Badges, big hair, and back seat handcuffs. This week Dwayne and Heather grab the siren and count down the top ten cop shows that defined a whole generation of Wednesday nights, from Hill Street Blues to Miami Vice. Plus, “This Week in Gen X History” covers August 2nd through the 8th, a Nielsen-informed rundown of who really ruled the small screen, and a closing conversation on why cop shows were absolutely everywhere in that era.
This week’s countdown includes: Baretta, Kojak, Adam-12, Starsky & Hutch, Hunter, Cagney & Lacey, T.J. Hooker, CHiPs, Miami Vice, and Hill Street Blues, with honorable mentions for S.W.A.T., Columbo, and Police Woman.
Whatever! The Gen X Podcast is a weekly show for anyone who grew up with a house key on a shoelace and a landline that only sometimes worked. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
Music and Clip Credits Our theme song is provided by Envato Elements.
This episode includes brief clips of “Private Eyes” by Hall & Oates and “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John, along with short theme music excerpts from Baretta, S.W.A.T., and Hill Street Blues, and brief audio clips from T.J. Hooker and Kojak. All clips are used for commentary and critique purposes and fall under fair use as defined in 17 U.S.C. § 107.