The Cop Show is an idealised representation of police work, justified by the Rule of Cool. Morality is very black and white, being a cop is far more dangerous in this genre than it really is, shoot-outs and standoffs are common, as are car chases and Serial Killers. The protagonist is often a Cowboy Cop who often get their man (even if not the first time). Of course, they don't forget the niggling details of the job, either.
Specific variants: Buddy Cop Show.
The more realistic representation of police work in fiction is a Police Procedural.
See also and compare with: Criminal Procedural, Forensic Drama, Law Procedural.
Examples of Cop Shows
- 9-1-1
- Action Deka
- Active Raid
- Adam-12
- Allegiance (2024) (sometimes with Police Procedural)
- Almost Paradise
- Angie Tribeca
- Annika (2021)
- APB
- Arne Dahl
- Ashes to Ashes (2008)
- Alarm für Cobra 11
- Alert: Missing Persons Unit
- Alien Nation
- Almost Human
- Ang Probinsyano (2015)
- Aquarius
- B: The Beginning
- Baby Mentalist
- Baghdad Central
- Battle Creek
- BG: Personal Bodyguard (Partially present because of the presence of the TMPD's SP)
- Black Cat Detective
- Bloodlands (2021)
- Blue Bloods
- Blue Heelers
- Blue Lights
- Blue SWAT
- Bluey (1976)
- Boomtown (2002)
- Bookhunter
- Bosch
- Brave Police J-Decker
- Brooklyn South
- Burke's Law
- Burn Up!
- Cagney & Lacey
- The Case Files of Yakushiji Ryoko
- Chicago P.D.
- CHiPs
- Continuum, partially
- Counterpart (2018)
- Copper
- Cop Craft
- Cops: L.A.C.
- Cracked (2013)
- Criminal Minds
- Crisis (2017) (Somewhat)
- The two CSI spinoffs below combine this with Forensic Drama (but not the original, since its characters are not detectives):
- Dark Blue
- Dead Lucky
- Deputy
- Death Note; partially
- Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop
- Detroit 1-8-7
- The District
- Dog
- Double Decker
- DIRay
- D.☆P. (Partially from the military police perspective)
- Due South
- Dragnet
- Dublin Murders
- Disney also made a send-up of this with Fillmore!, which follows the adventures of a middle-school safety patrol.
- The Fall (2013)
- Flashpoint
- Flikken Maastricht
- Future Cop
- G-Men '75
- Gang Related
- Ghost in the Shell: Arise
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, to an extent.
- Golden Boy
- Graceland
- Grimm
- Hawaii Five-O
- Hero Mask
- Highway Patrol
- Hill Street Blues
- Hometown (2021)
- Hudson and Rex
- Hunter (1984-2003)
- Identity
- The Indian Detective
- Kamen Rider Drive
- Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, specifically the Patranger half.
- Keishichou Nasi Goreng-ka
- Kidou Keiji Jiban
- Kidnapped
- Killer and Healer
- LA Heat
- Lethal Weapon (2016)
- Life on Mars (2006)
- Life on Mars (2008)
- Low Winter Sun
- Magnum, P.I. (2018)
- Mann & Machine
- Memphis Beat
- Miami Guns
- The Millionaire Detective - Balance: UNLIMITED
- Mindhunter
- Mob City
- Mobile Police Patlabor
- The Mod Squad
- Moonlight Mask
- Nash Bridges
- NCIS
- 19-2
- NUMB3RS
- NYC 22
- NYPD Blue
- OCTB
- Onihei Hankachou (Law enforcement franchise set in Edo Japan)
- Pacific Blue
- Paradise PD
- Patlabor
- Police Squad!
- Police Story (1973)
- Power Rangers S.P.D.
- Psycho-Pass
- Rejseholdet
- Republic of Doyle
- Rizzoli & Isles
- Robot Detective
- Rookie Blue
- Rush (2008)
- Rush Hour
- Safe House
- Saving Grace
- The Sentinel
- Sight Unseen (2024)
- Shades of Blue
- The Shield
- SOKO Potsdam
- Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit
- Starsky & Hutch
- Stalker (2014)
- Stan Lee's Lucky Man
- The Streets of San Francisco
- Seibu Keisatsu
- Sledge Hammer!
- SP: Security Police Franchise
- SP: Security Police - A Japanese police show which centered on the Metropolitan Police's Security Police Division
- SP: Security Police - The Show's film adaptation series.
- SP: Security Police - The Manga.
- Stumptown (2019) (Partially)
- S.W.A.T. (1975)
- S.W.A.T. (2017)
- The Sweeney
- Tiger Cubs
- Taiyo Ni Hoero
- Tokkei Winspector
- Tokusou Exceedraft
- Tokusou Robo Janperson
- Tokusou Saizensen
- Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
- Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain
- Tokyo Vice (partly because of arcs involving the TMPD/NPA)
- T.J. Hooker
- Training Day
- Trigger Point
- True Detective
- Turks
- Turner & Hooch (2021)
- Unforgettable
- Unforgotten
- The Untouchables
- The Unusuals
- Van der Valk
- Vegas (2012)
- Walker, Texas Ranger
- Whitechapel (TV Series)
- Will Trent
- You're Under Arrest!
