# Shows with a Cop Main Character but not a Cop Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618 "2014-12-08T00:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/1 "2014-12-08T00:26:52Z")
The recent controversies over charging police officers (that is, Ferguson, MO and NYC) made me wonder what was the last show with a main character who is a cop but it’s not a cop show or police procedural. So, for instance, all the _Law & Order_s, _Shield_s and so on are out. Probably also the shows like _CSI_ and _Elementary_. I’d even consider knocking out shows like _Fringe_, _Grimm_, and _Sleepy Hollow_, although they’re not really procedurals. All I can come up with is _Family Matters_, and that’s been off the air for 17 years. I’m not going to count _The Simpsons_ or _Family Guy_, as neither show has one of the cops (Wiggum, Eddie, and Lou or Joe Swanson) as a main character. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/2 "2014-12-08T00:32:56Z")
Mike of _Mike & Molly_ is a cop. I wouldn’t say that’s a “cop show” although plenty of episodes revolver around his job. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/3 "2014-12-08T00:35:48Z")
Robert, Ray’s brother on _Everybody Loves Raymond_, was a cop. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/4 "2014-12-08T00:36:47Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Mike of _Mike & Molly_ is a cop. I wouldn’t say that’s a “cop show” although plenty of episodes revolver around his job. Automatic spellcheck do that? Wasn’t the brother on _Everybody Loves Raymond_ a cop? The father on _Frasier_ was a retired cop. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/5 "2014-12-08T00:45:15Z")
Grimm is not a cop show. Eureka was also not a cop show. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/6 "2014-12-08T00:49:57Z")
The Walking Dead is not a cop show. Bates Motel has a cop main character but is not a cop show. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/7 "2014-12-08T00:50:53Z")
Does “The Andy Griffith Show” count as a cop show or not? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/8 "2014-12-08T00:53:21Z")
Family Matters was my entry as well. The Walking Dead’s main character is a cop, but in the post apocalyptic word, he sort of gave up being a cop about a half an episode after he realized it was pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/9 "2014-12-08T01:00:03Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Wasn’t the brother on _Everybody Loves Raymond_ a cop? > > The father on _Frasier_ was a retired cop. Jackie, Laurie Metcalf’s character on _Roseanne_, was also a cop at one point during the show. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/10 "2014-12-08T01:03:27Z")
“The Odd Couple” had a cop. Not sure how important he was. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/11 "2014-12-08T01:09:07Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Jackie, Laurie Metcalf’s character on _Roseanne_, was also a cop at one point during the show. Heck, Marge Simpson was a cop. For one episode. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/12 "2014-12-08T01:14:34Z")
Carl Kanisky, father to the three girls in _Gimme a Break_ was a cop. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/13 "2014-12-08T01:23:33Z")
The later seasons of \*\*Married w/ Children \*\*had a recurring character that was Cop. He was part of **NO MA’AM**. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/14 "2014-12-08T01:25:17Z")
Trying to decide if Alien Nation counts as a “cop show” or not. I’d vote that it did, but I bet the ‘aliens’ bit would make other viewers think otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/15 "2014-12-08T02:24:44Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > “The Odd Couple” had a cop. Not sure how important he was. Murray the cop. He was a regular in Felix and Oscar’s poker game. He was played by Al Molinaro, who also played Al, the proprietor of Arnold’s on _Happy Days._ Sally’s boyfriend Don on _3rd Rock From the Sun_, played by Wayne Knight was a recurring character who was a cop. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/16 "2014-12-08T02:27:05Z")
Wasn’t the lead guy in “Gimme a Break” a police captain or something? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/17 "2014-12-08T02:39:16Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Heck, Marge Simpson was a cop. For one episode. If we can mention _The Simpsons_, then how about Chief Clancy Wiggum? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/18 "2014-12-08T02:50:20Z")
Chief Wiggum was a main character? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/19 "2014-12-08T02:51:50Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If we can mention _The Simpsons_, then how about Chief Clancy Wiggum? If only the OP had thought of that… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618/20 "2014-12-08T03:12:42Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If only the OP had thought of that… I respectfully disagree with the OP. Wiggum appears often enough to count. And I disagree with Joe on _Family Guy_, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-with-a-cop-main-character-but-not-a-cop-show/706618.md?page=2)