COPS makes TV debut
On this day in 1989 COPS a documentary-style television series that follows police officers and sheriffs deputies as they go about their jobs debuts on Fox.COPS went on to become one of the longest-running shows in television history.The show which was created by John Langley and Malcolm Barbour was a pioneer in reality television.Crews with camcorders followed law enforcement officers on patrol tracking down suspects and making arrests.
The show was unscripted which worked in Langley and Barbours favor when they pitched the original concept to Fox At the time there was a writers strike in Hollywood and the network needed new programming that wouldnt require writers.In 1989 the debut episode of COPS featured the men and women of the Broward County Sheriffs Department in Florida.The show has aired nearly 1000 episodes and filmed in 140 U.S.cities as well as international locations including London and Hong Kong.
With its widely recognized theme song Bad Boys by the reggae group Inner Circle COPS had spawned numerous imitators in addition to parody shows.
