Can you name some famous TV Show or Movie cops?

[Daniela1982]

There have been a wad of cop shows on TV through the years, so you have plenty to choose from. No googling or cheating. This has to be from your memory. Now, can you remember the actor/actress who played them?

Updates

1 y

Ok, here is some of the ones I remember seeing on a TV show that no one already didn't get. TJ Hooker - William Shatner, Kojak - Telly Savalas, Mannix - Mike Connors, and I can't believe no one got Gunsmoke, which ran for like 20 years - James Arness. or Wyatt Earp - Hugh O'Brien.

[Massageman]

Sgt. Joe Friday was played by Jack Webb in his show, Dragnet. Started his own production company Marx VII, (those are his hands on the chisel strike in the opening and closing credits), created Adam 12, Emergency, and was made an honorary police officer. Ben Alexander was his first partner, and Harry Morgan was his second partner- Bill Gannon- in the later reboot. He had planned another reboot of the Dragnet franchise, but died before it came to fruition.

Jack Lord played Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five-O, TOS. Great Hawaiian scenery (the mountains and water looked good too!). Won't even discuss the reboot.

Jack Lord, holding onto two critical pieces of evidence?

While not "a cop", Richard Dean Anderson played Angus MacGyver (which is why everyone called him MacGyver, including himself. We don't find out his first name until about two-thirds through the series' run. The series ran through some relatively distinct groups of genres, and had some distinctive characters that bridged much of the story arc of the several years of the series' run (ref Penny, Murdock, Jack Dalton, etc). .
Regardless, Mac's claim to fame was his ability to use only common items at hand to save himself and others from the bad guys' traps and attacks. To be able to "MacGyver a solution" became a defacto verb for those who could create quick, usually life-saving hacks- MacGyverisms- to solve the threat (s) at hand.
MacGyver TOS shows were notable for a couple of things: 1. MacGyver NEVER uses a gun, at least not to shoot bullets. (We find out why later in the series). 1A. Mac devises curious ways to disable guns, including tossing into a kettle of soup, and others. 1B. Mac DOES find other uses for both guns (gun = wrench, hammer, etc) and ammo (as primers for explosions, etc). 1C. Mac will only use his solutions to briefly disable his opponents, never to kill them. 2. When he punches a bad guy, he will often shake his hand in pain. 3. Mac's solutions- while sometimes depending on a fair amount of luck- DO use sound, physical scientific principles, so there IS a learning potential to a greater or lesser degree in each show. 4. Each episode not only resolves the triumph of good over evil, but it also creates some sort of personal fix for conflicts between minor protagonists in the episode.
There were also some actors who were seen as various DIFFERENT characters, very notably, Robert Donner. He made a good living by playing everyone from Exidor in Mork and Mindy, to several assorted mentally questionable baddies in MacG, TOS.
The original series was also followed by another dismal reboot: RDA even refused to act in the reboot.

[spartan55]

What about MacGruber?

[Massageman]

@spartan55 Parody on MacGyver - I'd give it a B.

[FunkyMonkee]

Any of this stuff I can't supply the info on is because I never watched any of them. A few here I still never watched but could tell you who the stars were.
There were also a lot of cop-like shows but it wasn't about actual cops so, I never bothered to include them (Mannix, Banecek, Cannon, etc..)
Columbo = Peter Falk
Barney Miller = Hal Linden
Police Academy = Steve Guttenberg
Serpico = Al Pucchino (sp?)
Gunsmoke = Matt Dillon (Not quite sure. I know there was at least one western that was about a sheriff. I never watched any westerns.)
(There WAS a movie about an intergalactic cop that tracked his villain here to Earth but I only saw it twice in the early `80's. I think the cop was Michael Nouri.)
Adam 12
Car 54,. Where Are You? = Fred Gwynne & Al Lewis
CHiPS
McCloud = Dennis Weaver
McMillan & Wife = Rock Hudson
Dragnet = Henry Morgan (can't recall the other guy's name. Jack Webb?)
Hawaii 5-0 = Jack Lord
Hill Street Blues
Carter Country = Victor French
The Andy Griffith Show = Andy Griffith, Don Knotts
I don't recall the name of the show but I think Bobby Sherman was the cop in it. In real life, he actually became a cop!
Barretta = Robert Blake
Miami Vice - Don "I'm too self-important and good looking to talk to you".
Starsky & Hutch = David Soul, can't recall the other guy's name, Paul Michael Glaser?)
The Mod Squad = Peggy Lipton, Michael somebody and possibly Laurence Fishburne
Police Squad = Leslie Nielsen
Night Patrol = Murray Langstrom, Linda Blair, Billy Barty & Pat Paulsen
Smokey & The Bandit = Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed & the flying nun
There was one in the late `70's/early `80's with a female cop named, Pepper. Dad watched it all the time.

