Best Police Dramas and Cop Shows of All Time: ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ ‘Chicago P.D.,’ ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ ‘NYPD Blue’ and More

Credit: NBC (2) ; Shutterstock (2)

Best Police Dramas and Cop Shows of All Time: ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ ‘Chicago P.D.,’ ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ ‘NYPD Blue’ and More

We’re taking the case! When it comes to must-see police dramas and cop shows, fans have a lot to choose from — including Law & Order: Special Victim Unit and Chicago P.D. The two hit dramas are just two powerhouse series to come from creator Dick Wolf over the years. The producer, who got his start writing for Hill Street Blues in the 1980s, has become the go-to man when it comes to procedurals. One of the TV giant’s greatest successes is Law & Order: SVU, which began in 1999 following the hype of his 1990 creation Law & Order. What makes SVU different is that it depicts the nuances of dealing with sex crimes — and it is helmed by female lead Mariska Hargitay. “I think that Olivia is such a badass who's grown into her power,” Hargitay told E! News in September 2022 of her character, Captain Olivia Benson. “And that is our journey for all of us women." Wolf’s universe expanded even more in 2012 when he launched the One Chicago universe. After Chicago Fire took fans into life as a firefighter in the Windy City, Chicago P.D. was created to depict the sometimes not-so-glamorous side of policing in the Midwest. He later added a third series, Chicago Med. “I’m on a cop show in a post-George Floyd world. It’s tough. What is my responsibility as an actor?” Chicago P.D. star Marina Squerciati exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021, referring to Floyd's death at the hands of cops in 2020. “As a part of this project, wanting to give credence and respect to people who are cops, who choose to put their lives on the line, run through the line of fire? And also give respect to people who are persecuted and not treated fairly by cops.” [sendtonews type="float" key="WCauG4V6vr-2836305-14453"] The actress, who has been playing Officer Kim Burgess since Chicago P.D.'s premiere, noted that the series has evolved as the world has changed. “Our shows kind of took a pause and a reset. … It is a television show so it’s not going to be perfect, but I’m glad the cops [on our show] live in a gray area,” she concluded. “We’re not always right. That makes me happy. It’s not good-guy-bad-guy, because that’s not the world we live in.” Squerciati’s costar — and TV love interest — Patrick Flueger exclusively told Us in March 2022 that their team is much more than a group of actors. “I feel like you hear people talk about, like, ‘Oh, we’re a family,’ when they talk about their shows and stuff. And I don’t know that that’s always true,” Flueger, who plays Officer Adam Ruzek, said at the time. “But with our specific show, with our crew, our cast, man, these are people that take care of each other, look out for each other. We’ve got a family situation going. … We’re very lucky.” Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are just two shows that document life behind the blue wall — and both series wouldn’t have been possible without the cop dramas that came before them, including Cagney & Lacey, NYPD Blue, Monk and more. Scroll down to see some of the best police series of all time — and start watching the ones you have yet to see:

Credit: NBC (2) ; Shutterstock (2)

Best Police Dramas and Cop Shows of All Time: ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ ‘Chicago P.D.,’ ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ ‘NYPD Blue’ and More

We’re taking the case! When it comes to must-see police dramas and cop shows, fans have a lot to choose from — including Law & Order: Special Victim Unit and Chicago P.D. The two hit dramas are just two powerhouse series to come from creator Dick Wolf over the years. The producer, who got his start writing for Hill Street Blues in the 1980s, has become the go-to man when it comes to procedurals. One of the TV giant’s greatest successes is Law & Order: SVU, which began in 1999 following the hype of his 1990 creation Law & Order. What makes SVU different is that it depicts the nuances of dealing with sex crimes — and it is helmed by female lead Mariska Hargitay. “I think that Olivia is such a badass who's grown into her power,” Hargitay told E! News in September 2022 of her character, Captain Olivia Benson. “And that is our journey for all of us women." Wolf’s universe expanded even more in 2012 when he launched the One Chicago universe. After Chicago Fire took fans into life as a firefighter in the Windy City, Chicago P.D. was created to depict the sometimes not-so-glamorous side of policing in the Midwest. He later added a third series, Chicago Med. “I’m on a cop show in a post-George Floyd world. It’s tough. What is my responsibility as an actor?” Chicago P.D. star Marina Squerciati exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021, referring to Floyd's death at the hands of cops in 2020. “As a part of this project, wanting to give credence and respect to people who are cops, who choose to put their lives on the line, run through the line of fire? And also give respect to people who are persecuted and not treated fairly by cops.” [sendtonews type="float" key="WCauG4V6vr-2836305-14453"] The actress, who has been playing Officer Kim Burgess since Chicago P.D.'s premiere, noted that the series has evolved as the world has changed. “Our shows kind of took a pause and a reset. … It is a television show so it’s not going to be perfect, but I’m glad the cops [on our show] live in a gray area,” she concluded. “We’re not always right. That makes me happy. It’s not good-guy-bad-guy, because that’s not the world we live in.” Squerciati’s costar — and TV love interest — Patrick Flueger exclusively told Us in March 2022 that their team is much more than a group of actors. “I feel like you hear people talk about, like, ‘Oh, we’re a family,’ when they talk about their shows and stuff. And I don’t know that that’s always true,” Flueger, who plays Officer Adam Ruzek, said at the time. “But with our specific show, with our crew, our cast, man, these are people that take care of each other, look out for each other. We’ve got a family situation going. … We’re very lucky.” Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are just two shows that document life behind the blue wall — and both series wouldn’t have been possible without the cop dramas that came before them, including Cagney & Lacey, NYPD Blue, Monk and more. Scroll down to see some of the best police series of all time — and start watching the ones you have yet to see:

