CHiPs is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner that originally broadcast on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. The series production was handled by MGM Television. The program follows the lives of officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as they patrol the freeways of Los Angeles. Over its six-season run, CHiPs presented ...
NBC’s Ironside, which aired from 1967 to 1975, presented a unique twist on the police procedural. The series centers on Robert T. Ironside, a former San Francisco Police Department Chief of Detectives, portrayed with a steely resolve by Raymond Burr. After being paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet, Ironside is forced into a wheelchair, but his intellect and determination remain undiminished. ...
TV in the 1970s was awash with crime dramas, but few stood out quite like Cannon, a Quinn Martin Production that aired on CBS. Running from 1971 to 1976, the series starred the imposing William Conrad as Frank Cannon, a former Los Angeles Police Department detective turned private investigator. Unlike the typical hard-boiled, fast-talking PIs of the era, Cannon was ...
The gritty streets of 1970s television were vividly brought to life with Baretta, a police drama that aired on ABC from 1975 to 1978. This wasn’t your typical cop procedural; it had a unique style and a certain raw edge, largely due to the performance of its lead, Robert Blake. Blake played Detective Tony Baretta, an unconventional undercover cop with ...
Before Baretta, there was a program called Toma. It starred Tony Musante as Detective David Toma, a real-life police officer known for his undercover work. Toma aired on ABC in 1973 and 1974, it had a very similar concept to the later Baretta, it was based on the work of the real-life cop of that name and it was also ...
A gritty police procedural that defined 1970s television, The Streets of San Francisco aired on ABC for five seasons, from 1972 to 1977. The series, produced by Quinn Martin Productions, focused on two detectives solving crimes in the famously hilly city. The show’s success stemmed not only from its action-packed plots but also from the believable chemistry between its two ...
Few television shows have had the cultural impact of Hawaii Five-O, which aired on CBS from 1968 to 1980. Created by Leonard Freeman, this police procedural wasn’t just a hit; it was a phenomenon that redefined how crime dramas were made. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Hawaiian Islands, the program followed the exploits of an elite state police ...
Airing on CBS from 1973 to 1978, Kojak wasn’t just another cop drama; it was a cultural touchstone. At its core was Telly Savalas as the titular Lieutenant Theo Kojak, a bald, lollipop-loving detective with a no-nonsense approach to solving crimes in New York City. Savalas’s performance was the lynchpin of the whole operation, and he brought a unique blend ...
The Rockford Files, which aired on NBC, is a show that consistently stands out in the crowded field of 1970s detective series. The program, which ran from 1974 to 1980, stars James Garner as Jim Rockford, a private investigator who operates out of a mobile home in Malibu. Unlike many of his TV counterparts, Rockford isn’t a gun-toting tough guy. ...
Okay, so you’ve probably never heard of “Cain’s Hundred,” and that’s a shame. This 1961-1962 crime drama, produced by NBC, is a fascinating look at organized crime from the unusual perspective of a lawyer who works within the mob rather than against it. It’s a different kind of show from its contemporaries. It presents a stark and morally ambiguous world ...