Police sitcoms

Though not as common as the family style of sitcoms there were some police sitcoms that aired in the years that have gone by. The most notable one that I can recall would be Barney Miller. This show hit the air in January of 1985 and continued for a 7 year stint. During the time that it aired it won several Primetime Emmy awards and an array of other distinguished awards for the creators, cast and crew all to have pride in.

It was set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village where Captain Barney Miller was trying to stay sane while leading his 12th precinct detectives. This police sitcom had two different focal points, one being that of the detectives and the way that they interacted with one another and that of the interactions of the detectives with the suspects and the witnesses in the cases that they were undertaking at the time. Some of the conflicts that were ongoing throughout the series were Capt. Miller's frustrations with paperwork and red tape, his trying to keep peace, order and discipline within the station, and his ongoing denial when trying for promotions. This lead to many episodes that were somewhat chaotic, but always were chalked full of laughs for all that watched.

Another police sitcom to hit the air was Sledge Hammer! It only aired for two years, from 1986-88, and was inspired by Cint Eastwood's style of law enforcement. This satirical police sitcom was the product of a teenage writer who wrote the screenplay when just 16 years old. After reworking the script several times, ABC, already last in the ratings, was willing to take a risk on the out of the ordinary script. They did have changes that they wanted done. They were adamant that the violence be toned down so that it was more appropriate for network television.

Ironically the show came out at about the same time as Peter Gabriel's hit song of the same name. This song would become the way the series would be advertised from then on.
Although they seem to be not near the successes as the family style of sitcoms, police sitcoms took on a world of their own. They brought a new light to an area that had not been ventured into before. Barney Miller turned out to be a highly successful show and lasted a long time for a tv series. It is a risk that television executives took again. This was the only way to ever really know what the world is ready for.

Linus Orakles
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