FILM 46.06 Topics in Television: Cop TV
Police shows have been important part of broadcasting in the US since before the beginning of television. This course explores how police shows have evolved over the last seven decades; the changing representations of police and procedures; the use of the genre to deal with “social problems”; fiction versus non-fiction programs; how these programs reflect real world controversies involving police; how the development of this genre reflects changes in the history of broadcasting. Throughout we will look at films that influenced the style and content of these programs.