I was thinking about presidential administrations and police procedural television shows from that era and how that show was somehow reflective of the administration. Is is me or is this kinda weird?
I've really only gone back as far as the Clinton Administration, and with that I've chosen The X-Files. The FBI are just federal cops, so I think it works.
The X-Files, at least all the episodes before Dogget and Reyes came along to fuck everything up (consequently, that was during Bush's tenure), represent a more innocent time, when things were mysterious, hard to explain, conspiratorial, ultimately knowable, and full of sexual tension. Bill Clinton's reign, right?
Now, what authoritative cop-like show would best represent the reign of Dubya? What cop-like show could only exist in a world where someone like George W. Bush was in charge, and only last as long as his royal highness the Imperial King George II? Better not call my mom during Jack-time. Jack Bauer heads the torture department in the various long days of the various seasons of the (somehow) beloved 24. 24 is the epitome of the Bush era: macho guy does it his own way, and the hell with your conventional and antiquated ideas about privacy and international law (laws that an erstwhile administration in this same country had a major hand in writing).
How about the Obama Administration? I was thinking that the Tom Selleck vehicle Blue Bloods would fill out this list nicely. Any show that has multiple generations of New York City cops sitting around a dinner table having a civilized conversation about the benefits of legalization of drugs could only come during a time where rational discussion has been allowed to commence once again, and a more realistic view of drugs has itself become reasonable. That seems to represent the best of the reign of Barry.
I think I'll do some more thinking about it and look deeper...like Miami Vice and Reagan? Rockford Files and Carter?
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