TV Cop Shows Are Under Fire, But Do They Still Protect and Serve in the Ratings?

TV Cop Shows Are Under Fire, But Do They Still Protect and Serve in the Ratings?

A look at this season’s 22 police-based broadcast series, from “9-1-1” to “Tommy”

cop shows ratings
ABC/Fox/NBC

tony maglio ratings report banner As protests over police brutality continue across America this week in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin, popular reality shows chronicling — and often lionizing — police activity, like “Cops” and “Live PD,” have been sent to the slammer. Scripted series about law enforcement agents have been a mainstay on television since the black-and-white days, but they’re not exactly a dominant genre on the broadcast networks this season. (Unlike “Live PD,” which was A&E’s highest-rated show when it was sent up the river this week.) The lone cop series in the Top 10 in broadcast ratings so far this season is Fox’s “9-1-1.”

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A look at this season’s 22 police-based broadcast series, from “9-1-1” to “Tommy” ABC/Fox/NBC  As protests over police brutality continue across America this week in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin, popular reality shows chronicling — and often lionizing — police activity, like “Cops” and “Live…