#the lawmans' north star

[kitkatt0430]

Iris arrives at the remains of the old Kent farm in Kansas where, five years ago, the Kent family and the author - and conman - HR Wells disappeared when a tornado tore through the farm. She's supposed to be fact gathering for a follow up story - the Kent family isn't exactly a big deal outside of Smallville, but HR Wells had been part of a rather big scandal at STAR Labs. One that had caught the whole nation's attention. Of course, five years later it's barely going to be an interest piece, but Iris is curious to find out what really happened anyway.

No one ever found the bodies. If Iris can, then she can give the Kents' friends and family closure. She can give Randolf Morgan his friend to bury. She can close the book on what really happened when the tornado destroyed the farm.

Of course, a storm comes out of nowhere while Iris is investigating the farm and she takes shelter in the half-destroyed barn. Which does nothing to protect her. The rest of the barn is ripped away, but the room Iris is in stays intact as it glides up into the tornado and... far away.

When Iris wakes up and leaves her little shelter, she finds herself in a land unlike anything she's ever seen before. But some things stay the same. She's on a farm. Run by the Kent family. A very alive Kent family.

Martha and Jonathon Kent are very nice, but Iris quickly realizes their son Clark is still missing. Taken by the Wicked Warlock, they tell her. Just a little over a year ago, when the fighting in North OZ got too close to their little midland farm. HR Wells had gone to try and find the kid, but had lost the trail somewhere around the capital city. He was still looking, according to his latest letter anyway. But he'd gotten tied up in some political problem that he was certain was related to Clark's abduction. The Kents would've gone themselves, but between Jonathon's bad heart and Martha's difficulty walking... better they stay at the farm with the Munchkins in the nearby town looking after them.

Iris has no idea if this is a weird dream or really real - yet - but she ventures into town to learn more about this Wicked Warlock fellow and the fighting in North OZ. There she gets an earful about the Wicked Warlock of the West - in rhyme, which quickly loses novelty - and how the Evil Eobard Thawne is trying to take over the North, protected by the Good Witch Caitlin. And the equally evil Warlock of the East, Hunter Zolomon, has been threatening the southern and middle countries (fighting hasn't broken out in earnest yet), though the Good Witch of the South - Frost - has been keeping them safe for now. Though word is Frost hasn't been seen in a few weeks.

After thinking things over, Iris starts heading North along the Old Yellow Road, which leads to the capitol city. Along the way she finds a political exile - a zipperhead (yup, taking influence from the Tin Man mini-series here) - calling himself Barry. He can't remember much more than his name given that his brain was stolen by the Warlock of the West, but he's certain he was a good person and definitely not a criminal before his brain got taken away. Iris needs a guide so she gives him the benefit of the doubt.

Then Iris and Barry find an old iron maiden type device - a cryochamber, according to Barry (who briefly remembers he used to work as an inventor before forgetting again) - and release the man inside. Eddie Thawne, a Tin Man (lawman, of course, more mini-series influence) who'd attempted to arrest his own cousin, Eobard, before he ascended to being the Warlock of the West. He failed, of course, and Eobard thought it'd be funny to torment him for the rest of forever by leaving him in the cryochamber, able to watch the world but not ever be a part of it. He joins Barry and Iris and they head for what should be a shortcut through an old orchard.

Except the orchard is dead, it's former keepers are hungry, and they accidentally save a seer on the run from the West. Cisco escaped the castle and has no intention of ever going back. Or ever having visions again.

The four make for an odd group, but they head to Central City - the capital city, of course - together. The old Emerald City on the hill... where they learn an old tradition's been re-instated by the new Mayor. Everyone in the city must wear green sunglasses, tinting the whole place a lovely Emerald. A moral booster, thought up by Mayor HR Wells.

Iris manages to get an audience with the Mayor by name dropping the Kents and he explains the situation as he knows it. Eobard got his hands on some ancient magicks and kidnapped Clark because he's got super powers, being the last survivor of Krypton. Iris revisits the 'am i dreaming' question at learning now there's magic and aliens going on. Eobard was using magic to control Clark, making him Eobard's enforcer but the magic grew weak in the rain. HR thinks that getting the kid soaked would give him a chance to break free but they'd yet to successfully pull off the equivalent of dumping a cooler of water on the teen yet.

Eddie is determined to take out Eobard and Barry's now dedicated to helping Eddie (it's Iris/Barry/Eddie/Cisco for the ship, give Iris all the cute boys) and Iris decides to go with them. Cisco is terrified but he cares about the other three too much by now and agrees to guide them to Eobard Thawne's lair.

It eventually turns out that the water thing is actually Eobard's weakness and he melts. Barry observes that it's a side effect of the artifact Eobard was using to artificially expand his powers. Iris just kind of stands there holding the bucket, staring at the goo that used to be a person, and wonders if mis-aiming a bucket of water counts as a self-defense murder.

Clark goes home and Iris takes her little group back to Central where HR introduces them to Caitlin. Her ex-husband Ronnie (amicably divorced) is going to take over as the Warlock - non-evil - for the Western region since he's part of a group known as FIRESTORM. They'd been fighting Eobard's forces, unable to break through the line (or sneak through, like Iris's little group had) until Eobard's death caused a number of mind controlled servants to come back to their senses.

Big party because ding-dong the evil Warlock #1 is dead. Sure, there's Hunter Zolomon and Caitlin's worried about her sister Frost, but there's half the OZ's biggest problems fixed. Barry's brain is located and re-installed, though he'll always be a bit absent minded. And probably late.

They head back to the Kent farm to check on things there only to learn that fighting has broken out in the South after all. And by fighting, they mean Zolomon has been razing towns for the fun of it. To the East it is. The polycule's got another evil warlock to off.

And by that point? They are absolutely a polycule. Barry and Cisco are cuddlers so having lots of people to cuddle at night? They are both thrilled. And while Iris started off wanting a way home, she's decided she is home now that she's got Eddie, Barry, and Cisco.

#the flash #fic ideas #wizard of oz fusion #fanfiction #iris west #barry allen #eddie thawne #cisco ramon #barry x cisco x eddie x iris #hr wells #caitlin snow #if you haven't watched Tin Man then go watch it already :D such a good mini-series

[justforbooks]

The actor Louise Fletcher, who has died aged 88, won the best actress Oscar in 1976 for her chilling and controlled performance in the film version of Ken Kesey’s countercultural novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

As Nurse Ratched, who instils fear into the patients in a mental institution without ever raising her voice, she was calmly terrifying. The part had shades of the panto villain about it, but Fletcher permitted vital glimpses into the human control-freak beneath this worthy exterior, notably in her standoffs with Jack Nicholson as the rebellious anti-hero McMurphy.

She was 40 at the time and had only recently returned to acting after a long break. She auditioned repeatedly for the role, unaware that the producers were courting and being rebuffed by actors including Jane Fonda, Angela Lansbury and Ellen Burstyn. The director Miloš Forman envisaged the part as “the personification of evil”, but revised his opinion after casting Fletcher: “I slowly started to realise that it would be much more powerful if she doesn’t know that she’s evil. She, as a matter of fact, believes that she’s helping people.”

Sure enough, the most surprising quality to Fletcher’s performance is the subdued but palpable offence she takes when her orders are challenged. Even her outdated hairstyle was expressive—“a symbol that life had stopped for her a long time ago,” noted Fletcher. “She was so out of touch with her feelings that she had no joy in her life and no concept of the fact that she could be wrong. She delivered her care of her insane patients in a killing manner, but she was convinced she was right.”

Fletcher saw Nurse Ratched as a symbol of where the US had gone astray during the Richard Nixon years. “She was convinced that she had her world in order, and that for it to work properly it had to be in that order. The minute McMurphy arrived, things began to fall apart for her. And she couldn’t have that. She had enough power that her conviction could have consequences – and that’s where I felt we were in the world at the time, too. The film was all about who has the power and how they use it, and how absolute power absolutely corrupts.”

Accepting her Oscar, Fletcher ended her speech by using sign language to thank her parents, both of whom were deaf – her mother following a childhood illness at six months old and her father after being struck by lightning aged four.

Fletcher was born in Birmingham, Alabama, one of four hearing siblings, to the Rev Robert Capers, who organised more than 40 congregations for deaf people, and Estelle (nee Caldwell), who raised the family and also worked with hearing-impaired people. “I grew up as a parent to my parents,” Fletcher said. Her first memory was of “crawling into my parents’ bed in the middle of the night to spell out on my father’s hand that I was ill.”

Each of the couple’s children spent a year with an aunt in Texas to enable them to learn to speak. Even so, Fletcher did not use her voice fully until the age of eight and was once sent home by schoolteachers who were convinced she was deaf.

She studied drama at the University of North Carolina, after which she moved to Los Angeles and began winning parts in the late 1950s on television series including Maverick, Lawman and The Untouchables. In 1960 she married the producer and book collector Jerry Bick and quit acting in order to raise their two sons.

The family moved to London in 1967. In the early 70s, Fletcher tried to return to acting but was told by Hollywood agents that she had no chance of finding work. Robert Altman persuaded Fletcher to star in his gentle Prohibition-era crime drama Thieves Like Us (1974), produced by Bick; she was reluctant at first, fearing it would look like nepotism.

Her relationship with her parents provided the inspiration for the choir singer shown raising two deaf children in Altman’s next film, Nashville (1975). Fletcher was the director’s natural choice to play the role. But Altman balked at Bick’s insistence that his wife could only participate if he could also be on board as a producer, and gave the part instead to Lily Tomlin.

Around the same time, Thieves Like Us brought Fletcher to the attention of Forman. “You can call it luck or fate that I met Miloš,” she said, “but it would have been useless if I hadn’t been ready.” In the aftermath of her Oscar win, she turned down the role of the evangelical mother in Carrie (1976) but accepted parts in the ill-fated horror sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and the comedy The Cheap Detective (1978).

She also appeared in the thriller Brainstorm and the science-fiction homage Strange Invaders (both 1983), the Stephen King adaptation Firestarter (1984), the romantic comedy Nobody’s Fool (1986) and an adaptation of Virginia Andrews’s bestselling novel Flowers in the Attic (1987), in which she played another tyrannical matriarch figure.

Though Fletcher never again received a part as memorable as Nurse Ratched, she continued to act throughout her life. Among her notable recent work was the role of Frank Gallagher’s tough-cookie mother serving a manslaughter sentence in the US version of the hit Channel 4 comedy-drama Shameless (2011-12).

Fletcher and Bick divorced in 1977. She is survived by their two sons, John and Andrew.

🔔 Estelle Louise Fletcher, actor, born 22 July 1934; died 23 September 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Estelle Louise Fletcher #in memoriam

[boricuacherry-blog]

Pride or Prejudice?

Confederate flag supporters in Mississippi are asked why they still support a symbol that many say represent pain, division, and a difficult history

It was 1957 when little Lindy Luby's great-uncle showed up at her house near Benton, Mississippi where the family had lived for generations. He was a justice of the peace in Yazoo City, the gateway to the fertile lands of the Delta.

"Effie, it's just been a bad day," the lawman said to his sister as six-year-old Lindy listened. "I just had to go cut a black boy down off that hanging tree and take him to his mama."

The infamous tree, used for lynching, was bending over a bridge on Highway 433 toward Lexington.

"What did he do?" Effie asked.

"He raped and killed a white woman," he replied.

Lindy, now 66, has shifted her stance on the death penalty. She now campaigns for alternatives to execution and stars in a documentary about it.

The first cut of the film, though, also shows Lindy and her husband, Ira Isonhood, flying the Confederate battle flag on a 20ft pole in the backyard of one of their homes.

To many people in the south and beyond, the Confederate flag is a sign of historic pride and defiance to whatever is currently called "liberalism"; to many others, it has become a symbol for white supremecy and racial divide.

The flag's history is fraught and complicated, as was the bloody civil war that erupted in 1861 between the U.S. south and the north. After the north won, it imposed a harsh Reconstruction on the south where some lingering resentment is still felt today.

The post-war south embraced the Confederate battle flag, making it their sentimental symbol of the "lost cause." By the time Mississippi embedded it into its new state flag in 1894, the flag had become a way to honor the Confederate soldiers who had died.

The matter is especially raw in Mississippi, a state that suffered tremendous Confederate casualties and went from being the richest state in the U.S., from slavery, to becoming one of the poorest.

"The Confederate flag played a big, big part in our history," says Ira, who still defends a flag that his own high school and college had used as their emblem.

Lindy described a childhood of poverty, when the family's land was all they had left. She says she doesn't understand how the flag could be construed as racist but says with earnest, "I am going to start researching this."

Thomasa Massey and Evangela Hentz are best friends who bonded over being single mothers. They even finish each other's sentences, laughing about that time Hentz went into labor where they worked and Massey put her in an office chair to wheel her downstairs and get to the hospital. Massey is white, and Hentz is black. But Massey, who defends the flag on Facebook, says she's not interested in military history. She grew up in Red Bay, Alabama but now lives in Brandon, Mississippi.

"The flag represents my heritage as a Southerner, period," she says.

The Confederate flag represents pride in the face of poverty to Massey, elaborating, "It was there when our grandfathers, and great-grandfathers were struggling to feed their six, eight, ten kids. It flew for all colors, black, white, whatever."

Both she and Hentz object to being offended by the rebel flag.

Genesis Be is a black woman who opposes the flag. Although she says she discusses the flag respectfully with those who defend it, she also defends one of her many reasons for getting rid of the flag, saying, "It was poor white southerners who fought in these battles, being strung along by rich, property-owning whites who banked on the ignorance and arrogance of the poor whites to fight and die in the war. They gave their life, but for what?"

A man who lives in Simpson County, Mississippi shared his views, saying, "To me, the flag is not a racist thing. It's a piece of our heritage that should be left there to honor sacrifices," adding that most soldiers were "dirt-poor farmers" with no slaves. He has taught history at public and private schools, and thirteen of his ancestors fought for the south, but it was true that most of them didn't own slaves. Three died in battle, and one in a makeshift hospital in the Lyceum at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.

But should the emblem be exorcised today out of respect to Mississippians who descended from slaves? He says no, because his own ancestors' sacrifice is paramount. "It's so we don't forget," he says.

Roslyn Stuart works behind the counter of a shop that sells Confederate tchotchkes.

"Until that kid [Dylann Roof] went in that church in Charleston, people never thought anything about the Confederate or Mississippi flag," she says. "The flag isn't gonna change hate. Most of 'em don't even know what it means. It's a symbol of our state; it's who we are."

She worries that young people now think the flag stands for the KKK. "Eventually, they will take the state flag; they will change it. What's next? The Christian flag?"

A black FedEx man wouldn't come through the front door, she says, instead leaving heavy packages on the porch because "he thinks we're racial."

Another woman says, "It's obvious that some racists have appropriated and desecrated the Confederate battle flag for their pathetic causes, but those folks also commonly display the Christian cross. Does that symbol inspire racism?" She continues, "To those 70 million of us whose ancestors fought for the south, it is a symbol of family members who fought for what they thought was right in their time, and whose valor became legendary in military history."

