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The first time I ever saw COPS years and years ago I was immediately and absolutely mesmerized. It is such a simple but incredibly brilliant idea, to bring a camera crew along with the police as they go about their daily duties. The cost of making a show like this is next to nothing, compared to the massive interest that it will find on mainstream television. I'm just amazed that a show like this didn't come out years or decades earlier, given that all it takes is a simple traffic stop to create a traffic jam, while everyone cranes their necks trying to see what's going on.
Police activity always draws a crowd on the streets, so it's amazing to me that it took as long as it did for television producers to realize that police activity would draw a crowd on the air as well.
The majority of the shows deal with small time crimes, like drugs or domestic disputes, crazy traffic violations, drunk drivers, and just basically screwed up people. Like some of the trashier talk shows, a lot of the interest in this show comes from just seeing how messed up some people are. I invariably feel like near royalty after watching an episode of COPS.
But of course my favorite thing about the show is that so many of the incidents shown are so hilarious, intentionally or not. I remember one particular episode where they chased a guy down who was driving erratically, and then he jumps out of his car and runs on foot. The police chase him into the woods and finally tackle him, and on the way back to the police cars they start asking him some questions.
"Have you been drinking tonight?" one of the cops asks.
"No no no," the guy says. "I haven't been drinking tonight, officer, all I had was a 12-pack and a bottle of Southern Comfort..." Just tonight I saw an episode where the police were called about two women, very obviously transvestites or transsexuals, who were causing a scene at a local bar. Two officers arrive and are talking to them, and when they ask the police what the problem is, one of the cops says, "we got a call regarding the behavior of you, uh, um, uh, ladies at the bar tonight..."
As far as I know the format of the show is pretty much exactly the same as it was when the show started, but the content is so interesting that there is no need for anything to change. It has been on for so long that usually when I see it on TV there are four or five or six episodes on in a row, sometimes more, and it is one of the only times that I ever find myself nearly glued to the TV.
I guess you could say I love the show because I like seeing other people get in trouble, but in my own defense I should clarify that I only enjoy seeing that when the people deserve it. I like seeing criminals get busted, and it's even better to watch them stumble and blubber, trying to lie their way out of getting arrested, which they almost always do.
It is also a great way for younger viewers to become acquainted with the cops and to learn about how badly committing crimes can mess up their lives, so the show can work as a deterrent to crime as well. It's true that it doesn't show a lot of the aftermath of the arrests, but I think the fear that people often show is enough to illustrate what comes next. I happen to have a much more in-depth knowledge of these things than the show could ever provide, and trust me, it's not fun. These people are really doing good work, and to top it all off, it's so entertaining!
score 10/10
Anonymous_Maxine 28 June 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1901180/ |
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9-10-2020 07:56:03