I'm rewatching The Wire series right now, and it's unusual structure has me thinking about the ubiquitous "Cop Show", and how they so often recycle content till they become cliched. Things like: the rookie that vomits at their first dead body scene, the upright detective with skeletons in their closet, or the forensic specialist that engages in foot pursuits with the baddies.

What are your favorite cop show idioms, characterizations or plot twists?

Which detective cliches make you change the channel or turn off the blu-ray?

What do you wish these shows portrayed more often, or what do you feel is missing from such mediums?

Any of you involved in law enforcement that feel certain shows offer an especially truthful or equally fictional portrayl of life in service?

Armchair gumshoes, weigh in....

Go on cracked.com and type in "7 Police Myths Everyone Believes" in the search bar. Choose the first result. Unfortunately the link would break because of language.

Starsky & Hutch is about as real as it gets. ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaMdXjTn9rc

The lucky idiot detective annoys me to no end

http://www.cheapcooking.com/images/mush.jpg

Ironically, one of my favorite games of all time contains one of the most heinous, cliched detective plot "twists" ever: The rookie cop/detective is the killer. Pissed me right off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8EXTzNMOzg

"Lady, would you pass a test like that?" :rofl:

My favorite character from Hill Street.