Police

2014 · 3 Seasons · BBC One · Crime Drama

Happy Valley is one of the greatest crime dramas ever made, a show that earned that status through Sarah Lancashire's ferocious performance and Sally Wainwright's writing, which treats every character as deserving of complexity regardless of their moral position. The Yorkshire setting is integral to the storytelling, the tension is almost unbearable at times, and the final season delivers a conclusion so satisfying it should be studied by every show struggling to stick its landing. This is essential television.

2002 · 7 Seasons · FX · Crime, Drama, Thriller

The Shield is one of the most relentless and morally uncompromising crime dramas ever produced, a show that introduced audiences to Vic Mackey and then spent seven seasons methodically destroying every justification for his behavior. Shawn Ryan's series pushed the boundaries of what basic cable could broadcast, and Michael Chiklis delivered a performance that redefined the antihero archetype years before the concept became a television cliche. The show's pace never lets up, and the finale is one of the most devastating conclusions in television history. It never received the cultural recognition of some of its premium cable contemporaries, but the people who have seen it tend to put it in the conversation with the best dramas of the century.

2013 · 8 Seasons · Fox / NBC · Comedy / Crime

Brooklyn Nine-Nine built one of the most likable ensemble casts in modern sitcom history and used a police precinct setting to deliver fast, warm, and reliably funny comedy for most of its run. Its first five seasons on Fox represent the show at its best, balancing absurd humor with surprisingly effective character work and progressive representation that never felt forced. The move to NBC brought uneven later seasons, and a final year that tried to wrestle with real-world policing issues produced deeply divided reactions from its audience. That rocky ending doesn't erase what came before. At its peak, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was comfort food television executed with skill, heart, and an ensemble that made you want to hang out at the Nine-Nine.