Another man says, "The resolute ideal that all men are created equal is embodied by the victory of the U.S. Armed Forces in the American Civil War, and the defeat of an armed insurrection that sought to maintain the slavery and oppression of African Americans. Our country has courageously carried these principles into the global sphere. We don't honor or display the Parteiflagge of Nazi Germany, and any decision on the Confederate battle flag must likewise be unequivocal - ban it outright."

A poll showed that about 57% saw the flag as a symbol of Southern pride rather than as a symbol of racism. But opinions of the flag remain sharply divided, even among white people.

#article #racism #confederate flag #mississippi #the south #interviews

[aion-rsa]

Midnight Mass Cast: Previous Credits From Hill House to Bly Manor, Legion & Sherlock

https://ift.tt/3zyXTIl

If you find yourself thinking ‘where have I seen that guy before?’ while watching a Mike Flanagan show or film, the answer may well be ‘in another Mike Flanagan show or film’. The horror writer-director is known for his rep company of actors, many of whom appear in multiple roles across various projects. Below is a spoiler-free rundown of the main players in the Flanagan gang’s new Netflix horror series Midnight Mass, about the ripples caused by the arrival of a mysterious priest in a remote North American island community. There’s also info on who they played in past collaborations, and a few other places you may have encountered them on screen. A good handful will additionally be seen in Flanagan’s next series The Midnight Club, on which filming is already complete, and which will be coming to Netflix next year. But first though, welcome to Crockett Island. Be not afraid…

Hamish Linklater – Father Paul

A newcomer to the Mike Flanagan acting family, Hamish Linklater is now fully ensconced so expect to see much more of him in future and rejoice, because he’s the absolute stand-out in Midnight Mass. Commanding, charismatic, intense, and utterly committed, this is a big performance that’ll be hard to forget. Previous to Father Paul, Linklater played Division 3 Agent Clark Debussy in trippy comic book series Legion, and IRS agent Larue Dollard in Fargo season three, both for Noah Hawley. Prior to that were recurring roles in sitcoms The Crazy Ones and The New Adventures of Old Christine, with Robin Williams and Julia Louis Dreyfus respectively, plus recent Amazon crime thriller Tell Me Your Secrets, with his partner Lily Rabe. Honestly though, Father Paul is the only role anybody’s going to be talking about for a good while yet.

Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane

The villainous Bev Keane is another stand-out performance in Midnight Mass thanks to Samantha Sloyan, whom you might remember as Leigh Crain, the wife of novelist Steven Crain in 2019’s The Haunting of Hill House. Prior to that, she played Maddie’s neighbour Sarah in Mike Flanagan’s Hush, as well as the recurring roles of Jeannine Locke in Scandal, Dr. Penelope Blake in Grey’s Anatomy, and several appearances as Victoria in SEAL Team. Look out for her among the cast of Flanagan’s next Netflix series, The Midnight Club, which is already in post-production.

Kate Siegel as Erin Greene

Where would a Mike Flanagan project be without regular collaborator (and wife) writer-actor Kate Siegel? We barely have to know because Siegel is a bedrock of the Flanagan collective. In addition to the role of schoolteacher and former runaway Erin Greene in Midnight Mass, she played glove-wearing empath Theodora Craine in The Haunting of Hill House, 17th century Viola (who became the Lady in the Lake) in The Haunting of Bly Manor, Sally in Gerald’s Game, Jenny in Ouija: Origin of Evil, Maddie in Hush (which Siegel co-wrote) and Marisol in Oculus. Siegel wasn’t in Doctor Sleep, possibly because she and Flanagan welcomed their daughter Theodora to the world almost exactly to the day filming wrapped on The Shining sequel.

Zach Gilford as Riley Flynn

In Midnight Mass, Zach Gilford plays Riley Flynn, whose return to his Crockett Island family home coincides with the arrival of the mysterious new priest Father Paul. Gilford’s known to many as sensitive young quarterback Matt Saracen in Friday Night Lights, but he’s appeared in plenty since, recently including Greg in NBC’s Good Girls, Ben in LA’s Finest, a central role in The Purge: Anarchy and recurring parts in ABC series The Family and Off the Map. He’s also going to be back for Mike Flanagan’s next Netflix project The Midnight Club.

Annabeth Gish as Dr Sarah Gunning

Sarah Gunning is Crockett Island’s resident doctor who’s caring for her dementia-suffering elderly mother. She’s played by Annabeth Gish, who you’ll have seen in… well, loads of stuff, including The Haunting of Hill House in which she played housekeeper Mrs Dudley. Gish also played Jed Bartlet’s eldest daughter in The West Wing, Lt. Jarry in Sons of Anarchy season seven, the therapist in Pretty Little Liars, venture capitalist Diane Gould in season three of Halt and Catch Fire, and FBI agent Reyes in The X-Files revived seasons.

Read more

TV

Midnight Mass: Cast and Details for Netflix Series from Haunting of Hill House Team

By Joseph Baxter

Movies

Doctor Sleep Director Mike Flanagan on the Possibility of The Shining 3

By John Saavedra

Rahul Kohli as Sheriff Hassan

British actor Rahul Kohli plays Crockett Island lawman Sheriff Hassan, following up his role as the internet’s boyfriend, chef Owen in The Haunting of Bly Manor in 2020. Prior to that, Kohli was best known for playing Ravi Chakrabarti on iZombie, popping up in a couple of episodes of Supergirl and recently voicing The Scarecrow on animated series Harley Quinn. He’ll soon be heard as the voice of Egill in Zack Snyder’s Norse mythology-inspired anime Twilight of the Gods.

Kristin Lehman and Henry Thomas as Annie and Ed Flynn

Here’s a fun fact: Kristin Lehman and Henry Thomas, who play Riley Flynn’s parents in Midnight Mass, are only 10 years older than actor Zach Gilford in real life. Another fun, but extremely well-known fact is that Henry Thomas, who played Hugh Crain in The Haunting of Hill House and Henry Wingrave in The Haunting of Bly Manor, started out as young Elliott in E.T. Thomas is a regular Flanagan collaborator and has also popped up in Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game, Ouija: Origin of Evil to name but a few. He recently had recurring roles on Stargirl and Better Things. Canadian actor Lehman has a similarly full back catalogue, featuring a great many TV and film roles from The Outer Limits to Altered Carbon and The Killing, as well as several TV directing credits.

Robert Longstreet as Joe Collie

Crockett Island’s town drunk Joe Collie is played by Robert Longstreet, who appeared opposite Annabeth Gish (see above) as caretaker Mr Dudley in The Haunting of Hill House, and in the Mike Flanagan-directed Doctor Sleep. You can also see him in horror sequel Halloween Kills and as Professor James in Aquaman, and he’s part of the cast of Mike Flanagan’s forthcoming Netflix horror series The Midnight Club.

Michael Trucco & Annarah Cymone as Wade and Leeza

Michael Trucco and Crystal Balint (not pictured) play Wade and Dolly Scarborough, parents of Leeza (above), Crockett Island’s sole devout teenager played by Annarah Cymone. Trucco will still be best recognised around these parts as Samuel Anders in Battlestar Galactica, but he’s done plenty more, including recurring roles in One Tree Hill, How I Met Your Mother and Netflix stoner comedy Disjointed. Balint has a similarly full back catalogue, with roles in Prison Break, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco and recently Riverdale. She’ll be seen again in The Midnight Club too, along with Cymone, the actor who plays her daughter in Midnight Mass, whose TV debut this marks.

Louis Oliver, Igby Rigney and Rahul Abburi as Ooker, Warren and Ali

It’s unlikely you’ll recognise Louis Oliver, who plays teenage altar boy Ooker on Midnight Mass, from his first screen role as he’s grown up since then, but he was the young Sherlock Holmes in BBC episode ‘His Last Vow‘ (and also happens to be the son of Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue). Igby Rigney, who plays Riley’s younger brother Warren, played the young Jesse in the recent film F9: The Fast Saga and will also be appearing in The Midnight Club. Sheriff’s son Ali is Rahul Abburi’s second TV role after appearing on YouTube Red series Good Game.

Matt Biedel as Sturge

Crockett Island resident and Bev Keane’s right-hand man Sturge is played by Matt Biedel (a little unrecognisable under a full and healthy beard), who’ll also star in The Midnight Club next year. Biedel is probably best known for playing Daryl in Narcos: Mexico, Sgt. Dale Chedder in The Umbrella Academy and Dimi in Altered Carbon.

Alex Essoe

Another Mike Flanagan rep company member, popular horror movie regular Alex Essoe played Charlotte Wingrave, mother to Flora and Miles in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and the Flapper ghost in The Haunting of Hill House, as well as playing Wendy Torrance in Doctor Sleep, a role made famous by Shelley Duvall in The Shining.

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Midnight Mass comes to Netflix on Friday the 24th of September.

The post Midnight Mass Cast: Previous Credits From Hill House to Bly Manor, Legion & Sherlock appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3kzO3Sa

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[bluewatsons]

Ken Dowler, Police Dramas on Television, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology (2016)

Summary

Since the inception of television, portrayal of crime and justice has been a central feature on television. In particular, the police are featured as prominent characters in many fictional crime programs. Some television cops, such as Joe Friday, Columbo, and Kojak transcend the genre and become enshrined within popular culture. Sometimes referred to as a police procedural, the police drama is a staple of both current and past television programming. In fact, almost 300 police dramas have aired on American network, cable, and syndicated television, with several new shows premiering each year. The vast majority of these shows are short-lived and are largely forgotten. However, some police dramas capture large viewing audiences and/or achieve critical acclaim. Sweeping changes within society have resulted in shifting portrayals of the police on television. Early portrayals focused on a law and order approach, in which the police were moral agents who represented a conservative, pro-establishment point of view. These types of shows represent the so-called “authentic” police drama. The authentic police drama features storylines and characters that engage in somewhat realistic investigative practices and depict relatively common criminal events. The classic example of an authentic police drama is Dragnet, while more recent versions would include shows such as the very popular Law and Order franchise. The 1970s represented the golden age of the police drama, with numerous shows that can be described as gimmicky, with police appearing as super-cops who could singlehandedly fight corruption and achieve justice. Moreover, demographic shifts in the field of policing led to more diversity in media depictions of police, with shows that featured female and African-American characters. In the 1980s, the portrayal of police became even more complex with the appearance of Hill Street Blues, a genre altering show that introduced serialized storylines and characters that were depicted with distinctly human characteristics, with real emotions and flaws. Moreover, the standard law and order approach was challenged, as a more liberal explanation of crime emerged with social inequality as a cause of criminal behavior. Contemporary police dramas, especially shows that appear on network television, tend to focus on a law and order approach. The emergence of cable networks has allowed the police drama to push the limits of television by depicting the police in a more realistic fashion.

The public has a long-standing fascination with crime, law, and justice. Crime is a central feature in news, newsmagazines, documentaries, reality-based shows, and fictional drama. The experiences of police, lawyers, judges, private investigators, medical examiners, correctional workers, criminals, and victims are probed in a variety of television shows. Every year, television executives attempt to find crime and justice programs that capture viewers and enjoy high ratings (Bielby & Bielby, 1994). In particular, the police drama or procedural is a staple of television programming in the United States, and several shows have experienced critical acclaim, large viewing audiences, and longevity. Since 1950, there have been almost 300 police dramas that have appeared on network, cable, and syndicated television (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). This number does not include the large number of shows that focus on other elements of crime and justice, such as detective shows, shows based on lawyers, judges, correctional workers, and criminals. Overall, most of these police dramas were relatively short-lived and have largely been forgotten (Sabin, Wilson, Speidel, Faucette, & Bethell, 2014). Programs that succeed are often imitated, recycled as reboots (i.e., Adam-12, Dragnet, Hawaii Five-O, Hunter, Kojak, The Untouchables), or franchised into spin-offs (CSI, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, and NCIS). As such, the purpose of this essay is to provide a chronological history of the evolution and trends that have made the television cop a mainstream figure within American pop culture.

Setting the Stage: Private Detectives, Mounties, and Cowboys

It is important to place the police drama in historical context. In popular culture, the private detective preceded the police in terms of popular appeal and became an established genre within literary fiction. In 1841, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue featured the first fictional detective. While in 1887, arguably the most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The so-called Golden Age of Detective Fiction took place in the 1920s and 1930s, and featured Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Both Holmes’ and Christie’s detectives have been heavily featured in both television and film. In fact, their character traits are often used in both crime and police dramas, especially mysteries. In the late 1930s, American writers reinvented the private eye genre, with “hardboiled” detective novels that encompassed gritty and stylish storylines. This era is best exemplified by Raymond Chandler’s detective, Phillip Marlowe, whose tough, hard-drinking, wise-cracking personality served as an inspiration for many future protagonists in crime dramas, including fictional television police characters (Mizejewski, 2004). Many of these detectives were featured heavily in radio programming, and with the inauguration of network television, the private detective became a mainstay in television programming, which persists to this day (Dunning, 1998).

Conversely, literary figures within the world of policing did not enjoy same level of popularity as private detectives. The 1868 novel, The Moonstone (1868) is considered the first police detective novel in the English language and featured a Scotland Yard detective (Miller, 1988). Yet, the most popular policing characters were historical figures (fictional and non-fictional) from the American West and Canadian North. The American West served as an inspiration for “dime novels,” which were often based on real figures such as Wild Bill Hickok. Nonetheless, the “outlaw” dominated dime novels, and authors such as Zane Grey propelled Western folklore into a thriving genre that dominated American popular culture, eventually entering radio, film, and television (Etulain, 1996; Inciardi & Dee, 1987). Similarly, numerous journalists began to write stories about the North West Mounted Police, who are now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP. The Mounties were adventurously depicted as courageous, dashing, and romantic figures who “always got their man.” Internationally recognized, the Mountie has become a national symbol of Canada and has been the basis of novels, magazines, comics, films, and radio programs. The commercialization and popular appeal of the Mountie is demonstrated by the production of more than 250 Hollywood movies (Dawson, 1998). The radio programs were extremely popular, and that popularity carried directly over into television. For example, during the 1950s, the television program, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was based on the radio program “Challenge of the Yukon” (later changed to “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon”). Arguably, the real star of the show, was Yukon King, Preston’s canine sidekick, an Alaskan husky that inevitably played a heroic role in many episodes. Despite the early appeal, the Mountie did not appear again on network television until Due South was broadcast from 1994 to 1996, on CBS. The main character, RCMP officer Benton Fraser, played by Paul Gross, was assigned to the Canadian consulate in Chicago, where he would inevitably assist his friend Ray Vecchio, who was a stereotypical street-smart Chicago cop. In an ode to Sgt. Preston, one of Constable Fraser’s sidekicks was Diefenbaker, a deaf, lipping-reading pet wolf, which was aptly named after a former Canadian Prime Minister. The show was considered a mix between drama and comedy, as it dealt with absurd plots and stereotypes. However, Constable Fraser was more similar to the cartoon character, Dudley Do-Right, than to the more grizzled Sgt. Preston of the Yukon.

