History Series / Cops1989

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season included scenes of police officers off-duty, and/or at home with their families. Past the first season, this kind of footage almost never comes up.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has often been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and after they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several people featured on the show later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were definitely not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretences from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator and long-time executive producer, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the arresting officers, if not outright ask the arrestee to sign the waiver, then at least somehow imply that it is in their best interest to do so, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. In the end, it is ''very'' questionable if something really can be considered an "voluntary" act when you had handcuffs on at the time. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system. Several persons depicted on the show, who have had their names cleared in court afterwards, have often complained that ''COPS'' continued to feature the recordings of their arrest in reruns, without any clarification that they were later officially declared innocent, often tarnishing their reputation for years.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September 2021, Fox announced that the series would return on the streaming service Fox Nation on October 1, 2021. ''COPS'' can also be seen worldwide on Creator/PlutoTV, which is owned by Creator/ViacomCBS.

* LongRunner: The show's first season was in 1989, and it still airs to this day. It made a ChannelHop to Spike TV in fall 2013, another one to Spike's successor Paramount Network in 2017, and a third to Fox Nation in 2021. A 32-year run on TV is something that few programs have even come close to matching.

[[caption-width-right:228:"Cops is filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."]]

* StupidStatementDanceMix: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQTXawaAKNA I can break. These. Cuffs!]]"

The basic premise is as follows: camera crews follow police officers in various cities as they go about their jobs. While your average police officer's job is generally mundane, ''COPS'' makes it look rather... well, not glamorous, but certainly more action-packed than usual. Chases, drug busts, a couple of prostitution busts, and the occasional [[invoked]] DarthWiki/WhatAnIdiot moment from several suspects.

The basic premise is as follows: camera crews follow police officers in various cities as they go about their jobs. While your average police officer's job is generally mundane, ''COPS'' makes it look rather... well, not glamorous, but certainly more action-packed than usual. Chases, drug busts, a couple of prostitution busts, and the occasional WhatAnIdiot moment from several suspects.

* PlayingPossum: At least two incidents have a suspect faking at least being unconscious in order to avoid the cops. One, a drunk woman, [[WhatAnIdiot failed to capitalize on the fact]] [[TapOnTheHead that the cop just threw her onto the sidewalk]] [[LaserGuidedKarma for biting his arm]] and dropped the trick in seconds to get up and fight him more. The second, a man, demonstrated that paramedics will blow a suspect's cover if the cops are forced to call them. Not that the cops in either situation believed that they were unconscious to begin with, as even the ''cops'' know what unconsciousness looks like.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has often been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and after they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several people featured on the show later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were definitely not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretences from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator and long-time executive producer, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers if not outright ask, then at least somehow imply that it is in the arrestee's best interest to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. In the end, it is ''very'' questionable if something really can be considered an "voluntary" act when you had handcuffs on at the time. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system. Several persons depicted on the show, who have had their names cleared in court afterwards, have often complained that ''COPS'' continued to feature the recordings of their arrest in reruns, without any clarification that they were later officially declared innocent, often tarnishing their reputation for years.

* StupidCrooks: Quite a few of these show up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JkwZUk3Kng For example]], one woman called the police because her neighbor wouldn't return twenty dollars. When asked what she gave the neighbor the money for, the woman openly tells the cop that she was trying to buy crack. As a bonus, when the officer asks the neighbor about it, the neighbor denies having taken the money because [[EveryoneHasStandards she's a prostitute, not a drug dealer]].

* BaldOfAwesome:
** What would appear to be a higher-than-average number of police officers appear to favor this or near-bald buzz cuts. Understandable since they don't want to give a suspect anything to grab onto in the event of an altercation.
** Often averted with undercover officers, since letting their hair grow out would help them blend in better and therefore not tip off suspects.

