3 Police Procedural Cult Classics (and 3 Hidden Gems of the Genre)
If you are fond of police procedurals, these are definitely the ones you shouldn't miss out on.
Television has given us a myriad of unforgettable police procedurals, each with its own unique flair.
Let’s take a look at three of the most iconic shows, as well as the three series that might have flown under your radar.
Cult Classic: Blue Bloods
Blue Bloods follows the Reagan family, an Irish Catholic clan living in New York City. The Reagans are a cop family to the core, with various members serving in different capacities in the NYPD.
The series tastefully balances the gritty realities of police work with the familial bond between the Reagans.
Hidden Gem: A Touch of Cloth
Charlie Brooker, the mind behind Black Mirror, flexed his satirical muscles in A Touch of Cloth. This British series, which ran for three seasons of two hour-long episodes each, is a hilarious spoof of the detective genre.
Think morbid murders, ridiculously convoluted crimes, dry humor, slapstick comedy, and a brilliant cast, including Brian Cox and Karen Gillen.
Cult Classic: NCIS
A sequel to JAG and an enduring powerhouse on its own, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) gives us a glimpse into the lives of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his elite team of investigators. It’s a perfect blend of action, humor, and procedural drama, with a dash of military vibe.
Hidden Gem: Raines
In Raines, we meet Jeff Goldblum as LAPD detective Michael Raines, a unique type of cop who 'communicates' with deceased crime victims — not as a medium, but as a skillful professional who knows just the right mechanism to understand the victims and solve the case.
Cult Classic: Criminal Minds
This show dives deep into the psychology of criminals, offering viewers an intense, albeit gripping, journey into the darkest realms of the human psyche. It’s dark, it’s smart, and after 16 seasons, it is still drawing viewers in with its edgy storytelling and deep character development.
Hidden Gem: The Good Guys
This show pairs a reckless, old-school detective (Bradley Whitford) with a young, by-the-book partner (Colin Hanks). This dynamic duo captures the essence of the buddy cop genre, celebrating quirky criminals and relatively small-stakes crimes.
The interplay between Whitford and Hanks' characters is comedy gold, and the show itself serves as a playful homage to the cop dramas of yesteryears.