Similarly, the American West became a focal point of early television programs after huge success on both film and radio. From the 1940s to the late 1960s, the Western dominated television programming with such hits as The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Have Gun will Travel, Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Maverick, and Rawhide. Although, some Westerns featured law enforcement as leading characters, such as Gunsmoke’s Marshal Dillon, “justice” in the genre was generally achieved through vigilantism by legal outsiders. Legal outsiders were those not acting under the guise of the law, but heroic figures who had a strong moral sense of justice and fairness. In the Western genre, these solitary figures were generally more effective in providing justice than the established legal institutions, which were sometimes presented as corrupt, morally ambivalent, and decadent. The genre would end in late 1960s, amidst complaints from groups claiming that the genre was too violent for television (MacDonald, 1987; Mittell, 2004).

Nonetheless, in the early 1970s, elements of the Western were updated into more modern settings, with such series as Hec Ramsey, Nichols, and McCloud. Created by Jack Webb’s production company, Hec Ramsey (NBC, 1972–1974), starred Richard Boone as a turn-of-the-century gunfighter/lawman who became interested in crime science. Not only did he carry a gun, he also had his handy trunk full of forensics such as fingerprinting equipment, magnifying glasses, and scales that aided in his solving of mysteries. Similarly, actor James Garner played the title character in the television show Nichols (NBC, 1971–1972). Set in Arizona during the 1910s, Nichols served as sheriff and used a motorcycle instead of the standard horse. McCloud (NBC, 1970–1977) became popularized in NBC’s mystery movie rotation, along with Columbo and McMillan and Wife. Dennis Weaver starred as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud from Taos, New Mexico, who was on temporary assignment to the New York City Police Department. He wore a sheepskin coat, bolo tie, and a cowboy hat. He had a heavy western accent, which was highlighted in every episode with his catch phrase “There you go!” Finally, Cade’s County (CBS, 1971–1972) featured Glen Ford as Sam Cade, a contemporary sheriff operating in a rural area in a South West State (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

In the 1990s, the western/police genre made a comeback, with Walker, Texas Ranger (CBS, 1993–2001), produced by action star Chuck Norris. Although, not critically acclaimed, the show was highly successfully, lasting for over nine seasons and gathering a “cult” following. Lacking realism, the show had a cartoonish level of violence, with karate as the main tool employed by the old-school and stoic Walker (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). Cable television breathed new life into western/police genre with Peacemakers (USA Network, 2003) and Deadwood (HBO, 2004–2006). Peacemakers lasted only nine episodes and was an attempt to mirror the success of CSI, by combining the Old West with forensic science crime fighting techniques. The critically acclaimed Deadwood told the story of Deadwood, South Dakota. Timothy Olyphant starred as Seth Bullock, a historical figure who was the original sheriff of the town. In the 2010s, western themes within law enforcement were once again introduced with a more modern twist, with Justified (FX Network, 2010–2015) and Longmire (A&E, Netflix, 2012–). Both shows featured lead characters who exhibited Old West lawman characteristics, but the stories were set in the contemporary rural areas of Kentucky and Wyoming, respectively.

The Birth of the Police Drama: The “Dragnet Effect”

Depictions of police did not fully appear until the emergence of Dragnet (NBC, 1951–1959). Like many shows of the era, Dragnet first appeared as a successful radio program before transitioning into the world of television (Dunning, 1998). However, Dragnet was not the first police drama on television; that distinction goes to Stand By For Crime (ABC, 1949–1949). On January 11, 1949, the show was the first program transmitted from Chicago to New York and televised for a national audience. The plot focused on the murderer’s point of view, in which the lead police detective would uncover and analyze the clues. Audiences were than invited to guess of the identity of the killer by phoning the network. The show was not well received nationally and was cancelled later in the year. Also, on October 12th, 1949, the Dumont network presented The Plainclothesman (Dumont, 1949–1954), a straightforward, big-city crime drama that featured an unseen lead character, simply named the Lieutenant. The audience saw the episode through the viewpoint of the Lieutenant, who with his sidekick Sgt. Brady, would solve an assortment of murders (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

From 1950 to 1951, a handful of shows featuring police officers appeared, including Dick Tracy, Rocky King Inside Detective, Racket Squad, and Crime with Father. Dick Tracy (ABC, 1950–1951) was based on a highly intelligent police detective who was more popularly known from a comic strip before being adapted for a highly successful radio program. The Dumont network produced Rocky King Inside Detective (Dumont, 1950–1954), a low-budget series that featured a hard-working detective in the New York City Homicide division, who simply followed leads and tracked down and arrested suspects, which was a similar premise to Dragnet. Racket Squad (CBS, 1951–1953) was based on actual case records and dealt with confidence rackets rather than street crime and murder. Conversely, Crime with Father (ABC, 1951–1952) involved an improbable plot, in which a homicide detective received help from his daughter in solving crime (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Of course, the very nature of the genre changed on December 16, 1951, when NBC broadcast an episode of the original Dragnet series. The primary formula of the show was to entertain as well as to educate and inform. In an effort to offer moral education and social commentary, it was filmed as a pseudo-documentary, with the still-familiar four notes, dun dun dun dun, accompanying the story to punctuate important findings within the narrative. The creator, writer, and lead actor, Jack Webb was obsessed with crafting an accurate and realistic depiction of the working life of police officers. To create a sense of realism, Webb included visual inserts of contemporary Los Angeles, and the characters used authentic police “lingo,” as well as procedure and protocol. Webb was a regular fixture at the Los Angeles Police Department and frequently went on ride-alongs in a quest for knowledge about the police and their work. With stories adapted from the files of the Los Angeles police, the early version of the show made claims for the realism of its depictions, announcing at the start of every episode: “What you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” (Cavender & Fishman, 1998; Lenz, 2003; Mittell, 2004; Sabin, Wilson, Speidel, Faucette, & Bethell, 2014).

Even the most mundane aspects of a police investigation were included in the show, with Friday’s monotone, matter-of-fact voice-overs describing details such as weather, his partner’s name, locations they were visiting, and leads that they were following. The show had a slow and methodical pace and was focused on the ordinary, in both the type of crime and investigative techniques. For example, the crimes range from murder, to petty theft, to forgery. For instance, the episode “The Big Grandma” (S02E09, 01-01-1953) featured an elderly woman passing bad checks, while the plot for “The Big Screen” (S04E22, 01-27-1955) involved a television repairman who was overcharging customers. Yet, it would be a misnomer to suggest that the show was only focused on non-sensational crimes. Murder was a prominent feature of the show, with several episodes that featured homicide investigations. For example, the episode, “The Big Cast” (S01E05, 02-14-1952) focused on the interrogation of a suspect, played by actor Lee Marvin, who ends up being a serial murderer. Yet, even with plots that featured murder, the investigations were non-sensational and unemotional, following leads, asking questions, interrogating suspects, and eventually solving the crimes.

The show had a sharply defined sense of right and wrong. Unlike modern crime drama, there was no blurring of the boundaries between good and evil. The police, based on Webb’s interpretation, were ethical and honorable champions of morality, whose sole purpose was to serve the public and protect the innocent. Sergeant Friday epitomized this ideal by adhering to a strict moral code and did not hesitate to deliver advice about the black and white nature of justice, criminality, and policing. Friday’s efficiency, work habits, and adherence to protocol served as a shining example for the authority and legitimacy of policing. In 1954, Time Magazine put Webb on the cover and wrote a piece, which argued that the American public was now gaining a “new appreciation of the underpaid, long-suffering, ordinary policeman” and gaining a basic “understanding of real-life enforcement” (Anonymous, 1954). Scholars maintain that the show was a propaganda tool that helped legitimize the LAPD and their actions (Lenz, 2003; Sabin et al., 2014; Sharrett, 2012). Controversial LAPD chief William H. Parker benefitted from Webb’s advocacy, and his police force received a steady source of good publicity, notwithstanding the fact that the LAPD faced numerous charges of police brutality, racism, and corruption, which were not addressed on the original version of the show.

Like any successful program, Dragnet spawned numerous imitators, such as The Lineup, (CBS, 1954–1960), Highway Patrol (Syndicated, 1955–1959), State Trooper, (Syndicated, 1956–1959), Harbor Command, (Syndicated, 1957–1959), M-Squad, (NBC, 1957–1960) and Naked City (ABC, 1958–1963). The Lineup was produced in cooperation with the San Francisco Police Department and featured actual cases from the SFPD. Similarly, State Trooper was allegedly based on Nevada state police files. The police in the highly successful Highway Patrol solved crimes within an unidentified Western state’s highway system, while solving crimes on the waterways was the focus of the less successful Harbor Command. The M-Squad starred Lee Marvin as Detective Lieutenant Frank Ballinger of a special unit that tackled violent crime, including organized crime, throughout the city of Chicago (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). Finally, the Naked City was based on the film of the same name and, like Dragnet, was filmed as a quasi-documentary, with the iconic closing line “There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.” Filmed in New York, the series featured fictional detectives from the NYPD’s 65th precinct, and the storylines focused on guest stars who played either victims or criminals (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). The show had a somewhat edgy, gritty realism and was a forerunner to the groundbreaking Hill Street Blues. Although the show was not a ratings success, it was critically acclaimed and eventually became a staple of late-night television reruns (Sabin et al., 2014).

As mentioned early, the Western genre dominated dramatic television in the 1960s. There were only a handful of shows that featured police as central characters and only a few that achieved ratings success. Most of the police dramas of the 1960s were relatively short lived. The early 1960s featured shows such as Man from Interpol (NBC, 1960), 87th Precinct (NBC, 1961–1962), The Asphalt Jungle (ABC, 1961), Cain’s Hundred (NBC, 1961–1962), The New Breed (ABC, 1961–1962), Arrest and Trial (ABC, 1963–1964), and Burke’s Law (ABC, 1963–1966). Arrest and Trial is noteworthy for being the forerunner of the much more successful Law & Order franchise. The first 45 minutes featured a police investigation under direction of Detective Nick Anderson, played by Ben Gazzara, while the last 45 minutes focused on the trial, which pitted Defense Attorney John Egan, played by Chuck Connors, against District Attorney Jerry Miller, played by John Larch. The show was cancelled after only 30 episodes. Yet, the groundbreaking format was revisited almost thirty years later, with the premiere of Law & Order in 1990, which also featured a police investigation followed by a trial (Sabin et al., 2014). Burke’s Law is unique as it diverged away from the Dragnet-inspired authentic police drama that had dominated police dramas. Burke’s Law featured actor Gene Barry as Captain Amos Burke, a Los Angeles chief of detectives. The gimmick was that Burke was a millionaire driven to crime scenes in his Rolls Royce by Henry, his chauffeur. Prior to the third season, the show changed its title to Amos Burke, Secret Agent, as Burke left the police force to become a spy. At this time in the history of pop culture, the secret agent was more palatable for viewing audiences, especially with the popularity of James Bond films and the success of the television shows The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Avengers, and I Spy (Stark, 1987). Surprisingly, Burke’s Law was reprised in 1994, lasting two seasons and twenty-seven episodes. This time, Burke was back as a police chief, solving crimes with his son and once again being driven around by his chauffer Henry. The show featured numerous guest stars, cheesy dialogue and music, as well as campy storylines (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). In an era, of well-written police dramas such as Law & Order and NYPD Blues, it is not surprising that this show was panned by critics and avoided by audiences.

Nevertheless, the 1960s produced some police dramas that achieved some rating success and longevity, including The Untouchables (ABC, 1959–1963) and The F.B.I. (ABC, 1965–1974). The Untouchables was a historical police drama, focused on the heroic, yet highly fictional exploits of Eliot Ness and his incorruptible treasury agents in their fight against gangsters and organized crime. At the time, it was considered the most violent show on television, with two or three violent shootouts every week. Despite the violence, the show reached number eight in the Nielsen ratings for the 1960–1961 season. Unlike Dragnet, which used real cases for storylines, The Untouchables was not historically accurate. The pilot, which aired as a two-part episode on the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, overstated the importance of Ness’s role in the capture and eventual conviction of Al Capone. This is understandable, considering the producers used the self-serving autobiography that Ness had written. In 1932, Capone was convicted for tax evasion, and in 1933 prohibition was repealed, which invariably led to very little “accurate” historical material to use as storylines for the show. As a result, the television version of Ness and his agents became fictional, with storylines that featured major New York based gangsters that Ness had no dealings with, such as Dutch Schultz, Jack “Legs” Diamond, and Lucky Luciano. The episode “Ma Barker and Her Boys” (S01E02, 10-22-1958) upset J. Edgar Hoover, the infamous chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who protested that the FBI should have been given credit for her capture. As a result, the show started issuing disclaimers that certain segments of the show were fictionalized (Sabin et al., 2014; Tucker, 2000).

Hoover was more impressed with The F.B.I., which became the one of few police dramas in the 1960s that enjoyed both rating success and longevity. The show was based on real FBI files and presented the G-Men as emotionless, efficient, and very effective crime-fighters. The Bureau dominated every aspect of this show, from script approval to screening of cast members, to guarantee that that the FBI was always seen in flattering light. Hoover even allowed the FBI headquarters in Washington to be used in background scenes, and some episodes ended with a most wanted segment, hosted by Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who played the lead character, Inspector Lewis Erskine (Powers, 1983). The success of this show may have prompted the revival of Dragnet, which reappeared in 1967 and set the stage for an explosion of shows that featured police as lead characters, albeit in a new, somewhat “hip” direction (Sabin et al., 2014).

The Rebirth of the Police Drama: From Sergeant Friday to Kojak

Dragnet was relaunched in 1966, with Jack Webb producing a television movie pilot that did not air until 1969. Despite the non-airing of the pilot movie, NBC picked up the series as a mid-season replacement and aired it on Thursday nights. Webb originally wanted actor Ben Alexander to reprise the role of Frank Smith, his partner in the original series. However, Alexander was working for ABC on the less successful police drama, Felony Squad (ABC, 1966–1969), which was a standard police drama heavily influenced by the earlier Dragnet. As a result, Harry Morgan was cast as Friday’s equally straight-laced partner, Officer Bill Gannon. Whereas, the original Dragnet reinvented the television cop as a heroic figure, the new Dragnet (NBC, 1967–1970) clearly established Sergeant Joe Friday as an “old square” who was out of touch with the changing values within society. It was renamed, Dragnet 67, but used the identical cinema verite tactics of the original, replete with color and contemporary scenarios (Brooks & Marsh, 2007; Sabin et al., 2014).

