Survey Finds There Are More Police Procedural Shows Than Television Sets In U.S.

NEW YORK – Since its inception, television has always been enamored of policemen. From dramas like <em>Hill Street Blues</em>, to comedies like <em>Barney Miller</em>, police shows have always been a ratings goldmine.

But a new survey unveiled what many cable subscribers have already suspected: that there are actually more police shows on television than there are actual television sets in the United States. The not-so-surprising results of this year-long investigation showed that the number of police procedurals are outpacing television sales by nearly 20%.

This is not news to Ghen Maynard, head of programming at CBS. “Police shows have been increasing exponentially in the last several years,” said Gaynard in a recent interview. “They’re easy to write, and you can do a lot of nasty and disgusting things in them.”

The survey blamed the boom in police shows on the CSI franchise, which now has 2,375 different versions playing around the clock in all time zones. “You simply cannot avoid a police procedural if you own a television or have ever looked at one,” said Gaynard. The number is even more astounding considering the fact that the sruvey discounted shows that feature doctors doing police work, like <em>House</em>, although it did include shows like <em>The Mentalist</em> that feature police periferally.

But if anyone thinks the glut of police shows will soon come to and end, Maynard has some sobering information. “We (CBS) are actually looking into creating our own cable system, with hundreds of channels of police and detective shows.” Maynard added with a laugh: “It’s hard to believe, but people eat this shit up like it was crack-flavored candy.”