The Silver Screen Oasis

Mike:

I thought one of the best "Prime Suspects" was an entry called "The Lost Child." It's is similar to the type of episode you describe. It involves the death of a child where a local pedophile is thought to have committed the crime. I thought the acting, especially by the supprting cast, was stellar.

I missed PS 7 due to a mix up in my recording schedule.

Since I started my work-a-day life as a police reporter, I too have to say that most cop shows leave me cold. I used to like Barney Miller, but I recently rewatched a few episodes on DVD, and now it plays too "cute" for me.

I still like Dragnet in its various incarnations because it got everything right -- the dreary and the exciting -- and still made for compelling drama. One of the things it captured better than any other series was the grim humor that police leaned on to get through their day.