Of note, in the new version, Sergeant Friday offered over-the-top moral commentary, from a very clear right wing, pro-establishment, and patriotic point of view (Lenz, 2003; Sharrett, 2012). In the very first episode, “The LSD Story” (S01E01, 01-12-1967), Friday and his partner Gannon, encounter a young man who is high on LSD. The suspect had a painted face, was chewing the bark off a tree, was rambling incoherently about various colors, and called himself the blue boy. On the back of the blue-boy’s shirt read the words “Live and Let Live, Down with the Fuzz.” The back of the shirt was clearly displayed for the audience and provided an obvious tone for the entire series. Sgt. Friday was clearly back, not just to protect citizens from degenerates, but to vociferously defend the actions of the police. In numerous episodes, Friday would engage in long-winded speeches to offer moral clarification and to defend the actions of the police (Sharrett, 2012). For example, the episode, “Public Affairs DR-07” (S03E01, 09-19-1968), was the definitive example of police propaganda. Friday and Gannon appeared on a television panel show, entitled “The Fuzz: Who Needs Them?” and they defended the LAPD against a litany of complaints from every caricature of the 1960s counterculture that Webb despised. As the ultimate apologist, Friday responded to negative comments about the police from a black activist, named Mondo Mabamba, who had the stereotypical afro and dashiki. Unlike Friday, he was confrontational and called the police “honkies” and “Nazis” while making accusations of police brutality against the black community in Watts. The emotionless Friday responded:

I am not here to say that race relations have always been perfect on either side. But things are improving, the Chief of Police is seeing to that, that’s our number one priority. But for police brutality, that’s another story, we try to prevent it in the first place by not hiring brutal men. Only one out of twenty-five who applies for a job in the department ever makes it. We have three men panels, composed of one sergeant and two civilians who pass on every man who wants to go to the academy. One black ball, and that man is out. Occasionally, a bad apple slips through, or a good apple turns bad. Well, my friend, you don’t want him on the job and the department doesn’t want him either. One trigger happy cop making headlines is all it takes to give all police officers a black eye. (“Public Affairs DR-07,” S03E01, 09-19-1968)

Unfortunately, police brutality is not the result of a few “bad apples” and has not disappeared with the passage of time. In fact, police brutality has been an all too real phenomena within many African American communities.

Corresponding with Dragnet’s return, the late 1960s featured long-running series such as Adam-12 (NBC, 1968–1975), Hawaii Five-O (CBS, 1968–1980), and The Mod Squad (ABC, 1968–1973). Adam-12 was created by Jack Webb, and was an attempt to capture the typical day in the life of a patrol officer in Los Angeles. The storylines were based on real cases and ranged from the trivial to the serious. The show portrays police in a positive manner, as professionals who deal with a wide variety of situations, without the smarmy preaching of Jack Webb’s Sgt. Friday. Hawaii Five-O starred Jack Lord as Captain Steve McGarrett, but the show was most well known for it’s location, theme song, ensemble cast, and longevity. At one time, it was the longest running police drama in history, surpassed in 2003 by Law and Order. Hawaii Five-O was not a realistic police drama, and storylines featured action and international intrigue, with many episodes ending with McGarrett’s catch-phrase “Book ‘em, Danno” (Brooks & Marsh, 2007; Sabin et al., 2014; Stark, 1987). In 2010, Hawaii-Five-0 was successfully remade and, like the original, features beautiful settings, action-oriented plots, and predictable storylines.

Conversely, The Mod Squad broke all the rules in conventional television. It featured a “rich” white, former drug-using hippie, an attractive female “flower child,” and an African American who had participated in the Watts Riots. Under the mentorship of an experienced police captain, the unusual trio was offered the opportunity to work as undercover detectives to avoid incarceration (Stark, 1987). The show was loosely based on the experiences of creator Bud Raskin, who was a member of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. In 1960, Raskin wrote a script based on his experiences as an undercover narcotics agent on a squad of young police officers. However, the show was not given the green light until the 1968 season, at the height of counterculture movement. In stark contrast to shows like Dragnet 67, the youthful protagonists used slang, such as “solid,” “dig-it,” and “groovy,” and despite its unlikely scenario, the characters exhibited a gritty realism that was “cool.” The show dealt with numerous social issues such as domestic violence, child neglect, racism, anti-Semitism, abortion, and student protest. The Mod Squad attempted to combine counterculture values with the mores of law-abiding conservatives, the so-called, “silent majority.” The producers felt that the Mod Squad could appeal to a divergent audience, as the unconventional “hip” characters were used as a means to an end, to promote effective law enforcement and achieve justice. Although the characters represented a new generation of law enforcers, they did not necessarily endorse a radical departure from the way that television-viewing consumers felt about law and order. There was no political agenda, drugs and sex were still taboo, hippies were depicted as threats to society, and the heroes meted out non-lethal violence only when necessary (Gitlin, 1983; Stark, 1987).

In the 1970s, police drama became a staple on network television, and a string of television shows attempted to take advantage of the police’s new found popularity on television (Sabin et al., 2014; Stark, 1987). Thirty-nine police dramas premiered during the 1970s, of which the vast majority found little success in the ratings and were relatively short-lived (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). In contrast to Dragnet, there were only a few shows that attempted an authentic dramatic interpretation of policing. These shows included O’Hara U.S. Treasury (CBS, 1971–1972), Police Story (NBC, 1973–1977), and The Blue Knight (CBS, 1975–1976). O’Hara, U.S. Treasury was produced with the approval and cooperation of the Department of Treasury, but was not a truly accurate representation of the Treasury department. Joseph Wambaugh was essential in the creation of both Police Story and The Blue Knight. Wambaugh, a best selling author known for fictional and non-fictional books about police work, portrayed police as flawed, and his work encompassed a gritty realism that was lacking in most popular accounts of police officers (Wilson, 2000). As a result, Police Story featured some of the most realistic portrayals of police and their work, including the negatives, such as corruption, brutality, alcohol abuse, adultery, and post-traumatic stress (PTSD) (Gitlin, 1983; Inciardi & Dee, 1987).

The vast majority of the shows that appeared in the 1970s can be characterized as gimmicky, in that they focused either on a “super-cop” or on innovative or unusual scenarios (Inciardi & Dee, 1987). The shows that exhibited a super-cop harken back to the crime fighters of earlier decades, in the Detective and Western genres These super-cops worked as individuals, and their dogged determination and brilliance enabled them to solve crimes in spite of the incompetence of the legal system (Chesebro, 2003; Chesebro & Hamsher, 1974; Surette, 2014). There are several examples of super-cop shows, such as Columbo (NBC, ABC, 1968–1993), Dan August (ABC, 1970–1971), McCloud (NBC, 1970–1971), McMillian and Wife (NBC, 1971–1977), Cades County (CBS, 1971–1972), Jigsaw (ABC, 1972–1973), Madigan (NBC, 1972–1973), Kojak (CBS, 1973–1978), Toma (ABC, 1973–1974), Nakia (ABC, 1974), Baretta (ABC, 1975–1978), Bronk (CBS, 1975–1976), Bert D’Angelo/Superstar (ABC, 1976), Delvecchio (CBS, 1976–1977), Serpico, (NBC, 1976–1977), Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983), Eischied (1979–1983) and Paris (CBS, 1979–1980). In some shows, the super-cops were paired as partners, such as the highly successful Streets of San Francisco (ABC, 1972–1977) and Starsky & Hutch (ABC, 1975–1979).

Peter Falk played the iconic homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo, the quintessential example of a super-cop. In each episode, a guest star would commit a rather clever murder, and the dishevelled Columbo would appear at the crime scene with his trademark trench coat, cigar, and clunky automobile. In direct contrast to the highly intelligent and distinguished murder suspect, Columbo gave the impression of being an incompetent, bumbling fool. In the end, Columbo would always discover the truth with his incredible attention to minute details of the evidence, much to the amazement of the arrogant and smug murderer (Sabin et al., 2014). The show was not broadcast in the standard 60-minute episode format and was included as part of the original NBC Mystery Movie, with McCloud and McMillan & Wife. McCloud, as described earlier, was a cowboy cop, transplanted to New York City, while McMillan and Wife featured actor Rock Hudson as the suave San Francisco Police Commissioner whose homicide investigations were assisted by his beautiful and charming wife, played by Susan Saint James. These series were highly entertaining, involved humor, and showed that the police were more effective without the constraints of police bureaucracy (Inciardi & Dee, 1987; Sabin et al., 2014; Stark, 1987). Of course, these types of programs are not intended to be authentic and are created as mysteries, which provide the audiences with an escape from real world crime and social ills.

In contrast, the 1970s also featured police dramas that exposed the changing landscape of crime in America. During the 1970s, crime rates in large cities soared, which not only increased fear of crime, but also led some residents to flee the cities for the suburbs, leaving only the poorest behind. The viewing audience was now exposed to violence that permeated the urban environment. In the past, the villains did not threaten the audience, as they often had clear motives for their criminal behavior. The “new criminal that appeared in the 1970s was increasingly dangerous, unpredictable, and violent. They were often violent madmen or urban delinquents with no stake in society. More nefariously, the justice system was portrayed as both ineffective and bureaucratic, with seemingly more rights afforded to criminals than law-abiding citizens. As such, the crime fighter had to be tougher, more violent, more unyielding, and more obsessed with the capture of criminals, than his television precursor (Stark, 1987; Surette, 2014). Certainly, Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak of New York City Police Department fit the description. Actor Telly Savalas portrayed Kojak, with his trademark lollipop and catch-phrase, “Who loves you, baby?” Kojak had a cynical sense of humor, bent some rules, and was outspoken and streetwise. He was described by critics as a “one-man institution” who fought both criminals and political bureaucracy (Sabin et al., 2014; Stark, 1987).The success of Kojak led to a surge of police dramas with more dark and violent themes. Toma and Serpico were both based on real life cops and were portrayed as heroic loners who went undercover to fight organized crime and systemic corruption. After lead actor Tony Musante left Toma, his character was recast with Robert Blake, and the show was renamed Baretta (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Several shows in 1970s featured innovative or unusual scenarios. The majority of these shows were unsuccessful, as they attempted to secure audiences with a gimmick. For instance, some police dramas attempted to parlay the success of Hawaii Five-O, by featuring exotic or unusual locations such as the Caribbean (Caribe: ABC, 1975) and Alaska (Kodiak: ABC, 1974). Other shows featured lead characters who were atypical of the genre, including African American (The Protectors: NBC, 1969–1970; The Rookies: ABC, 1972–1976; Get Christy Love: ABC, 1974–1975) and female characters (Police Woman: NBC, 1974–1978; Amy Prentiss: NBC, 1973–1975; Get Christie Love: ABC, 1974–1975; Dear Detective: CBS, 1979) (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). As the result of federal legislation, greater numbers of women started entering the field of policing in 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, many of these female officers were assigned specialized duties, such as clerical or vice squad, where they went undercover to pose as prostitutes. Early police programs reflect this reality, as there were very few female police officers on television. One exception was the syndicated television series, Decoy (1957–1958), which starred Beverly Garland as Casey Jones, a female undercover officer who solved crime. In the 1960s, Peggy Lipton starred as Julia Barnes as an undercover cop in The Mod Squad. In the 1970s, female officers became more routine on television shows, appearing in small roles or as extras in programs such as Adam 12. On March 26, 1974, Police Story premiered an episode entitled “The Gamble,” which featured actress Angie Dickenson as an undercover vice officer named Lisa Beaumont. This episode served as the pilot for Police Woman, and Dickenson’s character was subsequently renamed “Pepper” Anderson. Although, Police Woman was initially a ratings success, other police dramas that featured female leads did not fare as well in the 1970s. A spin-off of Ironside, Amy Prentiss lasted only three episodes before being canceled. The show starred actress Jessica Walters, as a young investigator who became the first female Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department. Get Christy Love lasted only one season, but was noteworthy, as it was the first show to feature an African-American female as the lead character. Finally, Dear Detective lasted only four episodes and was focused on a female police officer who juggled her career, marriage, and motherhood (Brooks & Marsh, 2007; Cavender & Jurik, 2012; D’Acci, 1994; Evans & Davies, 2014; Stark, 1987).

As opposed to unique gender or racial backgrounds of the lead character(s), other police dramas focused on pioneering police strategies, such as elite units (The Silent Force: ABC, 1970–1971; Chase: NBC, 1973–1974; S.W.A.T.: ABC, 1975–1976; Most Wanted: ABC, 1976–1977). For example, Chase featured four cops who each had special skills, including a dog handler, helicopter pilot, hot-rod car driver, and an expert motorcycle rider. Similarly, other shows featured new technology, such as helicopters (Chopper One: ABC, 1974) and motorcycles (CHiPs: NBC, 1977–1983). Finally, some shows were simply unusual. A former teen heartthrob was cast as an undercover police officer in David Cassidy: Man Undercover (NBC, 1978–1979), while Lanigan’s Rabbi featured a rabbi who was an amateur criminologist who assisted the Chief of police (played by Art Carney) in homicide investigations. Sam (CBS, 1978) starred Mark Harmon as a police officer who was teamed with a yellow Labrador retriever. Harmon became more well known for his role in the more popular NCIS (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Revolutionizing Network Television: Policing the “Hill”

The formula for using unusual scenarios or gimmicks carried over to the 1980s. During the 1980s, 42 police dramas premiered, and many were doomed, as they featured absurd circumstances, characters, and/or storylines. At the beginning of the 1980–1981 television season, it appeared that police drama had fizzled to an acrimonious end. Only two popular dramas from the 1970s still appeared on the air, Quincy M.E. and CHiPS. The title character, Quincy, was not even a police officer; actor Jack Klugman played a medical examiner who solved crimes. Although, formulaic, “Quince” appealed to audiences with his stubborn, yet righteous personality. CHiPS, a very popular series, is better described as a melodrama, with a focus on light drama, corny comedy, and action. Many of the plots were tacky and often resulted in the lead characters, Ponch and Jon Baker, engaging in a police chase that invariably ended with a spectacular stunt vehicle crash. New series that premiered in 1980 left little optimism for an evolution of the genre. For example, B.A.D. Cats (ABC, 1980) featured two ex-racing drivers tracking down criminals in a souped-up Nova, as special officers in the Los Angeles Police Department. Stone (ABC, 1980) was an attempt to capitalize on Dennis Weaver’s fame as McCloud. In this very short-lived series, Weaver played Detective Sergeant Daniel , a celebrity cop who doubled as a best-selling novelist. Freebie and the Bean (CBS, 1980–1981) was the only new police drama to premiere in the fall of the strike impacted 1980–1981 season. The show, based on the 1974 film of the same name, can be best exemplified as a “buddy cop” show, but it was ill-conceived as a mixture of comedy, drama, slapstick, and reality (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Yet, one police drama forever changed the genre, with an ensemble cast and recurrent storylines. Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981–1987) not only revolutionized the police drama but television drama as well (Gitlin, 1983; Lenz, 2003; Rapping, 2003). The show debuted on January 15, 1981, receiving rave reviews from critics, but did not immediately capture large audiences until it won a record number of Primetime Emmy awards later in the year. At the time, the show was ground breaking, as it featured an ensemble cast and serialized storylines. In the first season, the show included 13 actors in the main credits, of which 11 were police officers with different ranks. In some episodes, there were up to five or six plotlines, interwoven throughout the episode. These plotlines were often serialized, with some appearing from week to week. Conversely, previous police dramas were primarily episodic, in that they presented a different plot with each episode (Sabin et al., 2014).

