Editing Police procedural (section)

====United States====
* ''[[Dragnet (series)#Television|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]] in a favorable light, most depictions of cops at the time of ''Dragnet'''s debut were both unsympathetic and unrealistic.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} 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 [[New York County District Attorney|Manhattan District Attorney]]'s Office, ''[[Adam-12]]'', about a pair of uniformed [[Los Angeles Police Department|LAPD]] officers patrolling their beat in a radio car, and ''[[O'Hara, U.S. Treasury]]'', with [[David Janssen]] as a trouble-shooting federal officer.<ref>R. Barton Palmer, "The Story You Are About to See Is True’: Dragnet, Film Noir and Postwar Realism." ''Television and criticism'' (2008): 61-74.</ref>
* ''[[Adam-12]]'' (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 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'' (1959–63) fictionalized real-life Federal Agent [[Eliot Ness]]'s ongoing fight with prohibition-era gangs in [[Chicago]] and elsewhere. Originally a two-part presentation on the anthology series ''[[Desilu Playhouse]]'', 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]], 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 (TV series)|The New Breed]]'', ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'', ''[[Dan August]]'', and ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'' over the next twenty years. The success of the series led to an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning [[The Untouchables (1987 film)|motion picture]] in 1987, and a new TV [[The Untouchables (1993 TV series)|series]] that was syndicated to local stations in 1993.
* ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|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 (TV series)|Police Woman]]'', ''Joe Forrester'', and ''[[David Cassidy: Man Under Cover|Man Undercover]]''. During its last two seasons, the show appeared as an irregular series of two-hour [[TV movies]] 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]], 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 Blue]]'''s 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]] and placed in charge of the Major Crimes Squad. It rotated with three other detective shows on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. A 2005 remake for the [[USA Network]] 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 [she played the role in a TV movie]; however, she could not get out of her contract on ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]''. 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]]'' 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]]'' (1984–90) and ''[[21 Jump Street]]'' (1987–91) showed the MTV style of Police procedurals.
* The [[Law & Order (franchise)|''Law & Order'' franchise]] which started with the long-running series ''[[Law & Order]]'' (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]] 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 eleven other [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] series in five 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 TV series)|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]]: Adaptations of ''Special Victims Unit'' (2007) and ''Criminal Intent'' (2007), both set in Moscow.
** ''[[Paris enquêtes criminelles]]'' (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.
** ''[[Code of Law]]'' (2012-2020), a Singaporean adaptation of the original ''Law & Order'' set in Singapore.
: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: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]'' [[CSI (franchise)|series]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}
* ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' (1993–99; TV movie in 2000), a police procedural focusing on the homicide unit of the [[Baltimore]] city police department. Critically praised{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}} (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]] 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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}
* ''[[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)|''CSI'' franchise]], which started with ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'' (2000–2015) and eventually spawned two spin-offs focused on solving ordinary crimes using forensics, ''[[CSI: Miami]]'' (2002–2012) and ''[[CSI: NY]]'' (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]]'' (2011–2013), ''[[Bones (TV series)|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 (TV series)|Cold Case]]'' (2003–2010) and ''[[Without a Trace]]'' (2002–2009) respectively, psychological profiling in ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' (2005–2020), using [[mathematics]] in ''[[Numbers (TV series)|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 (TV series)|Dark Blue]]'' and ''[[Southland (TV series)|Southland]]''. ''The Shield'' was created by writer/producer [[Shawn Ryan]].
* The [[NCIS (franchise)|''NCIS'' franchise]], which was spun off from the CBS series ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'' in 2003. The original series, ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'' (2003–present) follows the Major Case Response Team of the [[Naval Criminal Investigative Service]], as they investigate crimes related to the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]. ''NCIS'' has been among the top scripted series on U.S. television, and has received five spin-offs; ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]'' (2009–2023) 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, ''[[NCIS: Hawaiʻi]]'' (2021–2024) which focuses on agents working out of the Pearl Harbor Field Office, ''[[NCIS: Sydney]]'' (2023–present) which focuses on a joint task force between NCIS and the [[Australian Federal Police]] that investigates incidents involving U.S. military personnel stationed in Australia, and ''[[NCIS: Origins]]'' (2024–present), a prequel series which follows the early career of ''NCIS'' lead character [[Leroy Jethro Gibbs]].
* ''[[Castle (TV series)|Castle]]'' (2009–2016), ''[[The Mentalist]]'' (2008–2015), ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' (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 (franchise)|''Chicago'']] is a multi-genre franchise that focuses on the [[Chicago]] [[Chicago P.D. (TV series)|Police Department]], the [[Chicago Fire (TV series)|Fire Department]], the [[Chicago Med|Medical branch]] and [[Chicago Justice|Justice System]] respectively.
* ''[[Brooklyn Nine-Nine]]'' (2013–2021) is a single-camera police sitcom focusing on detectives in the 99th precinct in Brooklyn.
* The [[FBI (franchise)|''FBI'' franchise]] (2018–present)