American cop shows steal our TV crown.
Many years ago, British television was considered the best in the world, and to be fair we did produce some class programs: but I think now our standards have slipped.
I know we do some off the wall programs, such as the office, but the great days have gone, I do not think we cut the mustard anymore.
I know there will be howls of protest from fans of Downton Abbey, but I watched the very first episode, and I thought I had entered a yawning contest.
I believe that if they could produce a pill form of the program, it would cure insomnia at a stroke. I do make a note of what time it is on and see what competition it has. I have found wall staring is high on my preferences.
I believe the Americans have taken our crown, and especially in the police cop genre, and that started with Hill Street Blues, way back in the seventies.
Who can forget the images of those NYPD cars skidding out onto the bleak streets of the hill? And the dialogue.
This is when we first heard “vic” for victim and “perp” for perpetrator and “dog’s breath” for, well, dog’s breath.
Great, strong characters drove the stories.
Handsome Captain Farillo, who ruled with calm authority, with Mrs. Handsome Captain Farillo by his side, and Henry Goldbloom, who changed his name and joined the FBI to occasionally help Gibbs in NCIS. And Norman Buntz, who was thrown out of the NYPD in the last episode: but changed his name to Andy Sipowicz and re-joined the force in the wonderful NYPD (didn’t they have security checks?)
All these programs led us to the really great program of the last few years. My two favourites were Law and order and CSI New York. The cop and court action of the former provide a balance of tension and excitement on two levels, as does the latter, with its forensics and cop chases.
Now I would like to have a word on the subject of the cop chases.
There is a bit of a culture difference here between British and American cities.
In the UK the perps(see I am into it) usually live in “flats” with the front doors opening onto outer communal balconies, and for dramatic effect are on the fourth floor. And there is no fire escape, don’t ask why. So, when the police barge through the front door, there is no way for the villain (English term for perp) to escape. All the British cop has to say is “you’re nicked sunshine”: done and dusted.
In New York, however, things are different. All the perpetrators live in apartments, with doors opening to hallways, and they all have fire escapes. Like the British bad guys, they also seem to live on the fourth floor.
So, when the detectives and uniforms burst in, we all know there is going to be a scene with the baddy, one leg over the window ledge, on his way to the fire escape.
A chase ensues down the aforesaid fire escape, which ends with the detective rugby (football) tackling the escapee to the ground and then cuffing him. This usually happens in an alley. He then reads something from some lady called Miranda (who is she?) and off they go.
Now this happens in nearly every episode, so would it not be a good idea to put someone at the foot of the fire escape? It could be a non-speaking part uniform.
But then the shows wouldn’t be as good as they are.
There are some situations where common sense has no place.
Some more of my articles.
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Are men and women really different?