In the early seasons of the show, the beginning of each episode would start with roll call in the Hill Station, in which Desk Sergeant Phil Esterhaus would exclaim, “And hey, let’s be careful out there.” Symbolically, this ominous statement foreshadowed the grim reality that many of the officers would face on a daily basis on the harsh streets within the precinct. The show had a documentary feel, with seedy characters living in a poverty-stricken, unnamed, large metropolitan city. The characters were flawed and distinctly human, revealing both emotion and vulnerability. Some of the officers exhibited racist, sexist, and homophobic tendencies. Some had interpersonal issues, such as alcohol and drug addiction, extramarital affairs, and financial problems. There was a clash between the officers over policing philosophies: Sgt. Lt. Howard Hunter favored the more of a law and order approach, while Sgt. Henry Goldblume preferred social work and community outreach programs. Police morality was blurred in this show, as the viewer was exposed to corruption, brutality, and bureaucracy within the police force. At the height of the conservative Reagan era, the show attempted to express an alternative liberal explanation of crime, that crime is a consequence of systemic inequality, racism, and poverty. Unfortunately, as the series progressed, it became more “soap opera-ish” and lost its audience. Yet, to its credit, the show inspired a new generation of television dramas and transformed the representation of the television cop (Gitlin, 1983; Lenz, 2003; Sabin et al., 2014; Zynda, 1986).

In addition to Hill Street Blues, a number of successful police dramas originated during the decade. Several shows produced more than 100 episodes, including Cagney & Lacey (CBS, 1982–1988), Hunter (NBC, 1984–1991), Miami Vice (NBC, 1984–1989), 21 Jump Street (Fox, 1987–1990), and In the Heat of the Night (NBC/CBS, 1988–1994) (Brooks & Marsh, 2007). Cagney & Lacey was atypical; it was a buddy-cop drama that featured two female leads. Inspired by the feminist movement, the show had been proposed in 1974, but had been turned down by all networks until a television movie appeared in 1981. The movie was a ratings success, and a limited-run series was announced with Meg Foster replacing Loretta Swit as Christine Cagney, while Tyne Dale continued her role as Mary Beth Lacy. The ratings were poor in the first abbreviated season, and executives replaced Foster with Sharon Gless, who they believed would enhance the femininity of the character, as well as tone down the perceived “lesbian” qualities (i.e., aggressiveness, tough, witty, etc.) that the original Cagney exhibited. In spite of the changes, the second season featuring Gless and Daly was a ratings disaster, and the series was cancelled. Fans of the show started a letter writing campaign, and the show eventually returned as a mid-season replacement during the third season, in which it finally cracked the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings. The detectives not only solved crime, they dealt with male chauvinism and the difficulty of maintaining a work-life balance. Although, they were not the first female cops on television, they set the standard for future female cops on television (D’Acci, 1994; Nichols-Pethick, 2012; Sabin et al., 2014). Currently, female cops are plentiful on police dramas, in leading and supporting roles. Typically, they are ingrained in multi-cast scenarios in which they work seamlessly with male colleagues (Evans & Davies, 2014). Unfortunately, the vast majority of these dramas ignore the reality of sexism that is imbedded in the field of policing (Rabe-Hemp, 2011).

Unlike Cagney & Lacey, Hunter was decidedly masculine in nature, with former NFL player Fred Dryer playing Sgt. Rick Hunter. The character was clearly inspired by the popularity of the Dirty Harry franchise. Toned down for television audiences, Hunter used catch-phrases, such as “works for me” and carried a large gun that he called “Simon.” Unlike Dirty Harry, Hunter had a beautiful, yet tough, female partner named Dee Dee, played by Stepfanie Kramer. Despite numerous clichés, the show gained an audience and was the longest running police drama that originated in the 1980s. The show was rebooted in 2003, with both Dryer and Kramer, but lasted only three episodes before being cancelled (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Miami Vice is, arguably, the television show that best reflected 1980s. The show was both gritty and glamorous, with “hip” musical scores, cutting edge fashions, and visually appealing sets, characters, and locations. The lead characters, Crockett and Tubbs, epitomized “cool” and worked undercover to capture drug dealers and pimps. Despite the show’s importance to pop culture, it did not redefine the police genre, as it was basically an action series with standard police clichés and unrealistic storylines (Sabin et al., 2014; Sanders, 2010). In a similar vein, 21 Jump Street was the first major hit for the newly minted Fox network and launched the career of Johnny Depp. The show featured young undercover cops who could pass as teenagers and infiltrate high schools. The program also included numerous messages about youth and morality, with early episodes including public service announcements made by cast members after episodes had aired (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

“Ripped from the Headlines”: Law & Order Reigns

The 1990s introduced at least 51 new police dramas but most achieved little success. Some of the least popular shows were ridiculous, such as Cop Rock (ABC, 1990), which was a cop musical, and The Hat Squad (CBS, 1992–1993), which featured retro-cool cops who wore unique hats. Sunset Beat (ABC, 1990) was a rip-off of 21 Jump Street and starred George Clooney as Chic Chesbro, a young scruffy cop with long hair and an attitude to match. Chesbro played lead guitar in a rock band and went undercover to infiltrate a tough biker gang. Some shows had success with the buddy cop formula (New York Undercover, FOX, 1994–1998; Nash Bridges, CBS, 1996–2001), humor (The Commish: ABC, 1991–1996; Due South: CBS, 1994–1995; Martial Law: CBS, 1998–2000), sex (Silk Stalkings: CBS, USA Network, 1991–1999), science fiction (X-Files: FOX, 1993–2002), and even action that revolved around a bike patrol on a beach (Pacific Blue: USA Network, 1996–2000) (Brooks & Marsh, 2007).

Without a doubt, any discussion of the police drama in 1990s can only begin with an examination of Law and Order (NBC, 1990–2010), N.Y.P.D. Blue (ABC, 1993–2005), and Homicide: Life on the Streets (NBC, 1993–1999) (Sabin et al., 2014). Law & Order follows the activities of a recurring cast of police and prosecuting attorneys. Episodes follow a similar structure, the police investigate a crime, make an arrest, followed by a trial in which the prosecution attempts to secure a conviction. Each episodes starts with the narration, “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: The police who investigate crime and the District Attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories,” preceded by a very distinct musical effect, described as a clang that symbolizes a judge’s gavel. Like Hill Street Blues, the show features an ensemble cast, but unlike Hill Street Blues, the show rarely delves into the private lives of the characters nor does it explore the broad social conditions that contribute to criminal behavior. In fact, many of the plots are borrowed from notorious real life cases and, true to actual cases, sometimes the defense wins, as either the cops do not have enough evidence to warrant a conviction or the wrong suspect is arrested. As such, this makes for interesting television, as the viewing audience cannot predict the outcome of the cases. The show does not break new ground, as it was based on a concept first developed in the 1950s series Arrest and Trial. However, the popularity of the show has been unmatched, at it spawned several spin-offs, which included: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 1999–), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, USA Network, 2001–2011), Law & Order: Trial by Jury (NBC, 2005–2006) and Law & Order: LA (NBC, 2010–2011). Despite the success, some media scholars have argued that the show reinforced the status quo, represented conservative morals, and signified an ideological shift toward “law and order” or the crime control model (Lenz, 2003; Nichols-Pethick, 2012; Sabin et al., 2014).

Alternatively, N.Y.P.D. Blue (ABC, 1993–2005) was modeled after a formula first employed by Hill Street Blues. It featured characters who were deeply flawed and isolated from mainstream society. The police officers on the show had tortured private lives, plagued with such difficulties as alcoholism, strained inter-personal relationships, single-parenthood, suicide, and health-related issues. Their professional lives were also scrutinized, as they investigated a variety of criminals and crimes, which sometimes led to a blurring of the lines between right and wrong. Initially, the show was heavily criticized for its use of mild profanity and nudity, which at that time was unseen on network television (Lenz, 2003; Sabin et al., 2014).

Similarly, Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC, 1993–1999) chronicled the work of the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit. Albeit fictional, the show was based on reporter David Simon’s book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (Boston: Houghton Mifflin), which was published in 1991. The intent of the show was to furnish a blunt and uncompromising view of inner-city detectives in Baltimore. Unlike the glitzy and flashy detectives who permeated television and glorified homicide investigations, this show offered a depressing, yet authentic view of police work. The show intertwined several homicides into single episodes, which portrayed murder investigations as rather routine, tedious, and monotonous. Cynicism abounding, it appeared that clearance rates were more important than achieving actual justice (Sabin et al., 2014). In some episodes, the mystery was not solved, and justice was never achieved. For example, the episode “Three Men and Adena” (S01E05, 03-03-1993) focused on the investigation of an 11-year-old girl named Adena Watson. Despite an intense interrogation of an elderly suspect, the case remained an open investigation never to be solved. The show earned the respect of critics, who enjoyed the gritty realism and serialized plot lines. However, the ratings were low, and for the most part, viewers avoided the show. Interestingly, in 1996, TV Guide named the series “the best show you’re not watching” (Lane, 2001).

Forensics, Pseudo-Science and Crime: From CSI to Criminal Minds

At the start of the millennium, the police drama had been firmly entrenched in the television landscape. Since the year 2000, there have been over 100 police dramas produced, with several achieving both ratings success and longevity. Some of the more popular dramas featured lead characters who consult the police to solve crimes, such as a former-psychic (The Mentalist: CBS, 2005–2015) and a best-selling mystery novelist (Castle: ABC, 2009–). Others involved specialized units that search for missing persons (Without a Trace: CBS, 2002–2009), solve unsolved older cases (Cold Case: CBS, 2003–2010), and focus on an interrogation expert (The Closer: TNT, 2005–2012). Similarly, NCIS (CBS, 2003–) revolves around the fictional team of special agents in the Naval Intelligence Investigative Service who engage in counterintelligence and law enforcement within the Department of Navy and United States Marine Corps. The show has resulted into two spin-offs, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, 2009–) and NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 2014–), Finally, Blue Bloods (CBS, 2010–) follows a family of police officers in the New York City Police Department. The show stars Tom Selleck as Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, whose father was the former police commissioner. Reagan has three children who work within the system, his two sons work in the police department as a detective and a patrol officer, while his daughter is an assistant district attorney. The signature of the series is the Sunday dinner scene, in which the family will discuss difficult issues around morality, policing, and life.

Unquestionably, the biggest development within the genre was the emergence of CSI, which premiered on October 6, 2000. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS, 2000–2015) started a wave of shows that focused on crime science and technology. CSI was set in Las Vegas and starred William Peterson as Gil Grissom, a forensics officer working in the Criminalistics Bureau. Employing advanced scientific techniques to analyze crime scenes, his team of experts used physical evidence to solve violent murders. Like the stylish Miami Vice, the show used music to set the tone and add an element of coolness, to the otherwise “boring” premise of scientists solving crime. The show was heavily criticized by parent groups because of its depiction of graphic violence, images, and sexual content (Sabin et al., 2014).

The show has also been criticized for its lack of realism in the depiction of police procedure. The characters process crime scenes, interrogate suspects, interview witnesses, conduct raids, participate in suspect pursuits and arrests, and eventually solve the crime. Of course, real life forensic technicians do not conduct investigations, as it would be too time-consuming and more importantly, it would be unethical to engage in the investigation, especially the testing of evidence, as it would jeopardize the impartiality and neutrality of the case. Also, some critics allege a so-called CSI effect, in which people have misguided beliefs and expectations about forensic science. For example, some investigators lament that victims and their families expect instantaneous DNA analysis and forensic analysis, which is not possible. Similarly, some prosecutors complain that jurors demand more forensic evidence, which inhibits their ability to successfully win convictions. However, there is little empirical evidence that the CSI effect actually exists, and it may be only an urban myth (Cavender & Jurik, 2012; Robbers, 2008).

Despite the criticisms of the show, it was an instant success amongst audiences, ranking in the top ten of the Nielsen ratings in its first 11 seasons. The success of the show led to three spin-offs, comic books, video games, novels, and even a travelling museum called CSI: The Experience. The spin-offs included the equally violent and stylish CSI: Miami (CBS, 2002–2012), CSI: New York (CBS, 2004–2013), and CSI: Cyber (CBS, 2015–). More importantly, the show spawned a new genre of police drama, involving crimes solved with scientific methods. In a premise similar to Quincy M.E., Jill Hennessy played Jordan Cavanaugh, a forensic pathologist who sometimes used criminal profiling to solve murders in the crime drama Crossing Jordan (NBC, 2001–2007). Although, Cavanaugh was not a police officer, she worked closely with detectives in solving crimes. Likewise, Bones (2005–) partners a forensic anthropologist, Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, with FBI agent Seeley Booth to investigate and solve various murder mysteries. NUMB3RS (CBS, 2005–2010) added a new twist, as a brilliant mathematician used mathematical models to assist his brother, an FBI agent, to solve various crimes. Finally, Criminal Minds (CBS, 2005–2016) was loosely based on the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in Quantico. Virginia. The series featured a team of experts who use criminal profiling to capture a myriad of killers, mostly serial. The show generally begins with an “unsub” or unknown subject partaking in a particularly sensational, bizarre, or monstrous killing. The elite team of criminal profilers are brought in to provide a psychological profile of the killer, and episodes usually end with the dramatic capture of the “unsub” and the rescue of the victim. The show is bursting with clichés and is both unrealistic and improbable. Criminal profiling is pseudo-science with little empirical validity. In fact, most forensic psychologists would argue that profiling is more theoretical than scientific. Lack of realism aside, the show is very entertaining and, like the mystery genre, fans of the show love to watch the “new-age” sleuths crack seemingly unsolvable crimes. Criminal Minds has also been criticized for its graphic portrayal of gore and violence. The former lead actor, Mandy Patinkin claimed that “his biggest public mistake” was starring in the show, as he was upset with the gratuitous amount of violence. In an interview, he stated “I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year” (Gennis, 2012).

Moral Ambiguity and Cable’s Re-Invention of “TV” Cop

Crime programs such as The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Dexter, featured on premium cable networks, set a new standard, which traditional television network programs have had a difficult time meeting. These programs feature exceptional writing, fascinating characters, and high production values. Depictions of violence are more explicit and the dialogue more authentic. There are no commercial breaks to interrupt the story, and characters are even allowed to swear. Subscription-based cable networks altered the television experience of viewers and ushered in a new age of television. In this new age, the television cop was reinvented, and the police procedural evolved beyond standard clichés and simplistic plotlines (Martin, 2013).

