1970s TV Crime Shows – US

The 1970s marked a transformative period in television history with a golden age for detective and cop shows. These series captivated viewers with their intricate plots, star-studded casts, and provocative social commentary. The characters navigated various settings, from the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles to urban New York. The shows did more than unmask the perpetrators of crimes; they unearthed deeper societal issues, often using the criminal justice system as a lens to scrutinize the social fabric of the time.

Ironside 67-75
Ironside uses a wheelchair after an attempted assassination left him paralyzed. With his former assistants Brown and Whitfield (later Belding) and former delinquent (and later lawyer) Mark, he combats crime for the San Francisco police from his mobile office (a van) while leaving a pot of chili cooking back at headquarters.

Hawaii Five-O 68-80
The sun-soaked shores of Oahu provide a picturesque backdrop for this thrilling police procedural that follows an elite task force as they tackle crime on the Hawaiian Islands. Five-0 was a special state police unit answering only to the Governor of Hawaii. It worked with Honolulu police to fight the underworld in the island state. Sooner or later virtually all the bad guys heard Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord55) grunt "Book 'em, Danno!" though chief bad guy Wo Fat was caught after MacArthur left the series.

McCloud 70-77
Navigating the gritty streets of 1970s New York City, a cowboy-hat-wearing detective from Taos, New Mexico, Sam McCloud (Dennis Weaver) finds himself solving complex crimes with his unique perspective and unorthodox methods. The show's success lies in its seamless blend of humour, action, and drama; showcasing engaging character dynamics between McCloud's down-to-earth wisdom clashing with his urban counterparts' scepticism whilst unravelling intriguing mysteries that keep viewers enthralled throughout each episode.

Longstreet 71-72
A visually impaired detective, portrayed by the inimitable James Franciscus, teams up with a martial arts expert and philosopher played by Bruce Lee, to unravel mysteries that confound even those with sight. Set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, this show masterfully intertwines elements of crime-solving drama and martial arts action while delving into themes such as overcoming personal limitations and the power of intellect over physical prowess.

Cannon 71-76
Diving into the world of a rotund private detective, this American series captivated audiences during its five-year run on CBS in the early 1970s. With William Conrad masterfully portraying Frank Cannon, viewers were treated to thrilling investigations and clever plot twists that showcased the protagonist's keen intellect and determination.

Columbo 71-98
The show revolves around a seemingly bumbling, yet brilliant detective who solves murder cases with his unassuming demeanour and relentless pursuit of the truth. When you first saw him, Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) looked like a bum that just came off the street. He had a bumbling demeanour, was overly polite and seemed to chomp on the same short cigar on a daily basis. However, beneath all that comical exterior was probably the most dogged investigator in the Los Angeles Police Department. Columbo was often called on to investigate high profile murders that involved the rich and famous. The culprits were often amused by him, and just as they thought they were going to get away with murder, Columbo would find a way to trap them or find enough evidence to make them confess.

Streets of San Francisco 72-77
This captivating crime drama series, set in the picturesque city by the bay, follows two detectives as they navigate the challenging terrain of solving murders and bringing justice to their community. A pair of plainclothes homicide detectives, Lieutenant Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas), cruise the streets of San Francisco, California solving a variety of crimes, usually involving murder. Stone is the street-smart twenty-year veteran cop, and Keller is the college-educated rookie. Much of the series' success was due to the friendly by-play and relationship between the two leads.

Kojak 73-78
Set in the gritty streets of Manhattan during the 1970s, it features Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) as a tough cop with unorthodox methods and memorable catchphrases, but his trademark is a fondness for lollipops. Despite his difficult work, he tirelessly brings criminals to justice while staying upbeat and good-natured. With catchphrases "Who loves ya, baby?", "Quit ya bellyaching", and "Cootchie-coo!" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes—and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice.

Shaft 73-74
Based on the movies of the same name, John Shaft is a two-fisted black private eye along the lines of Mike Hammer and Phillip Marlowe. Each week presents a different case and a different crime to solve.

Police Woman 74-8 
A ground breaking television series from the 1970s follows the story of a courageous female officer Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson (Angie Dickenson), LAPD's top undercover cop, who combats crime and challenges societal norms in Los Angeles. A member of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Pepper works the wild side of the street, where she poses as everything from a gangster's moll to a streetwalker to a prison inmate.

