The Atlantic: Why British Police Shows Are Better

  

In The Atlantic:

British series [have] a greater sense of control, of order, relative to the urban chaos that prevails on American television....   

Everyone weaned on American cop dramas, for instance, knows the right way to approach a door behind which a suspect might be waiting: His gun drawn, an officer stands to one side before knocking and declaring himself loudly. The anticipation of violence is so primal that it dominates almost every interaction that involves the police. In your typical British police show, by contrast, a visit to a suspect can resemble a social errand, as unarmed detectives wait patiently in front of a door after ringing the bell. The absence of gunfire—and, more important, of concern about the possibility of gunfire—almost invariably leads to more actual detective work.

- Why British Police Shows Are Better <https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/11/why-british-police-shows-are-better/616479/>

Shows mentioned:

• Broadchurch
• Happy Valley
• Hinterland
• The Loch
• Prime Suspect
• River
• Shetland
• Unforgotten
• Vera
• The Wire