> Why do cop shows now show almost exclusively clean and very professional cops where cop shows of the 70s and 80s showed police were basically good but would cut corners?

The shift from the "corner-cutting" cops of the 1970s and 1980s to today's highly professional, "clean" police portrayals is driven by changing societal values, modern forensic science, legal shifts, and intense network consulting with real law enforcement.

Here is why this transformation happened:

1. The Post-9/11 "Hero" Shift

    New Era: The September 11 attacks fundamentally changed how media portrayed first responders.
    Flaws Removed: Audiences demanded unambiguous heroes, shifting police from gritty, rule-breaking vigilantes to infallible defenders of public safety.
    Institutions Celebrated: Shows began celebrating the efficiency of the system rather than the rebellion of a lone-wolf detective.

2. The Rise of Forensic Science

    Tech Focus: The massive success of CSI in the early 2000s shifted the narrative focus from street interrogations to the crime lab.
    Scientific Certainty: Modern shows rely on DNA, data tracking, and high-tech surveillance.
    Rules Matter: If a modern TV cop "cuts a corner" or violates a warrant, science-based evidence is thrown out of court, ruining the storyline's resolution.

3. Real-World Police Consultants

    Active Influence: Modern production companies heavily employ active or retired police officers as full-time technical advisors.
    Image Control: Law enforcement agencies grant access to real equipment, vehicles, and precincts in exchange for accurate, professional representation.
    Protocol Focus: Advisors ensure actors follow exact protocol, eliminating the casual brutality or law-bending common in older media.

4. Accountability and the Legal Landscape

    Body Cameras: In the 1970s (Starsky & Hutch, Hunter), cops operated in the shadows. Today, the ubiquity of cell phones and body cams is mirrored on TV.
    Civil Rights Awareness: Modern audiences are highly sensitive to police misconduct, corruption, and systemic bias.
    PR Risk: Networks avoid portraying unconstitutional behavior as "cool" or "necessary" to avoid public backlash and political controversy.

5. The Evolution of the Procedural Formula

    Systemic Perfection: Shows like Law & Order or NCIS popularized the "procedural" format where the machine works perfectly every week.
    Comfort TV: Modern viewers watch these shows for comfort and predictability, knowing that ultra-competent professionals will cleanly solve the problem within 44 minutes.