[Daniela1982]

You mentioned a lot more than I thought anyone would, and even some I didn't know. I learned a lot through MeTV which has those old shows on from time to time. On Mod Squad it was Clarence Williams III. The one with Pepper was Police Woman with Angie Dickinson.

[FunkyMonkee]

Yes! Angie Dickinson! I could easily picture her in my head but just could NOT come up with her name!
I haven't seen the Mod Squad in decades so, I could've guessed all day and not come up with his name.
I'm not even sure if I got the right name for Serpico. I was actually thinking of Dustin Hoffman but I couldn't latch onto his name, either until just now and I know it wasn't him.

[Daniela1982]

Al Pacino played Serpico. You were close.

[Massageman]

William Conrad - Cannon- was also the off-screen announcer for Rocky and Bullwinkle, the creator/voice of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke the RADIO series, and the announcer of "Buck Rogers in the 25th century", (although I'd rather look at Erin Gray than someone from Jake and the Fatman").

[FunkyMonkee]

Yeah, I said his name, I just wasn't sure how he spelled it.

[FunkyMonkee]

@Massageman He certainly was!! I'm, pretty sure he also did the opening voice overs on, Mannix.
Here's one you might not know, James MacArthur had a couple of singles out in the early `60's. That was about 10 years before he played Dano on Hawaii 5-0.

[FunkyMonkee]

Turner & Hooch = Tom Hanks

[Daniela1982]

@Massageman I didn't know some of that.

[Daniela1982]

Another one I didn't remember. Who can forget a slobbering Hooch? Gross!

[FunkyMonkee]

The 'Naked Gun" movies.

[FunkyMonkee]

I DID say Gunsmoke and I mentioned that I didn't list Mannix because he wasn't a cop, he was a private investigator. I also thought of Honey West, The Wild Wild West, Danger Man, The Avengers, Mission: Impossible, Banacek, The A-Team, The Night Stalker, Superman, but, none of those are cops.
How about, The Untouchables? I never watched it so, I have no idea if that's a cop show or gangsters or what have you.
Dick Tracy = Warren Beatty.
Walker, Texas ranger = Chuck "I-forgot-to-stand-a-little-closer-to-my-razor" Norris.

[NamerOfStars]

1. Carl Winslow and Al Powers were both played Reginald Veljohnsot, who just looks like he was born to wear a police uniform and an exasperated expression.
2. Captain Ives was played by Kurt Russell.
3. Axel Foley was played by Eddie Murphy.
4. Frank Drebin was played by Leslie Neilsen, and Georfe Kennedy played Ed Hocken. OJ Simpson played Nordberg, which makes the doccible abuse he takes even funnier, in light of his horrible crimes, but I saw this movie not long after seeing Cool Hand Luke, which makes Kennedy being a cop even sillier.
5. For that matter, Strother Martin played... dang, I can't remember his name in that movie.

[exitseven]

Yes and George Kennedy was also Bumper Morgan.

[FunkyMonkee]

@exitseven Bumper Morgan? REALLY? There was a local DJ on the oldies station in the early `90's that went by that name and eventually got arrested for dealing in kiddie porn! Any time I talked to him, he seemed like a really nice guy!

[exitseven]

@FunkyMonkee Bumper Morgan was a character developed by author and former cop Joseph Wambaugh. George Kennedy played him in Police Story.

[FunkyMonkee]

@exitseven Well, this guy was on the early afternoon shit until just after rush hour and, when 4;00 came, one of his musical intros just kept repeating, "Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper...".

[Kreneman]

Cops TV show: 1. Hunter: Fred Dryer, 2. Walker Texas Ranger: Chuck Norris, 3. Sledge Hammer: David Rasche, 4. New York Undercover: Malik Yoba & Michael De Lorenzo, 5. Miami Vice: Don Johnson & Phillip M. Thomas 6. Hawaii Five- O: Jack Lord 7. Starsky & Hutch: Paul Michael Glaser & David Soul 8. Cold Case: Kathryn Morris 9. The Closer: Kyra Sedgwick 10. Martial Law: Sammo Hung

Cop Movies: 1. TimeCop: Jean Claude Van Dame, 2. Hard to Kill: Steven Seagal, 3. Money Train: Wesley Snipes, 4. Bad Boys: Martin Lawrence & Will Smith, 5. Cobra: Sylvester Stallone 6. Action Jackson: Carl Weathers 7. Walker Texas Ranger: Trail by Fire: Chuck Norris 8. Street Knight: Jeff Speakman 9. Maniac Cop: Bruce Campbell 10. Murphy's Law: Charles Bronson 11. Police Story: Jacky Chan 12. Kiss of the Dragon: Jet Li

[NathanDavis]

names of actors, i don't know but I do remember the characters, Third Watch was one I would even rewatch

Bosco & Yokas, Sully, Ty, Cruz

[Daniela1982]

That's one I never saw.