The Rockford Files 74-80
Jim Rockford, an ex-convict turned private investigator who solves a variety of cases while navigating the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. The show's success can be attributed to its unique blend of humour and suspense, as well as the compelling performance by James Garner in the lead role. Additionally, memorable supporting characters such as his father Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) and his former cellmate Angel (Stuart Margolin) contribute to its enduring appeal by providing both emotional depth and comic relief.

Baretta 75-78 
Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) is a street-smart, maverick undercover cop with the N.Y.P.D., who won't hesitate for a second to toss the rule book out the window if it stands between him and taking some bad guy off the street. His unconventional methods often land him in hot water with his boss (Lieutenant Shiller (Dana Elcar), later Lieutenant Hal Brubaker (Edward Grover)), but as long as Baretta was getting the job done, there wasn't much they could do. Ex-cop Billy Truman (Tom Ewell) and Rooster (Michael D. Roberts) were Baretta's main men on the street, and Fred was his pet cockatoo. His catchphrases include "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time", "You can take dat to da bank" and "And dat's the name of dat tune."

Starsky & Hutch 75-9
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Gran Torino with the help of police snitch Huggy Bear. Tough Det. Sgt. Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and educated Det. Sgt. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul) are plainclothes cops taking on dope dealers, muggers, and other thugs, aided by their souped-up red-and-white 1974 Ford Special Edition Gran Torino and their informant, Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas). Both bachelors' private lives play out as interweaving threads in the drama.

Charlie’s Angels 76-81
Sabrina Duncan, Kelly Garrett and Jill Monroe were all graduates of the Los Angeles Police Academy. However, rather than do meaningful police work like their male counterparts, they are given menial jobs such as meter maid (Sabrina), crossing guard (Kelly) and typist (Jill). Reclusive millionaire Charlie Townsend hires the trio to work for his private investigation agency. Their only contact with him is through the phone and through his right hand man John Bosley. In the course of their duties they often go undercover to try to get the goods on the various criminals they go after. A year after joining the firm, Jill quits the agency to become a driver on the Formula-1 circuit and is replaced by her kid sister Kris, who originally was going to be a teacher, but followed in her big sister's footsteps and became a police officer herself in San Francisco, but like her big sister was given menial duties. A couple of years later Sabrina quits to get married and start a family and is replaced by former Boston policewoman Tiffany Wells. Tiffany quits a year after joining the firm and was replaced by ex-model Julie Rogers.

Quincy 76-83
This captivating crime drama series follows the life of a brilliant medical examiner, Dr. Quincy (played by Jack Klugman), who uses his forensic expertise to solve baffling cases and advocate for public health issues. Set in Los Angeles, the show delves into various themes such as political corruption, social injustice, and ethical dilemmas while providing viewers with an insightful look into the world of forensic pathology.

Chips 77-83
Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s California, it follows the lives of two motorcycle officers from the California Highway Patrol as they enforce law and order on Los Angeles' freeways. The show's dynamic duo, Officer Jon Baker (played by Larry Wilcox) and Officer Frank "Ponch" Poncherello (portrayed by Erik Estrada), tackle a variety of challenging cases while also dealing with personal struggles

Hart to Hart 79-84
Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) was a self-made millionaire, the C.E.O. of Hart Industries, a global conglomerate. His gorgeous wife Jennifer (Stefanie Powers) was a freelance journalist. They were both amateur sleuths, and in every episode found themselves up to their eyeballs in murder, smuggling, theft, and international espionage. They also managed to find time to snuggle together, as they loved each other very much. Max (Lionel Stander) was their loyal, gravelly-voiced butler, cook, and chauffeur, and Freeway their pet canine.

1970s TV Crime Shows - UK

Characteristics of 1970s British Detective Series
These series collectively defined British crime television in the 1970s, blending suspense, drama, and social commentary, and remain influential in the genre today.
• Realism and Grit: Many series, like Z-Cars and The Sweeney, emphasized realistic portrayals of police work and urban crime.
• Character-Driven Stories: Shows often explored the personal lives of detectives alongside their professional duties.
• Procedural Focus: Series frequently highlighted investigative techniques, from forensic methods to detective intuition.
• Cultural Impact: These shows influenced public perceptions of policing and crime, and some, like The Sweeney, became cultural icons with lasting popularity.

By no means comprehensive, this chronological list only features series where I actually watched at least one episode, and it includes some shows from the late 60s.

Dixon of Dock Green 55-76
Constable George Dixon and his colleagues at the Dock Green police station in the East End of London deal with petty crime, successfully controlling it through common sense and human understanding.

