Crime Drama and Police Procedurals

[colls]

Crime dramas and police procedurals are a perfect fit for a serialized format like TV. There are always crimes being committed, so you know you can have another episode. \o/ ...and they lend themselves to spinoffs quite often. We have the NCIS family, the Law & Order family, etc.

- What is your favorite currently airing crime show?
- Favorite canceled show?
- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?
- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?
- Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif

(of course pick and choose which questions you answer or some other facet of crime and police procedurals, recs, etc.)

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

Well, it kind of depends on whether or not "crime show" includes mysteries. In general I've never watched procedurals (or not for very long). But I love mysteries and have watched quite a few of those shows. So I'm going to approach this from that POV.

I've only seen the first episodes of the new Tennison prequel but I liked it and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Favorite canceled show?

Castle was very close to a standard procedural, only it had a relationship at its center. I ended up watching the whole run largely because my partner wanted to keep watching it, but I was losing interest after season 3 and was finally relieved when it was over. But I initially liked its set-up with Castle's home life of mother and daughter and the work life with a good mix of characters there. I'd also loved the concept of the mystery writers poker night which I think it's sad was dropped rather quickly.

What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

To me what makes a show particularly bingeable are well done cliffhangers, and most of these shows, whether procedural or mystery, tend to be very self-contained. I might come up with something else after reading everyone else's answers but I'd say "Happy Valley."

Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

I'm rather ambivalent about the partnership of Poirot and Hastings, mostly because I never connected with Fraser's version of Hastings. But I found their meeting in Poirot's final case to be poignant. (Also, I think Hugh Fraser does some wonderful Poirot audiobooks, and at least as good a Poirot as Suchet's).

I also enjoyed Starsky & Hutch, and Fraser and Ray in Due South, but you'll have to decide for yourself which Ray ;)

Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif

Not intense, nor a gif, but a wonderfully enjoyable Due South vid by sdwolfpup (can't believe it's still online after all this time!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmPEeCohTXY

[colls]

I watched the first few seasons of Castle and enjoyed it, but like you kind of lost interest. The Firefly references were kind of adorable for a while.

LOL - that vid was delightful! Thank you

[china_shop]

Ahhh, that vid takes me back! DS was my first fandom. *so many hearts*

I loved Castle at first, but yeah, two or three seasons was plenty.

[skieswideopen]

That's such a great vid!

[alorarose]

THIS TOPIC WAS MADE FOR ME! only a little obsessed.

What is your favorite currently airing crime show? BLUE BLOODS!! *cough* in case you all didn't know it.

Favorite canceled show? without a trace. That show was so good and i had such a huge crush on anthony lapaglia.

What do you think would be the most binge-watchable? definitely either NCIS or Criminal Minds. And SVU. I may have a problem.

Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?
Kensi and Deeks from NCIS:LA, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee from NCIS. Danny and Jackie from seasons 1 and 2 of Blue Bloods.

[colls]

THIS TOPIC WAS MADE FOR ME!
yes, maybe. LOL

[skieswideopen]

Blue Bloods! I will forever love Jamie.

[highlander_ii]

- What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

I don't have cable, so I have no idea what's still airing. I know SVU's still on, but I haven't kept up with it, so I don't know that I'd consider it my 'favorite'.


- Favorite canceled show?

It's not a crime-drama, but Forensic Files was always interesting.


- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

Gonna go with Forensic Files here too. The episodes are short and you can buzz through several at a time. It also ends up as a 'filler' program late at night on some cable channels... which I found out during a cable freebie week I caught once.


- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

Back in the early seasons, Danno and Kono on H50 were fun to see work together. Kono as a rookie or still learning, and Danno, as the seasoned cop, showing her the ropes, teaching her things, was always fun. I prefer them to Danno and Steve.

[yourlibrarian]

I was surprised to hear during the latest news about Park and Kim not getting equal pay that the show had been on for 7 seasons already. Time flies!

[skieswideopen]

What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

This summer specifically, I'm enjoying Private Eyes, which is a Canadian procedural in which ex-NHL player Matt Shade teams up with PI Angie Everett to solve a case related to his protégé and then ends up sticking around. (There are definitely some shades of Castle here, down to the Matt living with his teenage daughter and father, and trading on his celebrity status to help solve cases.)

Overall, out of non-cancelled shows, I think it might be Elementary, because the character relationships are awesome. And also maybe early Criminal Minds. And Murdoch Mysteries. (I have issues choosing favourites, okay?)

Favorite canceled show?

Okay, top three four five, in no particular order:

The Mentalist, which managed to be tragic without ever letting the tragedy override the fun.

Due South, because I will forever love Fraser.

Battle Creek, because it's a kind of twisted variant of Due South, if Fraser were a polished, cosmopolitan FBI agent rather than a rural-loving Mountie.

Flashpoint, because it humanized everyone involved, including the perpetrators, and showed police the way they ought to be while also showing how hard the job could be on them, but without turning them into completely tragic figures.

Justified, which had some of the best plots, characters and dialogue ever.

What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

Probably NCIS (any flavour). It just flows so nicely from one episode to the next!

Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

The whole NCIS: Los Angeles team, because they're just all so competent. Liv and Clive on iZombie, because they're adorable. Fraser and both Rays on Due South, and also Fraser and Dief.

Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif

[china_shop]

Ahhhh, Battle Creek!! I'm still mournful it got cancelled. Such a great ensemble.

I've watched and enjoyed four out of five of your favourites (never tried The Mentalist). <3

[yourlibrarian]

Hee! Yes there was never enough Fraser and Dief.

[badger79]

What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

Scorpion (Just recently found this show and only half way through season one), Lucifer, NCIS, Private Eyes and Murdoch Mysteries.