[NathanDavis]

was about police, firemen and paramedics as well... and way more recent than most of the stuff mentioned in here... lol

[exitseven]

Barretta-Robert Blake
Starsky- David Soul
Hutch- Michael Glaser
Joe Friday- Jack Webb
Dan Mathews- Broderick Crawford
Harry Callahan -Clint Eastwood

[Daniela1982]

How could I forget Highway Patrol?

[exitseven]

RE update, I remembered TJ Hooker last night. Gunsmoke and Wyatt Earp were more like cowboy shows than cop shows,

[exitseven]

How about Ron Hayes as Lincoln Vale in Everglades?

[Daniela1982]

They were law enforcement in their day.

[EaterPeter]

Chips, Erik Estrada
NCIS LA, Marty Deeks
NCIS, Jethro Gibbs
CSI Miami, Horatio Caine
CSI, Dr. Ray Langston
Law and Order SVU, Mariska Hargitay, Olivia Benson
Castle, Kate Beckette, Ryan, Esposito

[Daniela1982]

Jethro Gibbs was played by Mark Harmon

[FunkyMonkee]

Except for CHiPs, were any of those actual cop shows? I left them out because they were more to do with the Navy and other forces.

[EaterPeter]

Right Harmon I could not think of his real name so I did what you suggested no google no cheat 😉

[EaterPeter]

You're right too funky

[EaterPeter]

That is some kind of cheating on my part 😉

[EaterPeter]

I thought about that.

[EaterPeter]

That is why on NCIS I mentioned only one name.

[EaterPeter]

On Castle also most characters seems Detectvies

[Daniela1982]

@EaterPeter Good job!

[EaterPeter]

Thank you

[EaterPeter]

Seemed *

[MTC29]

Reed and Malloy from Adam-12...

I still love thar show.

[MTC29]

Sorry, but I didn't read the entire question. Actors Kent McCord and Martin Milner.

[MCheetah]

Riggs and Murtaugh
Clancy Wiggum
Joe Swanson
Stan Smith, if he counts as a cop
Robocop
Tom Selleck's character from Hawaii Five O
Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order SVU

That's all I got.

[MCheetah]

Also Carl Winslow.

[lightbulb27]

starsky and hutch
Beretta
Welcome back kotter
there were so many...

[Daniela1982]

Welcome Back Kotter was a school teacher.

[FunkyMonkee]

Welcome Back Kotter? What kind of drugs are YOU on? And, where can I get some?
What about. "I Love Lucy"?

[lightbulb27]

I read it as two questions

[FunkyMonkee]

Which one asked about school teacher shows?

[Daniela1982]

That is also where John Travolta got his start.

[lightbulb27]

@daniela1982 true, was a good show. Brooklyn, never thought I'd step foot there... times change.
I guess we can consider teachers cops these days... they are front line cops and teachers. ha.

[FunkyMonkee]

Well, not exactly, I'm pretty sure he was in "Carriie" before Kotter.

[LiamSawyer]

Dragnet, I remember my dad watching old reruns, I have no idea who played the parts in that show as I think the show originated before I was born.

[Likes2drive]

Starsky and hutch, Car 54, Chips, Hawaii 5 O, NCI , Blue Bloods and FBI

[exitseven]

Car 54
Gunther Toody- Joe E Ross
Francis Muldoon- Fred Gwynne

[Likes2drive]

@exitseven You forgot Al Lewis

[exitseven]

Yes, Leo Schnauzer

[Massageman]

@exitseven ooh, ooh, ooh OOH!

[IsoUser]

Streets Of San Francisco with Mike Douglas lol 😁

[one1wild00]

Jimmy Best as Rosco P Coltrane,

[one1wild00]

Vin Diesel - the Pacifier, Swartezenagger - Kindergarten Cop, Tom Sellek - Magnum -PI, Cagny and Lacy - (Don't recall the Actresses), Robert Conrad - Jessie Hawks

[Daniela1982]

Never saw Jessie Hawks, but Robert Conrad played Secret Service agent James West in The Wild Wild West.

[one1wild00]

Jessie Hawks was a spinoff of High Mountain Rangers.

[Massageman]

with Ross Martin as his often-disguised partner Artemus Gordon. Sierra #3- the steam locomotive- was also a capable "co-star", as it was in dozens of TV shows and movies!

[FunkyMonkee]

I left out shows like Magnum because they weren't cops, they were private investigators.
Cagny & Lacy were Tyne Daly and (I think) Sharon Gless.

[FunkyMonkee]

Yeah but, again, West and Gordon were not cops. They were part of Pres. Grant's secret service agents.

[spartan55]

Dirty Harry Callahan

[888theGreat]

No, Sundays I don't try to think

[Daniela1982]

Do you ever?

[888theGreat]

wow , ouch :(

[FunkyMonkee]

AAAAAWWW!!! THAT'S not NICE!!

[Dnice1]

Andy Griffith and Barney Fife

[msc545]

I don't watch them,. so... no.

[Noreason432]

NCIS

[ChiTown33]

Dragnet