A number of exceptional police dramas have appeared on subscription-cable television networks, such as Justified (FX Network, 2010–2015), Fargo (FX Network, 2014–), and True Detective (2014–). However, in terms of socio-cultural influence and importance, The Shield and The Wire might very well be the most groundbreaking police dramas in television history. Set in Los Angeles, The Shield (FX Network, 2002–2008) is about a four-man anti-gang unit called the Strike Team. The Strike Team is led by the corrupt Detective Vic Mackey, aptly played by actor Michael Chiklis. Chiklis was a curious choice for the role, as he was best known for playing the lovable police commissioner, Tony Scali, in the light-hearted police drama, The Commish (ABC, 1991–1996). Yet Chiklis brought the Mackey character to life with vivid brutality, charisma, narcissism, and selfishness. The show was the first police drama to feature a lead crime fighter as a villain. Although he was more than just a villain; his character was more complex and multi-faceted than a typical television villain. With HBO’s The Sopranos, the character of Tony Soprano ushered in a new wave of anti-heroes in crime dramas, leading the way for classic television characters such as Walter White (Breaking Bad), Dexter Morgan (Dexter), Jax Teller (Sons of Anarchy), and Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire) (Vaage, 2015). Mackey, of The Shield, truly believed that his immoral actions were a means to an end. He routinely beat suspects, stole from drug dealers, engaged in blackmail, and even killed. In a classic scene, during an interrogation, he beat and tortured a suspected pedophile with phone book to gain a confession, which ended up saving a young girls life. Arguably, his character is the most despicable anti-hero in television history, because as a police officer he represented authority and morality. Prior to Mackey’s appearance on television, lead police characters may have been flawed, but they definitely were not murderers and thieves. As such, the moral ambiguousness of the show’s main character enabled viewers to experience a variety of emotions, sentiments, and opinions about police and their work (Chopra-Gant, 2007; Mittell, 2015; Sabin et al., 2014).

Whereas The Shield’s main emphasis was on the anti-hero, The Wire (HBO, 2002–2008) highlighted a city in decay. The Wire centered on Baltimore’s inner-city drug trade and depicted the lives of junkies, dealers, cops, and politicians. The show featured an ensemble cast and a serialized format, in which various social problems and institutions were examined. The show was applauded for its authentic portrayal of urban life and the inner workings of police bureaucracy. It exposed audiences to the “political” nature of crime clearance rates, the economy of the drug trade, and the struggles of inner-city residents. As a police procedural, it was atypical, the police did not solve crimes on a weekly basis, nor was the path to the “bad guy” easily attained with heroic police work. The police struggled to make cases, as they had difficulty navigating police bureaucracy, politics, and egos. The criminal justice system was presented as a complex, yet imperfect system, with clear linkages to social institutions and individuals. The police, the judges, the lawyers, the politicians, the criminals, and even the junkies were depicted as human beings with good, bad, and ambivalent traits (Brody & Collins, 2013; Bruhn & Gjelsvik, 2013).

The Wire is arguably the most critically acclaimed show in television history and has been favorably compared to great literature such as the works of Dickens and Dostoevsky. In fact, David Simon, the co-creator of the show, claimed that it was structured like a “visual novel,” arguing that storylines had to be “difficult,” to avoid formulaic plots and clichéd characters (Alvarez & Simon, 2009, p. 23). Yet the show received dismal ratings, achieving only four million viewers per episode. Fortunately, the show was produced by HBO, which is not beholden to advertisers or preoccupied with huge prime-time ratings. Nevertheless, prior to the fourth season, the show narrowly escaped cancellation after Simon pitched the upcoming storylines to an HBO executive. The executive was so enthralled that he renewed the series for two more seasons (Alvarez & Simon, 2009).

This was most fortunate, as The Wire was a pioneering program unlike any program ever produced for the small screen. Its central character was not a police officer, lawyer, or criminal, but a city portrayed through the stories and experiences of dozens of complex characters. Each season intertwined a police investigation, involving high-tech surveillance and wires, with the focus on a different facet of the city, including the drug-addled housing projects, disintegrating port system, decaying public schools, corrupt political administration, and the declining newspaper industry. One of the strengths of the show was its authenticity, as some of the plots were loosely based on real stories and events. The creators of the show had life experience within the city. David Simon had worked as a police reporter for the Baltimore Sun, while Ed Burns, a former cop, had worked in the Baltimore homicide division. The negative portrayal of Baltimore even spurred former Mayor Martin O’Malley to complain about the show’s depiction of the city and the police department. The show was intentionally dark, complex, and hard to watch. The characters’ use of “street” language was raw and graphic, but also realistic. Like a good novel, the plots were purposefully slow moving, but viewers who stuck with the show were rewarded with pure brilliance (Sabin et al., 2014). In fact, the academic world has taken notice of the show, with conference presentations, academic papers, books, and even college courses devoted to various aspects of the show (Alvarez & Simon, 2009; Brody & Collins, 2013).

The More Things Change: The More They Stay the Same

This article has attempted to provide a historical overview of the police drama as produced on television in the United States. It is clear that the genre has changed immeasurably over the last 70 years. The characters have become more complex and diverse, the violence more explicit and grisly, the special effects more realistic and visually stunning, and the cinematography and sound effects more spectacular. Yet, despite all the changes, some elements of the police drama have remained the same. Viewers still enjoy mysteries, action, and bravery. They feel sympathy for victims, crave justice, root for heroes, and despise villains. The police drama still relies on music to provide ambiance, and catch phrases continue to help define the characters. Most importantly, the police drama continues to captivate audiences and as such, remains a staple of television programming.

Further Reading

Cavender, G., & Jurik, N. (2012). Justice provocateur: Jane Tennison and policing in Prime Suspect. Chicago: University of Illinois Press

Collins, P. A., & Brody, D. C. (Eds.). (2013). Crime & justice in the city: As seen through The Wire. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Lenz, T. O. (2003). Changing images of law in film and television crime stories. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Nichols-Pethick, J. (2012). TV cops: The contemporary American television police drama. New York: Routledge.

Reiner, R. (2010). The politics of police (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Sabin, R., Wilson, R., Speidel, L., Faucette, B., & Bethell, B. (2014). Cop shows: A critical history of police dramas on television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

Stark, S. D. (1987). Perry Mason meets Sonny Crockett: The history of lawyers and the police as television heroes. University of Miami Law Review, 42, 229–283.

Wilson, C. P. (2000). Cop knowledge: Police power and cultural narrative in twentieth-century America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

References

Alvarez, R., & Simon, D. (2009). The Wire: Truth be told. New York: Canongate Books.

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Brody, D. C.& Collins, P. A. (2013). Introduction: Using The Wire to contemplate urban crime and criminal justice. In P. A. Collins& D. C. Brody (Eds.), Crime & justice in the city: As seen through The Wire. (pp. 3–13). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.Find this resource:

Brooks, T., & Marsh. E. (2007). The complete directory to prime time network and cable TV shows: 1946 to present. New York: Ballantine Books.Find this resource:

Bruhn, J., & Gjelsvik, A. (2013). David Simon’s novel cop show. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 11, 133–153.Find this resource:

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Cavender, G., & Fishman, M. (1998). Television reality crime programs: Context and history. In M. Fishman & G. Cavender (Eds.), Entertaining crime: Television reality programs (pp. 1–15). New York: Aldine De Gruyter.Find this resource:

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#television #media #law enforcement #copaganda #police drama #procedural #police procedural #media representations #jack webb #dragnet #hill street blues #law and order #CSI #the wire #adam-12 #hawaii five-o #hunter #the untouchables #tv franchises #svu #ncis #cagney and lacey #brooklyn 99 #homicide: life on the street #entertainment #ideology #narrative #bones #kojak #csi effect

[meanstreetspodcasts]

Lone Star Law and Order

“Texas - more than 260,000 square miles - and fifty men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America!”

In the Golden Ages of Radio and Television, police dramas and Westerns ruled the airwaves.  Some shows successfully combined these genres into a single program; Gunsmoke grew out of CBS’ desire for a “Philip Marlowe in the Old West,” and Have Gun - Will Travel offered a private eye whose beat was the post-Civil War West.  One series combined the classic cowboy hero with a 20th century forensic approach to crime solving, sort of a Dragnet with spurs.  That show was Tales of the Texas Rangers, which enjoyed a nearly 100 episode run on NBC radio before heading out to ride the television trail. That radio run began on radio on July 8, 1950.

The Rangers had a long reputation as iconic lawmen of the west.  The group was created when Stephen Austin recruited a small cadre of men to protect settlers in the territory following the Mexican war for independence from Spain in 1823.  When Texas became a republic, the Rangers fought off Native Americans and took part in battles during the Mexican-American War.  Following a brief suspension during the Civil War, the Rangers were reassembled in 1873 and their reputation (and legend) took shape in the hearts and minds of Texans.  They fought Indians and chased outlaws.  Among the notable criminals caught (and killed) by Rangers were bank robber Sam Bass and the legendary Bonnie and Clyde (as recently dramatized in the terrific Netflix movie The Highwaymen).

Producer/director Stacy Keach (father of Mike Hammer star Stacy Keach, Jr.) initially envisioned a feature film based on the exploits of the Texas Rangers but he shifted his focus to a radio series.  At the time the series premiered, there were only 50 Rangers on duty, adding to the mystique of the frontier lawman.  Keach explained the job of the Rangers was “to solve major crimes using known scientific devices, old-fashioned tracking techniques, and psychological analysis.“

Like Jack Webb and the Los Angeles Police Department in Dragnet, Keach had to obtain the cooperation of the Texas Rangers. Each script required official approval from the Rangers’ office.  Fortunately, Keach and his writers found a patron and a muse in Captain M.T. "Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas, a 30 year veteran of the Rangers who claimed to have killed 31 men during his time on the force.  Keach said twenty percent of the stories produced on Tales of the Texas Rangers came from Gonzaullas’ personal experiences.  As Keach recalled later, “[Gonzaullas] never could remember our writers’ names, but he could recall names, dates, and places of every case he had ever worked on.”  His cooperation allowed Keach and his team access to Ranger case files and interviews with the men behind the legends.  Some case reports were brief, but colorful.  Examples included “Shot all to pieces, but not serious,” and “Had a little shootin’ match. They lost.”

The series found its star in an actor who was entering his third decade in show business.  Joel McCrea started in Hollywood in the late 1920s as a stand-in for some of the stars of the silent film era, including Rudolph Valentino.  He got his first major movie role in 1934 and embarked on a career as a leading man.  McCrea starred in films from Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels) and Alfred Hitchcock (Foreign Correspondent), but admitted he felt most comfortable in the Stetson and spurs garb that Westerns offered.  

“I liked doing comedies, but as I got older I was better suited to do Westerns. Because I think it becomes unattractive for an older fellow trying to look young, falling in love with attractive girls in those kinds of situations. Anyway, I always felt so much more comfortable in the Western. The minute I got a horse and a hat and a pair of boots on, I felt easier. I didn’t feel like I was an actor anymore. I felt like I was the guy out there doing it.” 

McCrea lent a tough, no-nonsense air to the lead role of Ranger Jayce Pearson.  He’s Joe Friday with a touch of Gary Cooper; Wyatt Earp with a radio and forensic knowledge.

The series premiered on NBC, the home of Dragnet, and featured many of the same supporting actors who popped up on that Jack Webb series, including Parley Baer, Stacy Harris, Tony Barrett, and Barney Phillips.  Keach also employed some of the same sound effects crew from Dragnet.  While the soundscapes for the two shows were very different, both benefited from a very real, authentic sound to the proceedings.  Hoofbeats, footsteps on rocky terrain, lonesome train whistles, and the sounds of the prairie were commonplace and helped to ground the series as docudrama.

Though it had a relatively short run (another radio series that arrived on the wrong end of television’s debut), Tales of the Texas Rangers is a unique entry in the world of radio detectives.  As a then-present day Western, it was a rarity in and of itself, but the combination of cowboy justice and methodical police work (backed up by taut scripts and production values) makes it worth a listen to audiences today.

#Tales of the Texas Rangers #Joel McCrea #Old Time Radio #Golden Age of Radio

[collectorscorner]

CC Blogger - New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : Wednesday - 12/18/19 New Comics Day Wednesday - 12/18/19 + New Comics Day Thursday 12/26 List (At Bottom). Complete list of items shipping to the stores, some items may be limited in availability. If you see anything you want to purchase on the list and are not a subscription member at Collectors Corner, just contact us and let us know if you want an item held at the stores. email - [email protected] Subscription Membership & Free Membership Card : Collectors Corner's No Obligation (FREE) Membership Card or FREE (In Store) & ONLINE Subscription Membership saves you 10% Off ALL Bagged & Boarded Comic Book Back Issues, Board Games, Graphic Novels, Manga & Special Orders. Plus Never miss a comic again! Computerized and organized + you can add and cancel titles on your subscription list from home on your own time, or in the store when you pick up your comics at : Maryland's Coolest Stores! 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NEW COMICS DAY is the DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS! CC Blogger - New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : THURSDAY - 12/26/19 (NEW COMICS DAY THURSDAY 12/26) DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS! Complete list of items shipping to the stores, some items may be limited in availability. If you see anything you want to purchase on the list and are not a subscription member at Collectors Corner, just contact us and let us know if you want an item held at the stores. email - [email protected] Subscription Membership & Free Membership Card : Collectors Corner's No Obligation (FREE) Membership Card or FREE (In Store) & ONLINE Subscription Membership saves you 10% Off ALL Bagged & Boarded Comic Book Back Issues, Board Games, Graphic Novels, Manga & Special Orders. Plus Never miss a comic again! Computerized and organized + you can add and cancel titles on your subscription list from home on your own time, or in the store when you pick up your comics at : Maryland's Coolest Stores! 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[rosecorcoranwrites]

True Life Adventure Reading List

All synopses are taken from either the Flagstaff Public Library catalog, Novelist.com, or my own fevered imagination.

West with the Night by Beryl Markham

Beryl Markham spent most of her life in East Africa as an adventurer, a racehorse trainer, and an aviatrix―she became the first person to fly nonstop from Europe to America and the first woman to fly solo east to west across the Atlantic.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

Forced to cut the rope that attached him Joe Simpson, who had fallen off an ice ledge, Simon Yate’s returns to his Andean base camp consumed by guilt. Meanwhile, Simpson, who had miraculously survived, must deal with injuries, starvation and frostbite in an effort to make his own journey back to the camp before Yates leaves.

View from the Summit by Edmund Hillary

The remarkable memoir of Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was one of the first men to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.

Touching My Father's Soul : A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest by Jamling Tenzing Norgay

Told by the son of Tenzing Norgay, Touching My Father's Soul is the first modern account of the Everest experience from the unheard voice of its indigenous people, revealing a fascinating and profound world that few--even many who have made it to the top--have ever seen.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhikes to Alaska and walks alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body is found by a moose hunter. How Chris McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton

The teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 describes how she has coped with this life-altering event with the help of her faith, the changes in her life, and her return to the sport she loves.

Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda

Hero profiles T.E. Lawrence—soldier, strategist, scholar, and adventurer—discussing his Oxford education, contradictory nature, and role in uniting the Arab tribes against Turkish adversaries.

Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl

Six scientists risk their lives on a 4,300 miles journey aboard a raft to test a theory about the origin of the Polynesians

Endurance : Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole, one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age.

Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves by Arthur Burton

Bass Reeves, who had spent his early life as a slave, became a lawman exceptionally adept at apprehending fugitives and outlaws; his life story reads like a larger-than-life drama of the Wild West.

