Cop shows have become a huge part of modern pop culture, captivating the imaginations of eager viewers who love seeing a compelling case come together. One of the big reasons why these types of shows are so popular is the huge swath of sub-genres that fall under its umbrella, including procedurals (“Law and Order,” “NCIS,” etc.), comedy ( “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Starsky and Hutch”) prestige drama (“The Shield” “Homicide: Life on the Street”) and even psychological thriller (“Hannibal”, “Mindhunter”) With so much variation it can be hard to choose what kind of cop show you want to watch.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best, spanning multiple sub-genres and formats. Whether you want something lighthearted and fun or dark and twisted, here are some of the best cop shows streaming right now. Spun off from the original “Law and Order” series in 1999, “Law and Order: SVU” has undoubtedly surpassed its predecessor to become one of the most iconic and impactful cop shows of all time, exploring the sensitive topic of sexually-based crime in a thoughtful and complex way.
Though it has been on the air for 25 years, the show has plenty of life still in it, with recent seasons addressing topical issues like revenge porn, online harassment and viral arrest videos. Watch on Peacock A lighthearted procedural with a twist, “Psych” follows fake-medium Shawn Spencer and his best friend Gus as they solve crimes as official consultan.
