This groundbreaking and award-winning NBC crime drama provided a very realistic view into the lives of the dedicated cops and detectives of an urban police station. From January 1981 to August 1986, the show ran on Thursdays at 10/9 Central, with occasional repeats on Saturdays at 10/9 Central. From August 1986 to August 1987 first-run episodes aired Tuesdays at 10/9 Central.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | April 2014 | 10 | |
| Season 1 | January 1981 | May 1981 | 17 |
| Season 2 | October 1981 | May 1982 | 18 |
| Season 3 | September 1982 | May 1983 | 22 |
| Season 4 | October 1983 | May 1984 | 22 |
| Season 5 | September 1984 | May 1985 | 23 |
| Season 6 | September 1985 | April 1986 | 22 |
| Season 7 | October 1986 | May 1987 | 22 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 0 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | 0 | ||
| Season 1 | January 1981 | May 1981 | 17 |
| Season 2 | October 1981 | May 1982 | 18 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 121 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 156 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Lewis | 82 | 12/03/1981 - 05/12/1987 | |
| Steven Bochco | 78 | 01/15/1981 - 09/26/1985 | |
| David Milch | 69 | 09/30/1982 - 05/12/1987 | |
| Michael Wagner | 42 | 01/07/1982 - 02/10/1987 | |
| Anthony Yerkovich | 37 | 02/07/1981 - 05/12/1983 | |
| Michael Kozoll | 26 | 01/15/1981 - 03/18/1982 | |
| Jacob Epstein | 24 | 11/22/1984 - 04/03/1986 | |
| Karen Hall | 17 | 10/28/1982 - 05/10/1984 | |
| Robert Ward | 17 | 11/07/1985 - 03/10/1987 | |
| Roger Director | 13 | 02/09/1984 - 05/09/1985 | |
| Walon Green | 11 | 09/26/1985 - 03/27/1986 | |
| Dick Wolf | 8 | 10/31/1985 - 03/13/1986 | |
| Elia Katz | 8 | 11/15/1984 - 11/14/1985 | |
| John Romano | 3 | 10/02/1986 - 05/12/1987 | |
| David Stenn | 3 | 11/08/1984 - 01/24/1985 | |
| Robert Crais | 3 | 11/12/1981 - 12/10/1981 | |
| Jonathan Lemkin | 3 | 03/27/1986 - 02/10/1987 | |
| Lee David Zlotoff | 2 | 02/14/1981 - 03/14/1981 | |
| Dennis Cooper | 2 | 12/15/1983 - 01/19/1984 | |
| Steve Bello | 2 | 10/16/1986 - 02/10/1987 | |
| Christian Williams | 2 | 02/03/1987 - 05/05/1987 | |
| Terry Curtis Fox | 2 | 10/09/1986 - 12/02/1986 | |
| David Black | 2 | 12/23/1986 - 03/31/1987 | |
| Robert Schlitt | 2 | 03/06/1986 - 04/03/1986 | |
| Jerry Patrick Brown | 2 | 02/27/1986 - 12/09/1986 | |
| Peter Silverman | 2 | 11/10/1983 - 01/20/1987 | |
| Alan Rachins | 1 | 03/25/1981 | |
| Russ Woody | 1 | 02/06/1986 | |
| Joseph Gunn | 1 | 01/27/1983 | |
| David Mamet | 1 | 01/13/1987 | |
| Elias Katz | 1 | 01/10/1985 | |
| Marjorie David | 1 | 01/06/1987 | |
| John Litvack | 1 | 03/31/1987 | |
| Thom Thomas | 1 | 02/18/1982 | |
| Mchael Wagner | 1 | 01/28/1982 | |
| Darrell Vienna | 1 | 10/02/1986 | |
| Floyd Byars | 1 | 11/08/1984 | |
| Jeff Melvoin | 1 | 03/17/1987 | |
| Frank South | 1 | 02/07/1985 | |
| Jerome Portman | 1 | 03/17/1987 | |
| George Goldsmith | 1 | 03/17/1987 | |
| John William See | 1 | 02/27/1986 | |
| Robert Earll | 1 | 11/11/1982 | |
| Bob Woodward | 1 | 02/03/1987 | |
| Philip Combest | 1 | 02/10/1983 | |
| Ron Koertge | 1 | 03/03/1987 | |
| E. Jack Kaplan | 1 | 03/07/1981 | |
| Bill Taub | 1 | 02/28/1981 | |
| John Mankiewicz | 1 | 02/06/1986 | |
| Barry Jay Kaplan | 1 | 09/26/1985 | |
