Criminal Justice University

We decided to review the top criminal justice TV shows of all time using several factors (length of time on air as well as overall popularity of the shows). As you can see, the list includes TV shows about cops, lawyers, and crime scene investigators. It’s a who’s who or what’s what of criminal justice TV. We hope that you will get a kick out of this and remember it’s the top shows of All Time (so you may not even have heard of some of these).  We know that some of you will be surprised by the results of our research.  Please let us know!

1. Law and Order – This incredible show is by far the longest running criminal justice TV show and incredibly popular (they were nominated for several Emmy’s even this year). This is unchallenged number 1 show.
2. Hawaii Five-O – This show is the runner up and one that my family has to hear about frequently (book ‘em Danno!).
3. Dragnet – The story of L.A. police detective Joe Friday (ring a bell now?)
4. Perry Mason – He was an amazing attorney one that really stood out in court.
5. NYPD Blue – This was an edgy NY cop show that ran from 1993 to 2005. This show launched several careers (Dennis Franz is de man!).
6. Andy Griffith Show – Yes, he was the sheriff. C’mon that’s criminal justice!
7. The FBI – This show was on the air from 1965 to 1974. They re-enacted actual FBI cases every week.
8. JAG – The judge advocate general show ran from 1995 to 2005 and taped 227 episodes in that decade.
9. Family Matters – Yes, Carl was a cop so this is a show about a cop!
10. Walker – Texas Ranger – Can’t get enough of Chuck Norris! He was a great Ranger!
11. CSI – The original CSI. What a great show that really kicked off the whole crime scene investigators cult movement.
12. Matlock – Andy Griffith again! This time as a witty and sharp attorney.
13. Night Court – This show was a hilarious look at how a night court could be ran (of course totally fictional).
14. Barnaby Jones – This show ran from 1973 to 1980. It starred Buddy Epsen and was one of several very popular detective shows.
15. Silk Stalkings – This show originally aired on CBS and then moved off of the major networks. It was another detective show, but a bit more edgy.
16. Adam-12 – This show ran from 1968 to 1975 and they filmed 175 episodes. It followed the lives (fictional lives) of two LAPD cops.
17. LA Law – This was one of the first really popular law firm/TV shows.  It featured a wide-range of lawyers with different areas of specialization.
18. Mission Impossible – This was a great show about spies.  Of course, it has nothing on the Tom Cruise movie series!
19. The Practice – This wasn’t on air for nearly as long as LA Law, but was extremely popular while it was on the air and likely could have ran for much longer if the actors were willing.  Boston Legal spun off from this show.
20. Barney Miller – This was an early cop TV show that is actually still playing in re-runs around the World.  Captain Barney Miller and his team fight all kinds of hilarious crimes (some not so funny).
21. 24 – This is an anti-terrorist thriller that has become insanely popular starring Keifer Sutherland.
22. Magnum PI – Tom Selleck was the star of this show about a private investigator.  This clearly launched his career as he came out of it a superstar (probably the most recognized mustache-man in the World).
23. CHIPS – This was a great show for everyone growing up in the era as the Eric Estrada (Ponch) and team rode the streets of L.A. on their motorcycles and solved crimes.
24. Monk – This is still an incredible show about a private investigator with some unusual phobias (germs, germs…).
25. Hart to Hart – Another show about private investigators that aired in the 1980’s starring Robert Wagner (it’s no Austin Powers like performance from him but was fun to watch).
26. Kojak – I want a lollipop just thinking about this classic TV show.
27. In the Heat of the Night – Carroll O’Connor starred in this television show about a cop from Mississippi.
28. Quincy – This was a great show starring Jack Klugman that was the first show about coroners.
29. The Rockford Files – This actually also was an extremely popular show where James Garner starred as a detective.
30. Miami Vice – This show set the fashion trends for the nation as everyone rushed out to mimic Don Johnson, where are those clothes now?
31. The People’s Court – This was a great reality show where people agreed to go on TV to solve their legal disputes in front of the World.  Most of these cases were absolutely a riot!  It’s still on, just with a different judge.
32. Car 54 – This was a cop show in the 1960’s that detailed the madcap adventures of two police officers it was set in The Bronx.
