Back in the 1980s, police procedurals ruled the small screen. From the gritty stories laid out by the likes of “Hill Street Blues” to the colorful capers of shows like “Magnum P.I.,” there were plenty of police yarns to be enjoyed and lots of different sorts of detectives to follow. But, because there were so many different addictive ’80s crime shows on offer, some of the good ones naturally slipped through the cracks.
We’ve compiled a list of five cop shows from the ’80s that have become obscurities over the past few decades. Some focus on private detectives and hobbyists, while others follow the antics of actual officers of the law, whether they’re rookies or long-serving, hard-boiled cops. No matter the impression they left, they ought to be better remembered. After all, these forgotten cop shows still hold up today.
Crime Story
A 1960s-set show with a surprisingly rich and dark kick, the Michael Mann-produced “Crime Story” helped to lay the groundwork for the plethora of prestige shows we’re used to today. It was, perhaps, doomed to failure thanks to its narrative complexities and its season-spanning story arcs, something that’s now common in television but felt somewhat alien back in the 1980s. “The very qualities that made the show hemorrhage viewers would later influence the shows that set the now-standard style of television,” said Flood magazine.
It also didn’t help that “Crime Story” was pitted against the much lighter “Moonlighting,” a hit P.I. show starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. “Crime Story” was far more gritty, focusing on a bitter feud between Lt. Mike Torello (Dennis Farina), a police officer, and Ray Luca (Anthony Denison), a mobster. The show follows the rise of each man in his individual field and how they come to clash with each other. Unfortunately, despite the premiere attracting 30 million viewers and earning critical praise, (Time said that it “makes most other cop shows look like wimps”), “Crime Story” was canceled after two seasons.
Matt Houston
Created by veteran TV producer Aaron Spelling, “Matt Houston” was basically a mixture of “Dallas” and “The Rockford Files.” It was a successful formula (the show lasted for three seasons), but nowadays you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person who can recall Mattlock “Matt” Houston (Lee Horsley), his fancy car, and his lawyer sidekick C.J. (Pamela Hensley). The show mixed humor and detective work while keeping things light and breezy, but declining ratings couldn’t keep Matt’s adventures on the air.
The show’s titular character is a mustachioed oil baron’s son from Texas who uses his mountains of money to solve crimes after moving to California. His business manager, Murray (George Wyner), is aghast that he keeps putting himself at risk by diving headfirst into cases, but Matt just can’t help but indulge in his P.I. hobby. This delightful but forgotten ’80s series crops up in discussions on Reddit every now and again, with one user playfully dubbing it “Magnum TX,” adding, “I did enjoy that show.”
Crazy Like a Fox
The term crazy like a fox applies to someone who may appear foolish or odd but is actually very clever, which made it the perfect title for this ’80s show. “Crazy Like a Fox” was popular enough to spawn a TV reunion film not long after being canceled, and lead actor Jack Warden even scored a couple of Emmy nominations for his work on the show. Not bad for a series that people seem to have totally forgotten about today despite it being a lot of fun.
“Crazy Like a Fox” follows Warden’s P.I. Harrison Joshua “Harry” Fox and his son of the same name, played by John Rubinstein. Harry Jr. is a lawyer who doesn’t want to be involved in his dad’s nonsense but always finds himself dragged along during cases. The pilot episode of “Crazy Like a Fox” was CBS’ best-testing of the season and it dropped to some enthusiastic reviews, with the Kansas City Star predicting that it would be “with us for many years to come” due to its “witty dialogue and splendid acting.” Sadly, that wasn’t the case — it was canned following a ratings drop due to a network shuffle after just two seasons, both of which hold up well today.
Spenser: For Hire
Based on Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” series of novels, “Spenser: For Hire” is a stylish, Boston-set series which garnered a solid following during its three-season run in spite of the fact that ABC bounced it about its schedule recklessly. Still, despite its passionate fanbase (who tried to save the show with a letter-writing campaign following its cancelation to no avail), it’s been unjustly forgotten about over the years. That’s a real shame, since this character-driven show is well written, well acted, and a lot of fun.
Spenser (Robert Urich) is a P.I. who was once a professional boxer. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he believes in fairness and justice. He works alongside an enforcer named Hawk (Avery Brooks, who got his own short-lived spin-off show in 1989). Together, they become friends while Spenser grapples with his messy personal life and tries his best to do the right thing. Watching (or re-watching) the show today is a rewarding experience. “I’ve gone back to watch favorite shows from the 80’s and most are so disappointing now, but ‘Spenser’ has held up really well,” one Redditor noted. “It comes from excellent source material so I’m sure that helps.”
The Renegades
“The Renegades” is definitely the most obscure entry of this list, but it’s also a show that you should know more about seeing as it stars a 1980s icon in the lead role. This ABC series really is a time capsule of what was cool during the ’80s. It might look like an awful cop show that deserves to be forgotten at first glance, but it’s actually the opposite — it’s held up surprisingly well and ought to be re-watched for more than just its catchy theme song and for providing an early role for one Patrick Swayze.
The series centers around the titular street gang, who are coerced into fighting crime to avoid jail time. They become a unit of undercover cops and take to the streets, blending in with the youth surrounding them. The team is led by Swayze’s character Bandit, who comes out with ’80s-tastic lines such as “We know the streets, the alley pounders, roof runners, the punk rockers.” In short, the gang’s hip and the cops giving them missions are painfully square. A mixture of “The Warriors” and “21 Jump Street,” “The Renegades” is a must-watch for fans of uber-80s television.
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Read the original article on Looper.
