00’s Quote “It’s a joke, sir, don’t bother to work it out.” Score		Running Time 35 years Appeal 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s Quote “One more thing…” Score

Prime Suspect		Cagney & Lacey
DCI Jane Tennison is played by Dame Helen Mirren in the Prime Suspect series. Tennison is another cop who finds it difficult to seperate her day job from normal living and thus drowns out everyday normalities by becoming more addicted to alchohol.		Two female NY City Police Detectives are played by Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless. Being detective partners in the show it highlights each womans own background : 1 being career minded while the other is a working mum. The show ran for 6 years in the States.
Running Time 4 years Appeal 90’s, 00’s Quote Score		Running Time 6 years Appeal 80’s Quote Score

The Professionals		CHiPs
The Professionals was about two characters called Bodie and Doyle and was more focused on professional law enforcement rather than a cop show. It had its stars brandishing guns ala ‘Starsky & Hutch’ style which was extremely uncommon in a British crime drama for its time.		Two motorcycle police officers of the Carlifornian Highway patrol was the main story behind this cop drama. The pair were normally found chasing the bad guys with dangerous motorcycle stunts the main spectacle of the show.
Running Time 7 years Appeal 70’s, 80’s Quote Score		Running Time 7 years Appeal 70’s, 80’s Quote Score