- Favorite canceled show?

APB (still annoyed Fox cancelled this after just one season), Bones, Castle, CSI.

- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

NCIS, Bones, CSI

- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

The whole Scorpion team, same goes for NCIS

[skieswideopen]

Oh, Lucifer! I forgot that one!

[alorarose]

I love Scorpion! They are so much fun!!

[china_shop]

What is your favorite currently airing crime show?
It has to be either Elementary or Brooklyn Nine-Nine (does that count?), because they're the only ones I'm still watching.

Favorite canceled shows?
Due South
White Collar
Battle Creek
In Plain Sight
Lewis
Zen
Remington Steele
Life on Mars
Republic of Doyle (first few seasons)
Does The Wire count?

But the only ones of those that I really think of as cancelled are Battle Creek and Zen. The rest had pretty much run their course.

I've never watched any of the acronym shows.

What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?
Battle Creek only has one season (13 episodes), but they complete the arc, and it's very good. Love the ensemble.

Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?
Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey from White Collar, Lewis and Hathaway, Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann from In Plain Sight, Milt and Russ from Battle Creek.

[yourlibrarian]

I knew I'd think of lots more teams once others started posting. I haven't seen the last two shows but quite agree with your first two choices. And yes, Remington Steele!

[skieswideopen]

Republic of Doyle was so much fun! Sometimes frustrating, but fun.

[alorarose]

In Plain Sight was so good. I miss that show so much.

[wendelah1]

- What is your favorite currently airing crime show? Either Brooklyn Nine-Nine (if it counts) or Elementary.
- Favorite canceled show? Prime Suspect.
- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable? I don't know what the criteria is for "binge-watchable." For me, it would be something short--a show that I could finish in a few nights without overdosing on TV. For that, I recommend an Australian series that played on the Sundance Channel here (USA) in 2015: Top of the Lake. Beautiful, creepy, sad. Brilliant acting. And there's a second season that's going to start airing in Great Britain and Australia in September, and in the USA eventually. Not sure when.
- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners? Mulder and Scully, always and forever. Cagney and Lacey. The Fringe team, any universe.
- Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif
Scully: How can the esophagus be crushed without the neck even being touched?
Mulder: Psychokinetic manipulation.
Scully: Psychokinesis? You mean how Carrie got even at the prom?

[alorarose]

I really liked Top of the Lake. It was really nicely done and acted.

[yourlibrarian]

Just spotted you mentioned Prime Suspect -- are you watching Tennison?

[naushika]

What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

Does Longmire count?? It's not quite the same as like Law & Order and all that but I love it.

Favorite canceled show?

Due South foreverrrrr

What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

The first several seasons of CSI are highly bingeable. I know because I binged them waaaaay back when, literally like 8 seasons in a row. Took a few months but I DID IT. (It was.. a lot of CSI every day, hahaha.) Season 7 is the best! I loved the Miniature Killer.

Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

Well, Mulder and Scully, but I think I'm really stretching the definition of "crime show" with The X-Files, haha. But I was obsessed with Bones for a long time, and Brennan and Booth were basically an amazing Mulder/Scully-esque duo for years and years.

Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif

Since I was just talking about it and because they were so self-aware about it:

[yourlibrarian]

What do you like best about Longmire? I've seen mentions of it hear and there but I get it confused with a few other shows.

[shadowkat]

- What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

I'm not sure these count, but the Marvel Vigilante Crime Fighter series on Netflix - Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. There's police, there's crime-fighting, and it's all very noir.


- Favorite canceled show?

The Wire - which was cancelled after five seasons. It blew me away. You can probably stream it on Amazon or Netflix now. The Wire is the most realistic and best written criminal procedural that I've seen.

Although The Good Wife is a close second, but it's more a legal procedural/political satire than a crime procedural.

- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

The Wire. I devoured it. Does take a little while to get into, but once you do..whoa.

Luke Cage sort of is derivative of the Wire. Or feels at times like a rip-off, and half of Luke Cage's cast is from the Wire. The Wire delves into the relationship between the inner city drug trade, the police force, the educational system, the mayor's office, and the news media, and how the system starts failing and breaking down...due to bureaucratic red tape, ego-posturing, and power plays. It takes place in Baltimore and is perhaps among the best television series that I've seen. If you like police procedurals or crime dramas - it is a must watch.


- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

Remington Steel, and Laura

Bruce Willis/Cybil Shepard - Moonlighting

Riggs/Murdoch


- Share a intense scene or favorite quote or gif

I can never remember dialogue. But there is a great scene early on in the Wire, where they review a crime scene and the only word used is the four letter "f" word. And another one, between two boys working as couriers for drug-king pins.
They discuss chess, and how to play it..."The King stays the King"

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bR3T1eThJU

[dancing_serpent]

- What is your favorite currently airing crime show?

Well, not exactly currently airing, seeing as the season finale happened a few weeks ago. But it's renewed for another season, so: NCIS: LA Yeah, not a surprise exactly, after I've been talking about this one here on the comm for the past weeks/months. *g*

- Favorite canceled show?

That would be Forever. I'm really bummed about it, but at least they managed to write a nice ending, so it doesn't feel all incomplete, but still leaves a lot to the imagination and the possibility to pick up the show again.

- What do you think would be the most binge-watchable?

Speaking from experience, because I do binge-watch those shows all the time: NCIS, NCIS: LA, Criminal Minds

- Who are some of your favorite crime-fighting teams or buddy-cop partners?

Sam & G from NCIS: LA are my absolute favourites. They have such a great relationship, and so much trust in each other.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I was glad Forever wasn't left with some sort of cliffhanger as well. It's always good to have some closure but a few open things that fandom can run with.