After just about everybody I know told me HBO's cop drama "The Wire" was great I finally ordered the first season on DVD from Netflix. And they were all right. It is great. It fixes the main problem with "Law & Order" -- these stories can't fit into one episode. In "Law & Order" it's ridiculous that the trial is like the next day after the person is arrested. I think the the CSI shows stink because they are mainly about showing gross-out shots and all kinds of flashing around of stuff I guess somebody sees (but it is really just show the viewer everything so there's no mystery). CSI is dumbed down so much so nobody could ever possibly get confused while watching it. Boring. And the actors don't look remotely like cops. See cop on right.

I'd say "The Wire" ranks up there with some of the best TV cop dramas ever. I also liked "Homicide: Life on the Streets" a lot and early seasons of NYPD Blue (before Ricky Schroder showed up).

After so much rambling, here's a question they somebody may have already asked on here, what's the best TV cop drama ever?