5 Cop Shows From The ’70s That Still Hold Up Today

Before the ’70s, the idea of a perfect TV cop was a hero who played by the book, backed by a law enforcement institution determined to fight crime the right way. But as audiences became more skeptical of the people in charge amid the turmoil of the Vietnam era, the move away from spotless heroes birthed the age of more flawed, street-smart detectives. The ’70s were a boom time for the genre, with roughly 42 police shows premiering over the decade, per the Museum of Broadcast Communications. As networks fought for viewers, each fashioned its own kind of cop, from a private eye who worried more about his bills than the bad guys, to a pair of partners who’d take a bullet for each other. Shows like “Police Woman” and “Get Christie Love!” even put women in leading roles at a time when action crime dramas were dominated by men.

Of course, not every cop show from that generation has aged gracefully. Some are hampered by dated dialogue or not-too-believable action sequences that pale next to today’s highly rated crime dramas. However, the best detective TV shows from that era still have a lot going for them. From memorable characters to raw stories that explored the human angle of being a cop, these series helped reshape the genre. Their methods may be old-school, but these ’70s cop shows still hold up today.

Columbo

The unusual storytelling format of “Columbo,” where the perpetrator is revealed at the beginning of each episode, is what sets the show apart from its peers. Instead of guessing who committed the crime, viewers get to watch Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) use his style of questions that seem to wander nowhere to disarm overconfident criminals. And just when it seems the detective has fallen for the lies, he turns back at the door with “just one more thing.”

Falk’s first outing as the lieutenant came in the 1968 TV movie “Prescription: Murder,” and the series from Richard Levinson and William Link ran on NBC from 1971 to 1978 before returning for television movies on ABC. In his wrinkled raincoat, Columbo was the antithesis of the typical TV detective. He wasn’t macho or violent and drove a beat-up Peugeot. But don’t be tricked by the ragged look, because he was usually the sharpest person in the room.

During its original run, the series attracted memorable guest stars including Martin Sheen, Johnny Cash, and William Shatner, while Steven Spielberg directed the 1971 episode “Murder by the Book.” As the titular character, Falk became a TV icon, winning four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Today, the show’s influence is seen in “Poker Face,” which creator Rian Johnson told NPR was modeled on ’70s “Columbo.”

The Rockford Files

A private investigator who lives in a Malibu trailer and charges $200 a day, plus expenses, might be hard to find in modern-day Los Angeles. But that was the story of Jim Rockford (James Garner) in the NBC series “The Rockford Files” by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell, which ran from 1974 to 1980.

While other ’70s TV detectives reached for their guns, Rockford kept his in a cookie jar. Why? In his words, “Because I don’t want to shoot anybody.” He often took cases the police had already closed, and usually found there was more to them than the cops had uncovered.

Rockford’s relationship with his father, Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), also gave the show a personal touch, while his friendship with Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) provided plenty of comedy. Margolin’s role as the shifty informant earned him two Emmys, and the series won five in all, including outstanding drama series in 1978. Garner’s performance also made Rockford a relatable hero, earning him an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1977. More than five decades after it premiered, “The Rockford Files” is getting a new lease on life, with NBC’s reboot scheduled for January 2027. David Boreanaz will play Rockford, whom the show’s official logline describes as “newly paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit,” per TheWrap.

Kojak

Imagine a detective who, in the middle of interrogating a suspect, takes his time unwrapping a lollipop just before he starts picking apart the suspect’s statement. Well, that was Lt. Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas), the bald, cool-headed star of the CBS crime drama “Kojak,” which ran from 1973 to 1978. Savalas didn’t have to look far for a co-star. His own brother, George, played Det. Stavros, one of the cops on Kojak’s squad, while Kevin Dobson played Det. Bobby Crocker. 

The character first turned up in “The Marcus-Nelson Murders,” a 1973 TV movie drawn from the real case of George Whitmore Jr., who was wrongly accused in the Wylie-Hoffert murders. As a detective, Kojak understood the difference between bending the rules and crossing the line into corruption, and he sometimes walked that line in his quest to tackle crime. Decades after it premiered, “Kojak” still resonates today, mostly due to Savalas’ commanding performance and the show’s mix of humor, investigations, and moral complexities.

In 1974, Savalas won the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, while his line, “Who loves ya, baby?” caught on across the country. Savalas’ trademark lollipops also had a practical origin: The actor used them to help reduce his smoking. The show’s appeal was strong enough to inspire a 2005 USA Network remake starring Ving Rhames.

Starsky & Hutch

ABC’s crime drama “Starsky & Hutch” told the story of David Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson (David Soul), two Bay City detectives who often turned to a well-connected informant, Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) for tips. From 1975 to 1979, the pair took on drug dealers, mob hitmen, and went on plenty of undercover stings. While the series featured plenty of action, what stood out more was the relationship between its leads. Soul said in the 2004 documentary “He’s Starsky, I’m Hutch” that the show “made it okay for two men to show their feelings about each other,” per The New York Times. Most people have that one friend who is nothing like them but would drop everything to help, and “Starsky & Hutch” were that friend to one another. 

The show’s popularity even inspired a 2004 film adaptation starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Besides the practical stunts, drama, and humor, “Starsky & Hutch” featured plenty of style, from Starsky’s bright red Ford Gran Torino with its distinctive white stripe to its memorable funk theme music. Although the action has become antiquated in some ways, the series remains engaging because of the partnership at its heart.

The Streets of San Francisco

From 1972 to 1977, ABC’s “The Streets of San Francisco” followed veteran Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and his young partner, Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas), as they investigated crimes across the city. While the cases treated fans to a lot of suspense, the relationship between the lead detectives was what gave the show its emotional core. Despite their differences in experience and approaches to police work, the partnership grew into mutual respect. 

Most people remember the first boss who really taught them the job, and for Douglas, Malden filled that role off camera, too. “Karl became the mentor of my life,” he said in a 2022 interview with the Television Academy. However, Douglas left before the final season to produce “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” with Richard Hatch stepping in. Based on Carolyn Weston’s 1971 novel “Poor, Poor Ophelia,” the series racked up 16 Emmy nominations during its five-year run. Today, the Quinn Martin production is still worth revisiting, especially for the way it showed off the city of San Francisco in the ’70s.