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'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'

After the success of Law & Order, Wolf created Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999. In its more than 20 seasons on air, SVU has become one of the biggest crime dramas of all time and the most successful in the Law & Order franchise. The series follows the detectives of the Special Victims Unit located in New York City as they investigate sexually motivated crimes.

The original cast included Hargitay as Olivia Benson, Christopher Meloni as Elliott Stabler, Richard Belzer as John Munch and Dann Florek as Donald Cragen. Ice-T joined the cast in 2000 as Odafin “Fin” Tutuola and continues to star alongside Hargitay. Meloni, for his part, got his own spinoff, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, in 2021.

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'Chicago P.D.'

The NBC series premiered in 2014 following the success of Chicago Fire. The One Chicago show follows the Chicago Police Department’s Intelligence Unit ran by Detective Hank Voight (Jason Beghe). As of season 10, which began in 2022, the tough unit — which doesn’t always follow the rules — was made up of Adam Ruzek (Flueger), Kim Burgess (Squerciati), Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos).

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'NYPD Blue'

NYPD Blue won 20 Emmys during its 12-season run, which lasted from 1993 to 2004. Throughout the ABC series, fans watched as detectives Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smiths) — among others from NYPD’s 15th Precinct — investigated homicides and other hard-hitting crimes in the area.

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'Cagney & Lacey'

The CBS series, which ran from 1981 to 1988, put female cops front and center. Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless played detectives Mary Beth Lacy and Christine Cagney, respectively, for seven seasons — and broke down barriers as crime-solving woman. The show earned 14 Emmys during its run, including multiple Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series wins for both Daly and Gless.

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'Columbo'

Peter Falk’s Columbo had an unassuming demeanor that continually caused criminals to underestimate his skills. The drama, which ran as a series of mini movies spread out from 1971 to 2003, kept viewers on their toes as Columbo — wearing his iconic trench coat — pointed out “just one more thing …” before solving his case every time without incident.

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'Blue Bloods'

The Reagan family is at the center of this CBS drama, which premiered in 2010. Led by Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), the police-centered family includes his sons, detective Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and officer Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), and attorney daughter Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) as well as the patriarch, former Police Commissioner Henry Reagan (Len Cariou). In addition to doing their jobs in NYC, the group manages to keep their relationships strong by attending weekly family dinners. Blue Bloods was picked up for season 14 in March 2023.

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'Rookie Blue'

The ABC drama ran from 2010 to 2015 and documented Andy McNally (Missy Peregrym) and her fellow recent police academy grads as they adjust to life as officers at the 15th Division in Toronto. The series also starred Gregory Smith as Dov Epstein, Enuka Okuma as Traci Nash, Travis Milne as Chris Diaz and Charlotte Sullivan as Gail Peck.

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'Rizzoli & Isles'

Detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Doctor Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) graced TV screens from 2010 to 2016 as the crime solving BFF duo. The TNT series, which lasted seven seasons, showed a different approach to cop work as Rizzoli often turned to friend and medical examiner Isles for support and insight into Boston’s biggest cases.

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'FBI' & Spinoffs

The procedural drama premiered in 2018 on CBS and reveals what it’s like working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York City. Season 6, which began in 2022, continued to hook fans in as the work and personal lives of Special Agents Maggie Bell (Peregrym), Omar Adom “OA” Zidan (Zeeko Zaki), Stuart Scola (John Boyd) and Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Renee Kane) play out on screen week after week. The entire office is run by Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille (Alana De La Garza) and Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto).

Following the show’s success, Wolf’s team created FBI: Most Wanted in 2020. The spinoff focuses on the division of the FBI tasked with tracking and capturing the criminals listed on the bureau’s “most wanted” list.

One year later, FBI: International premiered. This spinoff is centered on a special FBI task force stationed overseas who flies from one destination to the next to assist in solving crimes usually involving U.S. citizens.

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'The Rookie'

The ABC drama premiered in 2018 and follows officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) after he decides to become a cop much later in life. The series, which aired its fifth season in 2022, highlights LAPD’s finest, including Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox), Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones).

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'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

The NBC comedy documented Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his loveable, goofball colleagues during their daily activities as police in New York’s 99th Precinct. The series, which ended in 2021 after eight seasons, also starred Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz, Terry Crews as Terry Jeffords, Melissa Fumero as Amy Santiago, Joe Lo Truglio as Charles Boyle and Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt.