Avengers 61-69
John Steed (Patrick Macnee) works for British Intelligence and works with various partners, notably: Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) (season one), Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) (seasons two and three), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) (seasons four, five, and six), and Tara King (Linda Thorson) (season seven). The problems he finds are always a bit odd, just on the edge of science fiction (cyborg killers, a city built under a disused coal mine, a gang put together for adrenaline junkies, and a killer who used a concentrated cold virus to kill his victims by having them sneeze to death). Steed is always the ultimate in culture and grace as he saves the world each week.

The Saint 62-69
The Saint is a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts; he prevents criminals from succeeding. Where a reward is offered, or where the criminal's loot is not discovered or disappears, he keeps it to cover his expenses. Simon Templar (Roger Moore) must always stay one step ahead of the law. Fortunately, his wit, charm, and knowledge of a criminal's ways make this a fairly easy task.

Z-cars 62-78
A gritty drama which follows the work of the police force in the fictional town of Newtown in the North of England. There were no car chases because there were not the facilities to record them in those days for TV drama. The programme certainly showed a more realistic side to police officers lives, because, unlike Dixon of Dock Green it showed policemen as ordinary men, not as some sort of patient saint. There was a hue and cry very early on when PC Steele (Jeremy Kemp) threw his dinner at the wall and struck his wife. Dixon would NEVER had done that - but real coppers did - as did, sadly, far too many men in those far off days.

Police 5 62-92
Long-running notice board for the police, who via the amiable presenter Shaw Taylor would request help from the viewer in helping them solve various crimes. The original title of the show comes from each episode running for 5 minutes. The revived version was 30 minutes, broadcast on Channel 5.

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) 69-71
Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk are private detectives who specialize in divorce cases. Their long-running partnership seems to come to an abrupt end when Marty is killed in a hit-and-run incident, but he is soon back--as a ghost--to help solve his own murder. In so doing he misses his chance to go to heaven, thanks to an ancient curse that states: "Before the sun shall rise, each ghost unto his grave must go. Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay and face the awful light of day." So Marty is stuck on Earth, as a white-suited spirit whom only Jeff can see, continuing their partnership and keeping (jealous) tabs on his widow, Jean.

Department S 1969-70
An elite department within Interpol, Department S inherits those cases which the other member groups have failed to solve. The brains of the group is Jason King (Peter Wyngarde), a hedonistic maverick who writes mystery novels and solves real-life crimes by projecting himself into the shoes of his fictional hero, Mark Caine. American Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani) is the fighter and pragmatist of the group, as down to Earth and cynical as Jason is flighty and flamboyant. Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nichols) is their scientist and analyst, whom Jason often accuses of loving nothing in the world except her computer. Although there is strong loyalty amongst the trio, there is also a lot of competition, especially between Annabelle and Jason, who seldom agree on any theory and are continually trying to show each other up by solving cases using their preferred methods. 

Special Branch 69-74
Groundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives.

Softly, Softly: Taskforce 69-76
This West Country police force solving local crime. its a spin-off from another BBC drama series, Z Cars (1962). A British police procedural, serving as a revamp of the older series "Softly Softly". At the end of the previous series, both Detective Chief Superintendent Barlow and Detective Inspector Watt applied for a promotion. In this series, Barlow has been appointed as the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the newly formed Thamesford Constabulary. Shortly after that, Watt is appointed as the deputy head of the department and the commander of its primary task force. The task force contains a mixture of CID and uniform personnel and is meant to provide a resource for use in big operations. With few exceptions, Barlow and Watt personally handle major crime cases and leave the more mundane police duties to their subordinates.

Jason King 71-4
After leaving Department S, hedonistic, womanizing dandy Jason King (Peter Wyngarde) settled down to a full-time career of writing (trashy) Mark Caine novels. He philandered his way around the world, doing research for his stories and tripping over a variety of odd--often verging on surreal--cases, usually involving beautiful women. He was occasionally blackmailed into working for British Intelligence under the threat of being arrested for unpaid back taxes.

Persuaders 71-2
Two wealthy playboys, British Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore)and American Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis), are teamed up by Judge Fulton to investigate crimes that the police cannot solve. These two men are complete opposites, but become great friends through their adventures and constantly risk their own lives for each other.