| Duncan Smith | 1 | 03/06/1986 | |
| Jody Taylor-Worth | 1 | 04/07/1987 | |
| Neil Eglash | 1 | 02/10/1987 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Frost (I) | 32 | 11/18/1982 - 05/16/1985 | |
| Gregory Hoblit | 16 | 03/14/1981 - 05/16/1985 | |
| Christian I. Nyby II | 12 | 01/27/1983 - 03/17/1987 | |
| David Anspaugh | 10 | 11/12/1981 - 10/20/1983 | |
| Rick Wallace | 10 | 04/28/1983 - 10/03/1985 | |
| John Patterson | 9 | 01/24/1985 - 03/31/1987 | |
| Thomas Carter | 9 | 02/11/1982 - 12/06/1984 | |
| Georg Stanford Brown | 7 | 02/07/1981 - 03/06/1986 | |
| Gabrielle Beaumont | 7 | 11/17/1983 - 11/13/1986 | |
| Scott Brazil | 6 | 11/22/1984 - 10/09/1986 | |
| Robert Butler | 6 | 01/15/1981 - 11/19/1981 | |
| Jeff Bleckner | 5 | 01/07/1982 - 11/08/1984 | |
| Stan Lathan | 5 | 10/31/1985 - 05/12/1987 | |
| Ben Bolt | 4 | 09/26/1985 - 10/30/1986 | |
| Corey Allen | 4 | 05/26/1981 - 05/03/1984 | |
| Randa Haines | 4 | 12/10/1981 - 12/15/1983 | |
| Don Weis | 4 | 11/06/1986 - 05/05/1987 | |
| Alexander Singer | 3 | 10/27/1983 - 10/24/1985 | |
| Dale White | 3 | 12/02/1986 - 02/10/1987 | |
| Arnold Laven | 3 | 02/14/1981 - 02/18/1982 | |
| Arthur Allan Seidelman | 3 | 11/10/1983 - 03/15/1984 | |
| Jack Starrett | 2 | 03/14/1981 | |
| John Hancock | 2 | 11/07/1985 - 12/12/1985 | |
| Bill Duke | 2 | 11/03/1983 - 11/15/1984 | |
| Ken Lavet | 1 | 04/07/1987 | |
| Lawrence H. Levy | 1 | 02/25/1982 | |
| Richard Compton | 1 | 01/12/1984 | |
| Robert C. Thompson | 1 | 03/21/1981 | |
| Arthur Alan Seidelman | 1 | 01/26/1984 | |
| Oz Scott | 1 | 02/03/1983 | |
| Ed Sherin | 1 | 12/09/1986 | |
| Michael Switzer | 1 | 03/27/1986 | |
| Robert Kelljan | 1 | 11/18/1982 | |
| Rod Holcomb | 1 | 12/03/1981 | |
| David Rosenbloom | 1 | 02/17/1983 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Stevens | 5 | 01/24/1981 - 05/19/1981 |
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What's the best TV show of all time? Who knows? This poll is strictly about favorite shows, the programs people in Hollywood hold nearest to their hearts — that remind them of better times or speak to their inner child or inspire their creativity or just help them unwind after a crappy day at the studio — even if one or two of the programs listed here aren't exactly masterpieces of the medium.
From time-capsule sitcoms to cutting-edge Peak-TV dramas — the definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics
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So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the "60 Greatest" lists we've compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can't wait to find out.
The “TV 101” list honors classic, trailblazing series and miniseries, as well as current and critically acclaimed programs, from comedies and dramas to variety/talk and children’s programming. At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers who joined their staffs or worked on individual episodes. “This list is not only a tribute to great TV, it is a dedication to all writers who devote their hearts and minds to advancing their craft.
A ranking of the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history, from the medium’s inception in the early 20th century through the ever-metastasizing era of Peak TV BY ALAN SEPINWALL
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