The Spirit of St. Louis by Charles Lindbergh

Lindbergh takes readers on an extraordinary journey, bringing to life the thrill and peril of his 1927 trans-Atlantic travel in a single-engine plane.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

Interweaves the story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, who vanished during a 1925 expedition into the Amazon, with the author's own quest to uncover the mysteries surrounding Fawcett's final journey and the secrets of what lies deep in the Amazon jungle.

A Woman in Arabia: The Writings of the Queen of the Desert by Gertrude Bell

During World War I, Bell worked her way up from spy to army major to become one of the most powerful woman in the British Empire. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, she was instrumental in drawing the borders that define the region today, including creating an independent Iraq.

In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick

After their ship is sunk by an eighty-ton sperm whale, the twenty-man crew of the Essex attempted to make the 3,000-mile-back to land in three tiny boats, as one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease, and fear.

Longitude : The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

Longitude is the of John Harrison's forty-year obsession with building a clock that would keep precise time at sea, as well as a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clock making.

Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry

The experiences and philosophy of French airline pilot—and author of The Little Prince—Saint- Exupéry, whose flying career began in 1926 and ended when his plane disappeared in 1944.

#book lists #book list #adventure books #adventure book list #reading list #reading lists #adventure reading list #true life adventure #nonfiction #nonfiction books #booklr #bookblr #summer reading #summer reading program #summer reading challenge #real life adventure #exploration

[oneshul]

Vayigash

A smooth, gleaming-white Egyptian moon had risen over the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids. Joseph, Vice-Pharaoh, Agriculture Minister, and Royal Officer Plenipotentiary, sat in the office of his home: it was cool and dim in the shadow of the Great Pyramid. From the ceiling hung a brass oil-lamp, which swung gently in the evening breeze. Opposite him sat Snefru, Minister of Protocol to His Royal Majesty, Seti I. They sipped at spiced wine in tall clay beakers, cooled by December snow which swift riders had brought back from the hills of Uru-Salim, a minor Jebusite mountain city in the Hebrew’s home country of Canaan, to the north.

Wine loosens the tongue, as they say, and both Joseph and Snefru had reached that pleasant state of semi-inebriation where all the world’s a fine and lovely place, and a man feels he can bare his heart and soul to a comrade. And so did the two think of one another: Snefru was Sudanese, a refugee brought to Egypt by parents fleeing the civil wars of their homeland. As for Joseph, all the nobility of Egypt knew his story: the poor, enslaved Hebrew teenager who had been brought to Egypt by Ishmaelites—or were they Midianites? It was no matter. He had first served Potiphar as servant and then chief-of-household, until an unfortunate encounter with Zuleika, Lady Potiphar, had landed him in prison. Clearly, he had been to blame—or was it she?

Egypt did not care; its royal subjects, virtually enslaved to their semi-divine Pharaoh, were used to scandals in high places, but they never complained—they dared not complain, for to do so would mean either a lifetime spent in the prison-pit, or bleeding out one’s life and strength in a Royal Trireme, chained to a bench and brought to the lash.

So was life under Seti I: a bluff, former military man, who wished only for his orders to be carried out, no matter how arbitrary or foolish they might sound. To cross Pharaoh Seti meant certain death.

With his native wits about him, Joseph was quick to recognize the nature of the monarch he served, who held the power of life and death in his hands, as closely he held his royal scepter and flail. The Hebrew, longing for his father and family, willing even to forgive the brothers who had treated him so badly, wished only for a friend in whom to confide—and had found that friend in Snefru, whose being Sudanese, Joseph believed, made him an outsider, as well.

The hours went on, measured by the water-clock which stood in a corner of Joseph’s office; he directed his serving-boy to bring another jug of wine, and he and Snefru drank each other’s health, yet again. The Sudanese, whose dark eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight like a leopard’s, was telling his Hebrew friend about his parents’ dangerous trek from the killing fields of Sudan to the safety of Imperial Egypt:

“After we escaped the prison camp where the Ethiopian invaders had imprisoned us,” Snefru was saying, his words slightly slurred by too much spiced wine, “my parents would find or make us a hiding-place by day. We would travel at night, the moon and stars lighting our way.”

“It must have been extremely dangerous, Friend Snefru,” said Joseph, thinking of his own journey down to Egypt, the sun burning hot, his flesh, bare now with his Coat of Many Colors torn off and dipped into lamb’s blood, hands tied with a rough leather thong, riding a camel with head uncovered and the hamseen blowing sand into his face, which he was unable to protect—he had to cling to the beast with all his might.

“Ah, Joseph, my Hebrew friend and fellow Royal Officer, you have no idea!” expostulated Snefru, taking yet another sip of the delicious wine. “My baby sister was captured by the Ethiopian guards when we escaped—she panicked and would not heed my father’s warnings to, ‘Run to the East! Run as fast as you can!’ And, after he scooped me up and raced into the thicket, Mother there before us, I could hear her screams as the Ethiopians pierced her in a hundred places with their short spears—I will hear her screams until I die, I believe—”

And he took another, deep draught of wine. “And what of you, Friend Joseph? As a Hebrew, you are certainly suspect to your enemies in the King’s Court—how do you protect yourself?”

Joseph grimaced. He put down his wine-beaker; he preferred a clear head, at least partially. “Briefly, I make myself indispensable to His Majesty by taking on more and more responsibilities: crops, cattle, slaves, and the like. That way, if I lose face and he decides to do away with me,”—and Joseph tellingly drew his forefinger across his neck—“he will think twice. Where will the great Seti, Ra bless him!—find another officer who can perform all the tasks which I willingly undertake?”

“Ah, Joseph, you are a clever one!” smiled Snefru, “and I cannot hope to equal a man of your talents. I have that I can do, to handle the constant and continual embassies of foreign secretaries from other lands. We Egyptians, as you know—and, with your permission I include you in that designation—are notoriously suspicious of foreigners.”

“I am aware,” said Joseph solemnly, “that, in our language, ‘stranger’ also means ‘barbarian.’ We Egyptians are the pinnacle of civilization, and I mean, by my efforts, to keep that position for our kingdom. However—”

Snefru leaned forward, eager to hear what his clever Hebrew friend had to say. Joseph continued:

“To insure our supreme rank among the nations, I must gather around me a cabal—no, a committee, if you will—to guarantee that, when Seti dies, Ra save him!—that the next pharaoh is equally amenable to receiving groups of foreigners who pledge their loyalty. Will you join me in this task?”

Unhesitatingly, Snefru raised his cup, and pledged, “To Egypt! And to the happy outcome of your plans for an orderly succession, Ra willing. May all nations find refuge in our happy land!”

It was late; the dawn from peeking over the eastern cliffs. Thus having pledged their fealty to one another, Joseph and Snefru embraced and parted. Joseph opened the door with his own hands and asked:

“Will you go home, Friend Snefru? The hours grow late, and we both have a full slate of royal duties for tomorrow.”

“Aye, Friend Joseph, I will. I am weary, and your delicious wine has befuddled my head. I have a slight headache, as well.”

“Go with Ra,” said the Hebrew, patting his friend on the back. He closed the door, saying, “No, Boy; no, Pami, my servant. What, may I not tend the door’s openings and closings in my own house?”

After Joseph bade him farewell and goodnight, Snefru did not go home, contrary to what he had told his friend. Instead, he walked a short distance through the streets of Heliopolis, turning into a nondescript hut, built of baked clay. There, by the light of a single oil-lamp, he found a short, squat, but muscular Nubian, whose face was pocked by old smallpox scars. His head was shaved, and he gave the impression of having been a wrestler or boxer years before. A half-drunk cup of barley beer stood before him, and he stared silently—first, at the moon clearly visible through the window, and then, at Snefru, whom he grinned to see.

“What have you to report, Minister of Protocol Snefru—or, shall I say, Raneb, since that is your real name? Make it worth my while, and I will not cut your wife’s throat. Such a lovely throat it is—”

Snefru—or was it Raneb?—began to tremble. “Please, Royal Security Sergeant Osorkon, spare my family, as you have kindly done all these years—have I not been a faithful spy for you?”

“Well,” said the sergeant, “it did take my seizing your oldest boy and putting him into the prison-ships to convince you, but yes, you have been a good and useful spy. What have you to report? Don’t make me ask you again.”

“I spent tonight with Joseph, Lord Sergeant,” stammered Snefru, “and came posthaste to report our conversation.”

“The Hebrew slave-boy and lover, eh? Wine was involved, my drunken Snefru,” nodded the lawman, “for I can smell it on your breath. Well, tell your story, and quickly! Otherwise, I will send your daughter, in chains, to the copper mines in the Western Desert. A shame: such a lovely thing she is, indeed….”

Hearing this, tears sprang to the Sudanese’s eyes; he stood, and told Sgt. Osorkon all that he and Joseph had discussed. As Snefru spoke, the web of suspicion and rebelliousness grew around Joseph….

“Perhaps a spell of slavery for these pesky Hebrews would be in order,” mused the sergeant, “That would end their plotting. No slavery this year or the next, but I can see it coming, I’ll wager. If not this pharaoh, Ra save him! Then, the next.” He laughed, a bitter laugh.

Outside the window, the Egyptian moon looked down, in sadness and suspicion.

Rabbi David Hartley Mark is from New York City’s Lower East Side. He attended Yeshiva University, the City University of NY Graduate Center for English Literature, and received semicha at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He currently teaches English at Everglades University in Boca Raton, FL, and has a Shabbat pulpit at Temple Sholom of Pompano Beach. His literary tastes run to Isaac Bashevis Singer, Stephen King, King David, Kohelet, Christopher Marlowe, and the Harlem Renaissance.

#progressive judaism #judaism #jewish #torah study #drash #vayigash #vaigash #parsha #weekly parsha #rabbi david hartley mark #shabbat #shabbos #sabbath #oneshul

[yoitsbandit]

More of You

Hey all !! This is my very first post on here and I've recently picked up my beloved game rdr2 again and I thought,, I'm going to get to writing on this haha. This is my very fist fic for this fandom and I plan on making it a series !! so please leave any comments and critiques ! I hope you enjoy :]

(Light Fluff) (1.6k+ words)

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It’s warm, its the middle of summer and its extremely warm. You wipe the sweat off your brow and crawl out of your tent, looking down at your old pocket watch to check the time. “Damn how is it this hot this early”, you speak quietly to yourself. Slowly you gather your belongings; bed roll, cattlemen revolver, coffee pot, and your hat. Making a mental checklist and checking everything off as you stow your things on your horse. Helios was your loyal steed and you tossed him an oatcake which he happily gobbled down. 

You had set up camp just a couple miles north from blackwater and decided it was a nice enough town to live in for at least a couple of weeks. Settling down was something that was foreign to you and after staying near a town for a while you got the itch to set off once again. 

You were a lone traveler, dangerous, but you knew how to take care of yourself, your father was a lawman and you were his only child, he taught you everything you know, how to shoot a gun, how to start a fire, how to tell apart edible and poisonous plants. Though as you grew older and started to form your own opinions, you would clash a lot more with your father always disagreeing with certain ideals and ways of living. Not wanting to dwell too much in the pass you hop on Helios and set off to Blackwater in search of work. 

You arrive to town about 25 minutes later and head straight to the towns saloon, after hitching Helios to the post, you walk in and talk to the owner. "How can I help you madam", he said in a non caring voice. "I was just wondering if you have work", you asked. He stopped wiping down the glass of beer and looked at you with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think I have an offer that might interest you", he said and resumed wiping down the glasses. "No I mean, I play a bit of guitar and maybe I can round in some customers for a good price", you said adjusting your hat. "You are very odd", he chuckles a little, you don't quite understand what he meant by that so you don't respond to his comment. "What I mean, is that you just waltzed in here, not dressed very lady like if I might add, and ask me if you can preform at my bar. This is the first time I've ever seen you in this town, I don't know you, how do I know your any good at playing the guitar. I've never known any lady who can play guitar", he rants. You're used to these types of comments though so its not anything new. "I've played all my life mister, I can guarantee you I will bring you in more customers", you say with a bit of strength in your voice. 

The bartender snickers. "Sure you can", he says shaking his head. "C'mon mister it'll be good business for the both of us, I get you more drunkards and I get my fair share of pay", you say tapping your fingers on the wooden bar. He sighs, "Alright fine, but if you sound like shit I don't want to see you in my bar again". 

"You got yourself a deal Mr. bartender", you smile. "Be here at 8pm that's when the rush usually starts". You tip your hat at him and head out of the bar and greet Helios once again. 

"Alright boy looks like I'll be making a good deal of cash tonight", you pat his long face and set off to a near by river. You're able to find a secluded enough space to be able to wash yourself, and after a long while in the river you finally decide to get out before risking your chances of someone seeing you. Once you dry off you sit by a tree for a while and practice the guitar to get ready for tonight. 

While strumming a few chords you hear a rustling in some near by bushes, the hairs on your neck immediately stand up. You stop strumming instantly and grab your revolver out of your holster and start walking towards the noise. You can feel your breath quicken, you've run into a quite a few very unpleasant people but you always come out alive. The rustling gets closer and you cock your cattleman, still having no sight of what is causing the noise. 

After cocking your gun you hear a mans voice "Woah I ain't mean no harm", he says as he emerges from the woods. "Why are you sneaking around like that then", you ask with a bit of venom in your voice, gun still aimed at him. The man has his hands raised as he approaches you, but you don't lower your gun "I was just looking a place to cool off from the heat, I'll leave you be, my apologies for scaring ya", he says turning around. 

You felt a little guilty for being a bit rude to him, he seemed like a nice enough fella. "No, sorry it's no trouble, you can stay if you like", you say uncocking your gun. "Are you sure?", he asks turning back around. 

“Yeah s'fine, I was just about to head out soon", you say walking back to where you were originally seated. "Oh thank you, that's very kind of you", there a slight pause before he speaks again. "I'm Arthur. Arthur Morgan", he says tipping his hat at you. "Nice to meet you, Arthur Morgan", you give him a small smile. 

He asks for your name and you give it to him. "What a lovely name", he says with sweetness. "What brings you to Blackwater", he adds. "You sure do ask a lot of questions Mr. Morgan", you joke. "Sorry just curious is all. And please, you can call me Arthur", he kneels down the river and starts washing his face. "Well Arthur, I was actually in search of work and I got a job at the bar in town", you say. 

"Oh... what kind of work?", he asks hesitantly. You let out a small laugh, "I'm going to play the guitar and sing to bring in some patrons", you respond and sit back down near your tree. He finishes washing his face and looks at you, and you just now realize how handsome this man is, his hair is a bit dampened from the river and his wet face makes his eyes more piercing somehow. Such blue eyes you think to yourself. "That's real nice, I have a friend who can play beautifully. It takes real skill", he says taking you out of your trance. "I'd love to hear you play", he adds. 

"I guess you'll have to come down to town later tonight and see", you say. "I guess I'll have to make time to see you again", he lightly smiles.

