Police Chief Monohan and officers Turner and Jordan from The Gates.
A police officer (also known as a policeman or policewoman, and constable in some forces, particularly in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations) is a warranted employee of a police force. In the United States "officer" is the formal name of the lowest police rank; in many other countries "officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank, and the lowest rank is often "constable". Police officers are generally charged with the apprehension of criminals and the prevention and detection of crime, and the maintenance of public order. Police officers may be sworn to an oath, and have the power to arrest people and detain them for a limited time, along with other duties and powers.
In British television programmes, uniformed police officers are referred to as Police Constables, which is abbreviated to the rank of PC, ie: PC Jones. They are known for wearing funny looking hats with chin straps, and are stereotypically satirized for their lack of firearms usage. They are also referred to by the nickname Bobbies.
Although police officers appear in nearly every genre of television entertainment, there are very few programs that focus primarily on uniformed police officers. Most crime dramas center more on detectives, with uniformed officers (or Unis) taking a more supportive role. One of the more well-known American TV shows to spotlight a uniformed officer was Adam-12, which aired on NBC from 1968 to 1975, spanning a total of 7 seasons and 174 half-hour episodes. The series starred Martin Milner as Officer Pete Malloy and Kent McCord of Officer Jim Reed. Recurring guest stars on the series included William Boyett as Sergeant MacDonald, Fred Stromsoe as Officer Jerry Woods and Gary Crosby as Officer Ed Wells.
Another celebrated series focusing on the "boys in blue" was T.J. Hooker, which aired on ABC from 1982-1985 and then on CBS for it's final season from 1985-1986. Noted Star Trek icon William Shatner played the role of Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Hooker - a former plainclothes policeman for the Los Angeles Police Department who returned to working a beat in order to prevent crimes such as the one that claimed the life of his former partner.
Another series from that era that spotlighted uniformed cops was CHiPs, which is an acronym for California Highway Patrols. CHiPs starred Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada as two uniformed motorcycle cops in Los Angeles. CHiPs aired for six seasons on NBC from 1977-1983.
The short-lived 2010 series The Gates featured three uniformed police officers as part of it's main lineup. The central figure from the series was Nick Monohan, who was the newly appointed police chief of The Gates community. Assisting him in investigating various crimes of supernatural origin were officers Leigh Turner and Marcus Jordan.
Doctor Who[]
- "An Unearthly Child": A foot patrolman took a stroll past 76 Totter's Lane, where he took curious note of a police call box in the middle of the I.M. Foreman Junkyard. He could not have known that this particular call box was actually the TARDIS.
Characters[]
Notes[]
- Trial policeman redirects to this page. This is what actor Charles Andre was credited as in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.
- Actors Bryan Anthony and Keely Watson both played cops in "The Sea" episode of Night Stalker.