New Scotland Yard 72-4
John Woodvine and Alan Carlisle are the police officers who work on various criminal cases around London. The former officer is very good at his job and is respected. The latter officer though, is something of a loose cannon. He is prone to being rather overzealous in the execution of his duty and ends up in trouble at one stage. There's a good deal of variety, with the duo battling everyday murders, art frauds, even crimes of international and diplomatic themes. The domestic crimes work best - not in the same league of "Sweeney" but very watchable.

Protectors 72-4
The Protectors were Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn), Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree Dawn Porter), and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt), three freelance trouble-shooters who ran an international crimefighting agency. Based in London, Harry was the leader of the group. The Contessa lived in Italy; when she wasn't working with Harry, she ran her own detective agency that specialized in exposing art fraud and recovering stolen art. Paul Buchet worked out of Paris, and was the group's researcher and gadget specialist. Their adventures ranged from simple kidnapping to convoluted cases of international intrigue.

Van der Valk 72-92 (Set in Amsterdam)
An excellent updated take on the character from a series of best- selling novels by Author Nicolas Freeling with a superlative characterisation by actor Barry Foster in the lead role. Furthermore, it was the marrying of Foster's performance with the intelligent and gritty realism of the scripts and location that made this a must-see of the time. The city of Amsterdam is beautifully captured in each and every overcast shot of period detail - trams, bikes, canals, cars and bars all add to the realistic take on a glorious setting. When this series first debuted on the ITV network in 1972 it touched on surprisingly adult themes such as pornography, homosexuality, hard drugs and child murder, quite ground-breaking stuff for a UK made TV show at the time. This inevitably meant it had to be shown in the post watershed (9pm) time slot.

Sweeney 75-78
Jack Regan (John Thaw) and George Carter (Dennis Waterman) are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and--more often than not--successful. They get to deal with the trickiest cases and toughest criminals. To succeed in this job Regan, Carter, and their crew need to be ultra-tough themselves. And they are.

Raffles 75-77
Most people know A.J. Raffles only as a gentleman of leisure and a top-rated cricketer, but he is also "the amateur Cracksman", an expert jewel thief. Alternately aided and hindered by his old friend, Bunny Manders, Raffles (Anthony Valentine) cuts a dashing swathe across Edwardian England, helping himself to the baubles of the very rich, sometimes playing amateur sleuth or crime fighter, and generally enjoying himself.

New Avengers 76-77
John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his new accomplices Purdey (Joanna Lumley) and Gambit (Gareth Hunt) find themselves facing new and deadly dangers in the bizarre world of espionage. Mixing fantasy with a darker edge, the trio face mutated giant rats, flocks of killer birds and fanatical mysterious monks. Later episodes find Steed's loyalty under question and an increasing number of assignments overseas.

XYY Man 76-77
William "Spider" Scott (Stephen Yardley) has a spare "Y" chromosome in his cell structure, which makes him very tall but also gives him a compulsion to steal. He is in retirement after a career in crime as a cat burglar, but is enticed back to work for the British Secret Service by the shady Fairfax.

Professionals 77-83
Bodie (Martin Shaw) and Doyle (Lewis Collins), top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie was a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, came to CI5 from the regular police force, and was more of an open-minded liberal.

Hazell 78-79
A sort of Cockney version of Philip Marlowe, James Hazell looked cool driving around 70s London in his Triumph Stag. The plots ran the gamut of 70s crime show clichés ( missing children, drug smuggling, bank raids ), with Hazell often on the receiving end of a good hiding from some underworld felon. What lifted it above the average were the witty scripts and Nicholas Ball's laconic performance in the title role.

Shoestring 79-80
Light-hearted detective series set in the West Country, about radio-phone-in detective Eddie Shoestring, a likable and flawed character. Following a period in a mental institution after he had a breakdown and smashed up computer equipment, he gets recruited to "radio west" a fictional (at the time) local radio station to be a "private ear". People who need detective services call him up and he attempts to solve the case for them, using the story in his radio show.

Minder 79-94
Arthur Daley (George Cole), a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman) to be his minder and protect him from other small-time crooks. While Terry is putting his life at risk as he tries his hardest to satisfy his employer's demands, Arthur is busy exploiting Terry for all he is worth. When other people hire Terry's services through Arthur, Arthur usually keeps most of Terry's share of the money for himself by misleading the hard-working Terry about the amount of money he (as Terry's agent) is receiving on Terry's behalf.

My 1970s

1970
Living above my parents’ newsagent shop in Warwick (cool with the free sweets and comics) and attending Newburgh Junior School. 