** By extension of the above, many seem to believe that a cop absolutely ''has'' to believe their story no matter how ludicrous. Be it drug possession, stolen vehicle, whether one person was driving or the other, whether the husband or the wife are chronic abusers, suspects have a habit of making up something ridiculous when the cop ''witnessed the crime''. As they cannot face serious repercussions for lying to the police, they honestly have nothing to lose except their credibility.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has often been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and after they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several people featured on the show later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were definitely not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretences from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator and long-time executive producer, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers if not outright ask, then at least somehow imply that it is in the arrestee's best interest to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. In the end, it is ''very'' questionable if something really be considered an "voluntary" act when you had handcuffs on at the time. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system. Several persons depicted on the show, who have had their names cleared in court afterwards, have often complained that ''COPS'' continued to feature the recordings of their arrest in reruns, without any clarification that they were later officially declared innocent, often tarnishing their reputation for years.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has often been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and after they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several participants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were defintely not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator and long-time executive producer, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers if not outright ask, then at least somehow imply that it is in the arrestee's best interest to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. In the end, it is ''very'' questionable if something really be considered an "voluntary" act when you had handcuffs on at the time. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system. Several persons depicted on the show, who have had their names cleared in court afterwards, have often complained that ''COPS'' continued to feature the recordings of their arrest in reruns, without any clarification that they were later officially declared innocent, often tarnishing their reputation for years.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has often been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and after they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several participants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were defintely not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator and long-time executive producer, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers if not outright ask, then at least encourage the arrestee to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. In the end, it is ''very'' questionable if something really be considered an "voluntary" act when you had handcuffs on at the time. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system. Several persons depicted on the show, who have had their names cleared in court afterwards, have often complained that ''COPS'' continued to feature the recordings of their arrest in reruns, without any clarification that they were later officially declared innocent, often tarnishing their reputation for years.

* RealityShow: Doesn't get much more real. There's no script (outside of the opening), the cops are real cops, and the things they investigate are real crimes. More than thirty years after its debut, it's still going due to it being incredibly cheap to make and popular enough with the audience to bring in money.

** This is one of the reasons why cameramen aren't allowed in certain cities' police forces (such as Honolulu), as the police fear they'd be drowned in brutality complaints. Note that a majority of these police forces refusing footage have had a lot of brutality complaints.

* LongRunner: The show's first season was in 1989, and it lasted until 2020. It made a ChannelHop to Spike TV in fall 2013 and another one to Spike's successor Paramount Network in 2017. A 31-year run on TV is something that few programs have even come close to matching.

''COPS'' is a reality show that was "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement". It is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television. There is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

The show's proven formula that remained popular for years, along with other elements and more, helped ''COPS'' stay on the air for a record of consistent viewership that many shows couldn't even dream of. ''COPS'' was the longest-running RealityShow on television: it ran from 1989 to 2020, giving it a run of more than three decades.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September 2021 Creator/{{Fox}} announced that the series would return on the streaming service Fox Nation on October 1, 2021. COPS can also be seen worldwide on Creator/PlutoTV, which is owned by Creator/ViacomCBS.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September 2021 Creator/{{Fox}} announced that the series would return on the streaming service Fox Nation on October 1, 2021. COPS can also be seen worldwide on [[Creator/PlutoTV Pluto TV]], which is owned by [[Creator/ViacomCBS ViacomCBS]].

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September, 2021 Creator/{{Fox}} announced that the series would return on the streaming service Fox Nation on October 1, 2021. COPS can also be seen worldwide on [[Creator/PlutoTV Pluto TV]], which is owned by [[Creator/ViacomCBS ViacomCBS]].

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September, 2021 Creator/{{Fox}} announced that the series would return on the streaming service Fox Nation on October 1, 2021. COPS can also still also be seen worldwide on [[Creator/PlutoTV Pluto TV]], which is owned by [[Creator/ViacomCBS ViacomCBS]].

* {{Uncancelled}}: Tweice during its history. The first time was when Spike TV picked up the series in 2013 immediately after Fox cancelled it, and the second in 2021 when it moved to streaming on Fox Nation after Paramount Network cancelled it.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show would still be produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that had not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. In September, 2021 Creator/{{Fox}} announced that the series would return of the streaming service Fox Nation on october 1, 2021. COPS can also still also be seen worldwide on [[Creator/PlutoTV Pluto TV]], which is owned by [[Creator/ViacomCBS ViacomCBS]].

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''COPS''[='s=] run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show is still being produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that have not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020. COPS can still also be seen worldwide on [[Creator/PlutoTV Pluto TV]], which is owned by [[Creator/ViacomCBS ViacomCBS]].

** The opening of any sting [[MustStateIfYoureACop will begin with "Are you a cop?"]] followed by "No." There's an urban legend that a police officer is required to tell you they're a cop if you ask them to because not doing so is entrapment. This is patently untrue, given that undercover police work is a thing. Entrapment only applies if a cop forces you to commit a crime. But since this bit of misinformation helps with their job, the cops are in no hurry to correct criminals who think otherwise.

Not be confused with the animated series ''WesternAnimation/COPSAnimatedSeries''.

!!Tropes: