# Identify this TV movie?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** movies\
**Created:** [November 7, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666 "2026-11-07T18:27:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/1 "2026-11-07T18:27:43Z")

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About all I remember of it is a subplot: while other events are going on, over a period of years or decades a man with a fascist and sado-masochist obsession about the trappings of police– the uniforms, the equipment belts, the truncheons– becomes a serial killer who operates by impersonating an officer.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/2 "2026-11-07T18:34:52Z")

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Do you have a rough idea of how old a movie it was–or at least when you saw it.

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**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/3 "2026-11-07T20:04:35Z")

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Sounds a little like Mercy (2000). Or maybe one of the movies based on the Hillside Stranglers.

If an older movie, maybe Cruising with Pacino or Tightrope with Eastwood?

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/4 "2026-11-07T21:54:53Z")

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My memory is a large cardboard box filled with loose index cards, but if I had to guess I’d say pre-1999. And I’m certain it was not a cable or theatrical release, it was back in the era of actual made-for- broadcast tv movies.

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**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/5 "2026-11-07T22:35:27Z")

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Sounds like _[Chiefs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefs_(miniseries))_, a 1983 miniseries.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/6 "2026-11-07T23:32:12Z")

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That’s it! The guy who ordered handcuffs and rubber hoses from the police supplies catalog.

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-movie/1034666/7 "2026-11-08T01:33:51Z")

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> [@teelabrown](#):
>
> Sounds like _[Chiefs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefs_(miniseries))_, a 1983 miniseries.

Nice call. Totally forgot about that. After reading the synopsis I’m sure I watched it when it came on.

Looks like you might be able to watch some uploads of dubious legality (and quality) on YouTube but it’s not streaming anywhere. There may be no one who cares if it’s bootlegged.