My very first HSQ moment.

That really did freak me out when I saw it. They did a good job of keeping Magnum relatively dark for a while, until they got goofy. They also had really good standalone eps--my favorite was the one where Magnum wants to spend July 4th alone, starting with some surfboarding, and ends up in the middle of the ocean without his board, treading water and hoping he doesn't get swept out to sea. All while he's thinking about his father, who taught him to tread water.

My earliest cop show must-watches were the CBS Murder Movie shows, with McCloud, McMillan & Wife, and Columbo, Columbo being my favorite. As a kid, I loved what Frank pointed out, that I didn't have to figure out whodunit, but only watch to find how the criminal trips him/herself up.

Oh, I forgot Magnum! Also, Rockford Files. We watched lots of p.i. shows and lots of cop shows when I was growing up.

So, what did you guys think of L&O? I felt that Green's reasons for quitting - he quit right? - anyway, I felt like he could have beat the charges if he wanted to. I mean, he did some wrong stuff but the shoot itself was good. That should have counted for something.

Also, I'm glad that they called back to something that we knew: his old gambling problem. And interesting that it was Lenny's death that made him go back to that bad habit.

in terms of police detectives, it's a tossup between Columbo and Ironside. I definitely think Columbo was my favorite, because you KNEW who did it (with one or two exceptions, where they kept it a mystery) and you got to watch Columbo unravel their "perfect" crime.

I loved all the shows mentioned here...plus Quincy and the Streets of San Francisco and Longstreet. Since I lived in the East Bay, Streets was especially fun when they showed actual landmarks.

It's funny, I can remember these shows from my teenhood but I then flash forward to Buffy before I can claim a serious devotion to a specific program. Huh. What was I doing in my early adulthood that made me not connect with tv as much?

Columbo being my favorite. As a kid, I loved what Frank pointed out, that I didn't have to figure out whodunit, but only watch to find how the criminal trips him/herself up.

Plus Peter Falk was just awsome. It was so fun watching the special celebrity guest murderer underestimate him. And they had some truly offbeat guest stars - Johnny Cash comes to mind immediately.

All while he's thinking about his father, who taught him to tread water.

And he's wearing his father's watch, which you don't realize until the very last shot.

I don't know how I remember this stuff so clearly.

My interests run more toward whodunits than procedurals, though it doesn't sound like this thread really distinguishes the two. Reruns of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr version) were the first TV show I stayed up late for. Right around that time, there was also an Ellery Queen series starring Jim Hutton -- with John Hillerman in a recurring role as a radio star who always reached the wrong solution.

Hubs and I enjoy the occasional movie version of Agatha Christie's novels, which show fairly regularly on the cable channels, so I don't feel too far off topic. Hubs usually can figure out who the killer is, I can't unless I've read the novel. I'll only say that I had lots of fun watching him try to solve Murder on the Orient Express.

I'll only say that I had lots of fun watching him try to solve Murder on the Orient Express.

Heh. Albert Finney version?

Albert Finney version?

Agatha Christie was still alive when that came out. She commented that Albert Finney's moustache wasn't awesome enough to be Hercule Poirot's.

Albert Finney version?

Yes. I'm right there for any movie with both Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall.

Oh, I loved Ellery Queen too!