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'The Wire'

The HBO series centers on the rough and tough narcotics scene in Baltimore. The unique spin on a crime show dives into the lives of the drug dealers and the law enforcement personnel who police the streets. The series, which ran from 2002 to 2008, starred Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce, John Doman and more.

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'Monk'

The USA Network series won eight Emmys during its eight seasons, including three Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy trophies for star Tony Shalhoub. Throughout the series, which ran from 2002 to 2009, fans watched as former detective Adrian Monk (Shalhoub) solved crimes for the San Francisco Police Department in his own unique way. While Monk battles obsessive-compulsive disorder, he proves to be the best consultant the department has ever seen.

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'Castle'

Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) gets more than she bargains for when mystery writer, Richard Castle (Fillion), starts shadowing her for his latest novel. While the two initially clash, they soon discover that two heads are better than one while trying to rid New York City of crime. The ABC series lasted eight seasons from 2009 to 2016.

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'NCIS' & Spinoffs

Donald Bellisario and Don McGill created NCIS in 2003, and it began its 20th season in 2022. The CBS series highlights the hard work that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s team in Washington, D.C. does on a daily basis, tailored to crimes involving current or former navy personnel. While original star Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs, exited the series after season 19, OG actors Sean Murray, who plays Timothy McGee, and Rocky Carroll, who portrays Leon Vance, are still on board.

The NCIS universe has continued to expand over the years, with the creators adding NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009. The California-based show starring Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J will end in 2023 after season 14 concludes.

NCIS: New Orleans, which starred Scott Bakula, ran from 2014 to 2021. The southern-inspired spinoff focused on military deaths and crimes in Louisiana. NCIS: Hawaii, meanwhile, premiered in 2021 and follows Jane Tennant’s (Vanessa Lachey) team as they solve cases on the Hawaiian Islands.

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'Cold Case'

Detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) used her unique skills to help solve Philadelphia’s cold cases on the CBS drama from 2003 to 2010. Unlike many other crime shows, Cold Case focused on murders that had long been forgotten. The seven-season series also starred Danny Pino as Scotty Valens, John Finn as John Stillman, Jeremy Ratchford as Nick Vera, Thom Barry as Will Jeffries and Tracie Thoms as Kat Miller.

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'Southland'

The Los Angeles-based series ran from 2009 to 2013 on TNT. Ahead of its conclusion, the show earned two Emmy Awards for its depiction of the LAPD helmed by officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) and officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie). The officers’ reach was made even greater with the help of detectives Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) and Lydia Adams (Regina King).

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'Hill Street Blues'

The NBC series took place at a police station in an unspecified city in the ‘80s and focused on how inner city cops solved crime in a simple yet complex way. The premise seems commonplace now, but at the time, Hill Street Blues paved the way for the procedural drama — and earned 26 Emmys over its seven seasons. Some of the biggest stars included Daniel J. Travanti, Bruce Weitz, Michael Warren and James Sikking.

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'Criminal Minds'

The CBS series takes fans into the minds of serial killers and the criminal profilers of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team, who work tirelessly to bring them to justice. The show initially ran from 2005 to 2020. It came back for its 16th season in 2022 with original cast members Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reed, A.J. Cook and as Jennifer Jareau. Longtime stars Joe Mantegna, who plays David Rossi, and Paget Brewster, who plays Emily Prentiss, also signed on for the revival.

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'Miami Vice'

Miami Vice’s Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas were the kings of cool while playing undercover detectives James Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, respectively, on the NBC series. Throughout the five seasons — which aired from 1984 to 1989 — the cops embodied the ‘80s fashion and vibe while cracking cases in Miami.

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‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’

What happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas — at least when it came to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The series, which ran from 2000 to 2015, investigated crimes that happened in Sin City but focused on the science conducted by the forensic evidence investigation experts.

In 2021, the series was revived and renamed CSI: Vegas. Original stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox made cameos on season 1. OG actress Marg Helgenberger reprised her role as Catherine Willows beginning on season 2 in 2022.

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'Dragnet'

Jack Webb and Harry Morgan were a dynamic duo as Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon, respectively, on the NBC show. During its four seasons, the series followed the twosome as they tried to rid Los Angeles of crime in the late ‘60s. Each season documented a year in the life of the pair, including Dragnet 1967, Dragnet 1968, Dragnet 1969 and Dragnet 1970.

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'Starsky and Hutch'

David Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson (David Soul) captivated audiences from 1975 to 1979 with their rebellious tactics, close bond and cool car, the Ford Gran Torino. The NBC series embodied the good, the bad and the groovy about the ‘70s, complete with the detective’s hip informant Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas). It later spawned a revival in the form of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s 2004 comedy by the same name.

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'Reno 911!'

The comical take on policing premiered on Comedy Central in 2003. Each episode, fans get a humorous look at how the Reno, Nevada, Sheriff’s Department solves crimes — and the crazy folks they have to deal with. Season 8 concluded in February 2022 and starred Thomas Lennon as Lieutenant Jim Dangle, Cedric Yarbrough as Deputy S. Jones, Robert Ben Garant as Deputy Travis Junior, Kerri Kenney as Deputy Trudy Wiegel and Niecy Nash as Deputy Raineesha Williams.