You're not sure what to say, as he response takes you back a little. "Guess so", is all you say. Arthur gets up from the river and walks towards you and your breath hitches.  “D’you mind I stick around for a bit?”, he asks. “I’m just really trying to keep cool in this weather and this is the perfect spot”, Arthur adds. 

“No I don't mind, stay as long as you like”, you respond. “That's very kind of you”, he responds. Arthur sits down against a tree just a couple feet to the side from you.  

 “You from ‘round here Arthur?”,  you ask making conversation. “Ah no, I’m just from around, or I guess not from anywhere. I move around a lot”, he says fumbling his words. “That makes two of us”, you say crossing your ankles and leaning back against the tree. 

“Not much of a settler yourself either?”, he asks. “No not really, don't really like the idea of staying in one spot for the rest of my life”, you respond. “Me neither”, Arthur says taking out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up, after he takes a drag he offers you a puff, stretching out his arm to you. You accept and take a small drag and let out a light cough. 

“I’m not much of a smoker”, you say. “Oh you didn’t have to”, he says raising the cigarette to his lips. “I know but, it was a kind offer”, you respond. “I mean it’s not a grand gesture”, he says jokingly. “Are you teasing me?”, you ask pretending to be offended. “No of course not, how could I ever do that”, he says sarcastically and both of you laugh a bit. 

After some silence you say, “I have some fresh strawberries in my saddlebag if you want to share”. 

“Sure I'll take some strawberries Miss, thank you”, he says watching you get up and walk towards your horse. 

About an hour had passed and most of it was spent in silence but, it was a comfortable silence, both of you were enjoying each others presence and didn't need to say much. 

"I best be going now, but I'll see you tonight", he speaks in a low voice. Arthur tips his hat at you once again and gets on his horse. You're all flustered by the times he leaves, you're not sure what came over you but you were willing to say anything to see him again.

Arthur Morgan, you keep repeating in your head. What a perfect name for him. You shake you head and try to think of something else not wanting to get your hopes up too high for something that may never happen. You had been in a previous relationship, and a long one too. He wanted to settle down and you just couldn't bare the thought of staying in one place for the rest of your life, although it was a mutual split it still hurt in the end. Something about Arthur was different, no one had made your heart beat quicken so fast and you become slightly more nervous about preforming tonight. 

Arthur Morgan, that name stays in your head for the rest of the day until that night. 

Thanks so much for reading !! I will also be posting this fic on ao3 at itsbandit  Source: archiveofourown.org

#arthur morgan #red dead redemption 2 #fanfic #reader insert #female reader

[greatvanheflinkennethtobeypie]

Hi @latimes @latimesmobile-blog,

Listen To The Breaking News and Top Stories!!

This is The Whole Untold Story Of The Great Actor Kenneth Tobey:

Early years

Kenneth Jesse Tobey was born in 1917 in Oakland, California. According to the United States Census of 1930 for Oakland,13-year-old "Kenneth J." was the eldest of three sons of Jesse V. Tobey and his wife Frances H. Tobey. That census also documents that Tobey's father was an automobile-tire salesman and that young Kenneth was of Irish and Russian ancestry. His paternal grandmother's parents were both natives of the "Ireland Free State", and his mother's parents were born in Russia, although they apparently had immigrated to South America, where Frances Tobey had been born and where in her youth the preferred language spoken in her family's household—again documented in the census—was Spanish. Following his graduation from high school in 1935, Kenneth was headed for a career in law when he first dabbled in acting at the University of California Little Theater. That stage experience led to a drama scholarship, a year-and-a-half of study at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse, where his classmates included fellow University of California at Berkeley alumni Gregory Peck, Eli Wallach, and Tony Randall.

During World War II, Tobey joined the United States Army Air Forces, serving in the Pacific as a rear gunner aboard a B-25 bomber. Throughout the 1940s, with the exception of his time in military service, Tobey acted on Broadway and in summer stock. After appearing in a 1943 film short, The Man of the Ferry, he made his Hollywood film debut in the 1947 Hopalong Cassidy western Dangerous Venture. He then went on to appear in scores of features and on numerous television series. In the 1949 film Twelve O' Clock High, he is the negligent airbase sentry who is dressed down by General Frank Savage (played by Gregory Peck). That same year Tobey performed in a brief comedy bit in another film, I Was a Male War Bride. His performance in that minor part caught the attention of director Howard Hawks, who promised to use the thirty-two-year-old actor in something more substantial.

The Thing from Another World



In 1951, Tobey was cast in Howard Hawks' production The Thing from Another World. In this classic sci-fi film he portrays Captain Patrick Hendry, a United States Air Force pilot, who at the North Pole leads a scientific outpost's dogged defense against an alien portrayed by James Arness, later the star of the television series Gunsmoke. Tobey's performance in Hawks' film garnered the actor other parts in science fiction movies in the 1950s, usually reprising his role as a military officer, such as in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and It Came from Beneath the Sea (1956).

Television



Tobey appeared in the 1952 episode "Counterfeit Plates" on the CBS series Biff Baker, U.S.A., an espionage drama starring Alan Hale, Jr. He was cast too in the 1954-1955 CBS legal drama The Public Defender, starring Reed Hadley. He guest-starred in three episodes of NBC's western anthology series Frontier. His Frontier roles were as Wade Trippe in "In Nebraska" (1955) and then as Gabe Sharp in "Out from Texas" and "The Hostage" (1956). In 1955, he also portrayed legendary frontiersman Jim Bowie on ABC's Davy Crockett, a Walt Disney production, with Fess Parker in the title role. After Bowie's death in the series at the Battle of the Alamo, Tobey played a second character, Jocko, in the two final episodes of Davy Crockett.

Tobey then, in 1957, appeared in the syndicated religion anthology series Crossroads in the role of Mr. Alston in the episode "Call for Help" and as Jim Callahan in "Bandit Chief" in the syndicated western series The Sheriff of Cochise. Later that same year, Tobey starred in the television series The Whirlybirds, a successful CBS and then-syndicated adventure produced by Desilu Studios. In it he played the co-owner of a helicopter charter service, along with fellow actor Craig Hill. The Whirlybirds was a major hit in the United States and abroad, with 111 episodes filmed through 1960. It remained in syndication worldwide for many years.

In 1958, Tobey also appeared as John Wallach in the episode "$50 for a Dead Man" in Jeff Richards's NBC western series Jefferson Drum. In 1960, he guest-starred in the episode "West of Boston" of another NBC western series, Overland Trail, starring William Bendix and Doug McClure. He performed as well in the ABC western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. Tobey made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, twice in 1960 and once in 1962 as Jack Alvin, a deputy district attorney. On the long-running western series Gunsmoke, he portrayed a cruel, knife-wielding buffalo hunter, Ben Spadden, in the 1960 episode titled "The Worm". Tobey in 1962 also guest-starred on another western series, Lawman, playing the character Duncan Clooney, an engineer who seeks to move a shipment of nitroglycerin through Laramie, Wyoming. When the town is evacuated to allow passage of the explosives, two of Clooney's employees decide they will take advantage of the situation to rob the bank.

Tobey guest-starred as well in Jack Lord's 1962-1963 ABC adventure series about a rodeo circuit rider, Stoney Burke. In 1967 he performed on the series Lassie, in the episode "Lure of the Wild", playing a retired forest ranger who tames a local coyote. He also appeared as a slave owner named Taggart in "The Wolf Man", a 1967 episode of Daniel Boone, starring Fess Parker. A few of the many other series in which Tobey later performed include Adam-12 (1969), Gibbsville (1976), MV Klickitat (1978), Emergency! (1975), and Night Court (1985).

He became a semi-regular on the NBC series I Spy as the field boss of agents Robinson and Scott. Christian Nyby, director of The Thing From Another World, often directed those episodes. Tobey also portrayed a ship's captain on the Rockford Files, in an episode titled "There's One in Every Port".

Other films

In 1957, Tobey portrayed a sheriff in The Vampire (a film that some sources today often confuse with the 1935 production Mark of the Vampire). That year he also appeared in a more prestigious film, serving as a featured supporting character with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, the co-stars of John Ford's The Wings of Eagles. In that film, Tobey—with his naturally red hair on display in vibrant Metrocolor—portrays a highly competitive United States Army Air Service officer. In one memorable scene he has the distinction of shoving a piece of gooey cake into the face of John Wayne, whose character is a rival United States Navy aviation officer. Not surprisingly, a room-wrecking brawl ensues.

Tobey's work over the next several decades was increasingly involved in television productions. He did, though, continue to perform in a range of feature films, such as Stark Fear, Marlowe, Billy Jack, Walking Tall, The Howling, the war movie MacArthur (in which he portrays Admiral "Bull" Halsey), Airplane!, Gremlins, Big Top Pee-wee, and Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Broadway

Although Tobey had a busy acting career in films and on television, he also periodically returned to the stage. In 1964 he began a long run on Broadway opposite Sammy Davis, Jr., in the musical version of Clifford Odets' play Golden Boy. Some of his other Broadway credits are As You Like It, Sunny River, Janie, Sons and Soldiers, A New Life, Suds in Your Eye, The Cherry Orchard, and Truckline Cafe.

Later years

As his long career drew to a close, Tobey still received acting jobs from people who had grown up watching his performances in sci-fi films of the 1950s, particularly Joe Dante, who included the veteran actor in his stock company of reliable players. Two appearances on the sitcom Night Court came the same way, through fans of his work. Along with other character actors who had been in 1950s sci-fi and horror films (John Agar, Robert O. Cornthwaite, Gloria Talbott, etc.), Tobey starred in a spoof originally titled Attack Of The B Movie Monster. In 2005, Anthem Pictures released the completed feature version of this spoof on DVD under the new title The Naked Monster. Tobey's scenes in that release were actually shot in 1985, so The Naked Monster is technically his final film credit, being released three years after his death. He had, however, continued to act throughout most of the 1990s. One of those notable roles is his performance in the 1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Shadowplay" as Rurigan, an alien who recreates his dead friends as holograms. Among other examples of Tobey's final decade of work are his two appearances as Judge Kent Watson on the series L.A. Law.

In 2002, Tobey died of natural causes at age 85 in Rancho Mirage, California.

#LA Times #LA Times Breaking News #LA Times Top Stories #Kenneth Tobey

[ljones41]

Five Favorite Episodes of "UNDERGROUND" Season Two (2017)

Below is a list of my five favorite episodes from Season Two of the WGN series, "UNDERGROUND". Created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, the series stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aldis Hodge: 

FIVE FAVORITE EPISODES OF "UNDERGROUND" SEASON TWO (2017)

1. (2.03) "Ache" - Underground Railroad conductor/Macon 7 fugitive slave Rosalee struggle to evade Patty Canon's slave catching band. Her mother Ernestine is haunted by her past, while adjusting to her new role as a field hand on a South Carolina Sea Island plantation.

2. (2.08) "Auld Acquaintance" - When Rosalee's plan to rescue her younger brother James from the Macon plantation fails in the previous episode, fellow Macon 7 fugitive Noah struggles to form a new plan to save sister and brother. Ernestine's attempt to escape from the South Carolina plantation is thwarted by slave catcher August Pullman.

3. (2.01) "Contraband" - Rosalee and the Northern abolitionists, John and Elizabeth Hawke, scheme to prevent Noah from being convicted for the murder of an Ohio lawman and from being sent back to the Macon plantation in Georgia.

4. (2.07) "28" - Noah helps Rosalee rescue her brother James from the Macon plantation, unaware that she is pregnant with their child. Ernestine flees the South Carolina plantation where she was a field hand. And fellow Macon 7 fugitive Cato, who has been captured by the Patty Canon gang, is forced to help them abduct and sell free blacks into slavery.

5. (2.09) "Citizen" - While Noah, Rosalee and James travel north from Georgia; Cato has encounters with Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Hawke and a biracial abolitionist named Georgia in Ohio; while working for Patty Canon.

#underground wgn #underground #wgn underground #Underground Railroad #jurnee smollett bell #aldis hodg #alano miller #amirah vann #christopher meloni #jessica de gouw #jasika nicole #marc blucas #bokeem woodbine #aisha hinds #john legend #mischa green #joe pokaski #dewanda wise #p.j. marshall #sadie stratton

[the-record-newspaper]

Old paper depicts demise of outlaws Bonnie and Clyde

          Bob Aulsbury holds his copy of the yellowed newspaper

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Bob Aulsbury says he likes to read about history, particularly when it pertains to outlaws.

He hit pay dirt in the 1960’s in an East Texas truck stop.

“I was just looking around and there it was.”

The Masthead reads:  “Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, the date is Thursday, May 24, 1934.”

In bold print, the headlines state: “Posse Kills Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.”

“Elusive Dallas Desperadoes Shot to Death in Louisiana”

Aulsbury, 75, then a truck driver running from North Carolina to California for the Statesville Screw Co., knew right then he wanted the old, yellowed newspaper. He bought the paper straightaway.

Talking about the paper, the topic of the 1967 movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway usually comes up. Here, Hollywood couldn’t be further away from history.

The movie depicts Parker and Barrow as almost Shakespearean in stature…star-crossed lovers. They were, in fact, little more than serial killers.

A segment in an article in Wikipedia states: Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (Oct. 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut Barrow also known as Clyde Champion Barrow  (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) were American criminals who traveled the central United States with their gang during the Great Depression, robbing people and killing when cornered or confronted. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "Public Enemy Era," between 1931 and 1935. Though known today for their dozen-or-so bank robberies, the duo most often preferred to rob small stores or rural gas stations. The gang is believed to have killed at least nine police officers and several civilians. The couple were eventually ambushed and killed by law officers near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Their exploits were revived and cemented in American pop folklore by Arthur Penn's 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde.

One of the film’s worst injustices was its portrayal of lawman Frank Hamer. He was a decorated Texas Ranger who had been shot and wounded 17 times over the course of his life and left for dead four times. He is credited with having killed more than 50 men.

Hamer was the man who, on May 23, 1934, led the posse that gunned down Parker and Barrow on a rural Louisiana road. Hired by a consortium of bankers and politicians, including the governor of Texas, he had tracked the gang methodically and unceasing.

Wikipedia states: In the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, Hamer appears under his own name, and is portrayed by Denver Pyle. He is depicted as incompetent, and the Barrow gang in the movie easily captures, teases, and humiliates him, after he foolishly creeps up on them. In consequence, their ambush at the end of the film appears to be his personal, petty revenge. After the film's release, Mrs. Frank Hamer, formerly Gladys Johnson Sims, originally from Snyder, Texas, and Frank Hamer, Jr., sued Warner Bros.-Seven Arts for defamation of character and in 1971 received an undisclosed out-of-court settlement.

Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of the story. Over the years, there have been several poorly made retakes of the Bonnie and Clyde’s story. A Nexflix film, The Highwaymen, is due out in October. It is said to be told from Hamer’s perspective. We can only hope for the best as far as history goes.

As for Aulsbury and history, he’s just mighty glad to have a piece of it in his possession.