1971
11+ test: Tough, slightly weird tests designed to sort the wheat from the chaff. The prize was choice of several grammar schools in the area.
September: Started at Leamington College for girls as one of less than a dozen from my junior school.

1972
Like most pre-teens, my bedroom walls were plastered with posters of teen idols like Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. I vividly remember factions in the playground – you were either Osmonds or Jacksons, and through them, I discovered Soul.
September: Second year at LCG – got the choice of Latin or German, and because I was firmly set on the idea of being a doctor, I chose Latin, to help with some of the names of diseases and the like.

1973
Although I’d been a big fan of music, this was the year it definitely took off for me in a big way with my top five including Stevie Wonder’s Living for the City, Wings’ Live And Let Die, Thin Lizzy’s Whiskey In The Jar, Ike & Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits and David Bowie’s Life on Mars. Soul gave way to Rock with a healthy dose of glam rockers like Slade and Sweet. Mott the Hoople, Manfred Man’s Earth Band, ELO and Wizzard also figured high in my favourites. I got a spherical portable radio which I used to listen to the chart rundown on Tuesday lunchtime. hiding among the coats in the cloakroom.

1974
The 3rd year ended with me winning a prize for “the most improved student” in my class. It really helped that my form tutor (the extremely strict and scary Mr Williams) was also my maths teacher, and I got 98% on the end-of-year exam. Damn those 2 marks I lost!
September: Start of the O-levels, and once I’d chosen all 3 sciences, the schedule left me with no options to do anything vaguely arty or humanities so, on the grounds I’d been cooking for the family for several years so it should be fairly straightforward, I picked Domestic Science (aka cookery, or food tech as its now known). This turned out to be the antithesis of light relief, with easily as much homework as any of the sciences.
Music-wise, Queen released Seven Seas of Rye and a new era was born. At 14, I was finally allowed to go to the Saturday evening disco in my friend’s village hall and it felt so-oo glamorous and exciting. Glam Rock was still around, but for me this was when the soul stuff I loved started turning into disco.

1975
Helen Reddy's weirdly wonderful Angie Baby became an anthemic sing for lonely, teenage me, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody – a real game changer.
June: Snow reported in East Anglia and the Midlands, penetrating as far south as the London area. The first time since 1888 that snow and sleet had been reported as widely so far south during the summer.

1976
Summer: O-levels - sat during the hottest temperatures for decades - we were provided with a bottle of water during each exam so we wouldn't dehydrate.
September began with 4 A-levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. A real tough schedule when most girls were only doing 3.

1977
According to our careers advisor, my aspirations of a career in medicine required more than average grades. The chat went something like: “As a girl, you need to be a straight-A student, and ideally either mum or dad should be a doctor before they’ll even consider you. If you want to stand out amongst the other applicant you need to show commitment and dedication.” So I joined a taster course set up at Warwick Hospital which had me spending several hours after school in various departments. All the other girls (and a couple of boys) were prospective nurses rather than doctors, so the sessions were tailored for that. I do remember spending several hours in the pathology department and being utterly fascinated – a career as a SOCO definitely appealed.

Aside from challenging A-level end-of year exams, June saw me taking part in a production of Cinderella with a bunch of kids living on Stratford Road in Warwick as part of the jubilee celebrations.. Being the oldest by far at 17, I got to play the wicked Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother – courtesy of some quick-change costumery. I don’t remember much about the actual show (held in a side-road away from one of Warwick’s busiest main roads. I do, however have fond memories of the wine and cheese party held in the house opposite that evening. Pretty sure I was the only person on the street who went to both.

September: After a long chat with my dad, about engineering, I had a change of heart and was immediately advised to drop Biology – the most labour-intensive of the A-levels. So instead I picked up an extra O-level in Engineering Drawing – completing the 2-year course in a year and managing a B.

1978
Summer A-level exams. As ever my exam nerves kicked in and instead of the predicted As and Bs I managed a C in maths and Ds in Physics and Chemistry. Luckily, I only needed 2 E’s to qualify at Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry – I think they were desperate to get more girls on the course.
September: 1st year of degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering

1979
January – One of my strongest memories was driving down to London with Claire and a couple of lads from the course. I bought the most amazing cocktail dress from Harrods and it was only a size 8.
June – As soon as exams finished, started work at GEC Telecomms – the thin sandwich degree meant the 2nd year was split over 2 years.
In addition to several courses in the training school, covering subjects like machine tools (my hubby still has the screwdriver and chain wrench I crafted), I spent anything from a week to three months on placement in various departments throughout the company.