33. Starsky & Hutch – This 1970’s classic TV show had great cars and good action for the time.  Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson did an excellent job reviving this with a movie in 2004.
34. Columbo – Peter Falk was the star of this show about an L.A. police detective.  Isn’t amazing how many cop shows are based on L.A. or New York?  What about Boise, ID?
35. The Shield – Another L.A. police show that starred several notable actors including Glenn Close, Forest Whitaker, and of course The Thing, Michael Chiklis.
36. Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer – This was a private eye show based upon a series of novels by Mickey Spillane.
37. Father Dowling Mysteries – This was no Happy Days, but was a great mystery show starring Tom Bosley.
38. Nash Bridges- What Don Johnson again?  While not Miami Vice, this was a really popular show that also included Cheech Marin from Cheech and Chong fame.
39. The Commish – A great TV show not to be confused with The Shield, another show with Michael Chiklis.
40. Hunter – Who said an ex football player couldn’t make a great police officer?  Go Fred Dryer! Go!  Really… Go!
41. LAPD – You guessed it!  Another show about the Los Angeles Police Department made the Top 60.
42. Hill Street Blues – How did this show end up so low on the list!  Hey! Let’s be careful out there…
43. Moonlighting – Starred Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd.  This was about a private investigator that got into all kinds of trouble.
44. Cagney & Lacey – Two female NY police detectives (Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly) was really a break-through show for women in the field of criminal justice.
45. CSI – Miami – This was a spin-off from the original CSI show and is still going strong!
46. Remington Steele – Who doesn’t remember seeing Pierce Brosnan before he became James Bond, doing his thing as a private detective on this show.
47. Spencer: For Hire – Another gritty private investigator and one of our personal favorites starring Robert Urich and let’s not forget Hawk (Avery Brooks).  This show was set in Boston (finally a different city)!
48. The Mod Squad – The grooviest gang of  “fuzz” that ever wore a badge!
49. Pacific Blue – This was a unique TV show as it was about bicycle cops who tend to get very little credibility for that reason alone this really had to make the list.
50. T.J. Hooker – William Shatner again.  Need we say more?
51. Cold Case – This one is interesting because it is all about solving old cases (cold cases).  This is also an important element of the criminal justice system and we respect this show largely because of the concept.
52. CSI – NY- Back to New York, do I hear an L.A.?  Come on L.A. don’t let yourself get beat like that!
53. Alias – Jennifer Garner became almost an instant superstar with this movie (pre Ben Affleck of course).
54. The Profiler – Interesting show about using a person with psychic capabilities to get into the head of the criminal and solve the crime.  This is not common at all in the criminal justice system but is definitely entertaining.
55. Prison Break – This is interesting because it ran for four seasons somehow and like the other short-timers in the list was extremely popular.  This show was on the FOX network.
56. Criminal Minds – This isn’t about one profiler, but several FBI profilers and started on CBS in 2005.
57. Boston Legal- William Shatner and James Spader made this almost an instant hit.  The two of them had great chemistry as they led this law firm into fame and fortune.
58. Numb3rs – Interesting show that combines solving crimes with math, who came up with that?
59. Las Vegas – Crimes in Vegas?  Say it ain’t so… I guess what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.
60. COPS – This is reality TV at its finest (or not so much).  This is also a cult classic and likely deserves a higher ranking for its popularity, but it’s COPS!  (bad boys, bad boys…)

That’s our list of top criminal justice TV shows.  Did we get it right?  Well, it was mostly based on the number of episodes, the years the shows ran, and their popularity while on the air.  Some of the shows also got extra points for their place in pop culture (like Miami Vice).

All joking aside, television has been critical for recruiting in the criminal justice field.  Tons of people have been drawn to criminal justice careers based upon these fictional stories.  Now, the reality is that the jobs that the actors portray generally are not quite so glamorous but as long as the shows keep people entertained and remembering those in public service, we applaud their efforts.

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