Police Story

1h

Action & Adventure

Crime

Drama

Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV. Although it was an anthology, there were certain things that all episodes had in common; for instance, the main character in each episode was a police officer. The setting was always Los Angeles and the characters always worked for some branch of the LAPD. Notwithstanding the anthology format, there were recurring characters. Scott Brady appeared in more than a dozen episodes as "Vinnie," a former cop who, upon retirement, had opened a bar catering to police officers, and who acted as a sort of Greek chorus during the run of the series, commenting on the characters and plots.

Episodes

Cast

Slow Boy (1)

1. Slow Boy (1)

1h

20th Mar 1973

A special surveillance detail set up to catch criminals in the act finally nabs Slow Boy while he is robbing a supermarket. Complications arise when the robber takes a hostage before the police can detain him.

Slow Boy (2)

2. Slow Boy (2)

1h

20th Mar 1973

A special surveillance detail set up to catch criminals in the act finally nabs Slow Boy while he is robbing a supermarket. Complications arise when the robber takes a hostage before the police can detain him.

Dangerous Games

3. Dangerous Games

1h

2nd Oct 1973

Undercover cop Charlie Czonka tries to catch the big man behind a ring of prostitution, dope and extortion

Requiem for an Informer

4. Requiem for an Informer

1h

9th Oct 1973

A down-and-out addict becomes an informer for the bank robbery detail and wins the friendship of a cop.

The Ten Year Honeymoon

5. The Ten Year Honeymoon

1h

23rd Oct 1973

Two partners on the police force start getting on each other's nerves after ten years together when one begins acting strange.

The Violent Homecoming

6. The Violent Homecoming

1h

30th Oct 1973

A Mexican-American police sergeant who's been assigned to his original neighborhood leads the Juvenile Division in an attempt to head off a gang war.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

7. The Ho Chi Minh Trail

1h

6th Nov 1973

An undercover cop nearly loses his life trying to crack a big-time drug-selling operation.

Collision Course

8. Collision Course

1h

20th Nov 1973

The question of whether or not policewomen should be assigned to ride in patrol cars is brought to the head in a gun battle with two killers.

Death on Credit

9. Death on Credit

1h

27th Nov 1973

Sergeant Rick Calvelli works undercover in order to crack a phony credit card ring that plays dangerously.

The Big Walk

10. The Big Walk

1h

4th Dec 1973

A beat cop has his newly established authority challenged when a wealthy girl he arrests avoids retribution in court.

Man on the Rack

11. Man on the Rack

1h

11th Dec 1973

An unauthodox cop accidentally kills a fellow officer and is put under investigation by Internal Affairs.

Line of Fire

12. Line of Fire

1h

18th Dec 1973

A young police officer joins a special unit and must learn to cope with killing.

Chain of Command

13. Chain of Command

1h

8th Jan 1974

The possibility of a conspiracy to murder cops creates a war between a black community and the police.

Countdown (1)

14. Countdown (1)

1h

15th Jan 1974

When policeman Joe LaFrieda kills a member of an underworld family during a robbery attempt; a contract is put out on his life.

Countdown (2)

15. Countdown (2)

1h

22nd Jan 1974

The police clash head-on with the Mob when a contract is taken out on Officer Joe LaFrieda's life.

Cop in the Middle

16. Cop in the Middle

1h

29th Jan 1974

A cop on the take devises a plan to save himself from disgrace.

The Ripper

17. The Ripper

1h

12th Feb 1974

Two officers from Robbery-Homicide attempt to track down a killer of homosexuals who mutilates the bodies of his victims.

Country Boy

18. Country Boy

1h

19th Feb 1974

A young recruit from a rural community attempts to defy his background by completing the tough Police Academy training to become a cop.

Big John Morrison

19. Big John Morrison

1h

26th Feb 1974

Two detectives become emotionally involved in a case when a friend is the victim of a robber/rapist/murderer.

Wyatt Earp Syndrome

20. Wyatt Earp Syndrome

1h

5th Mar 1974

As an officer tracks down a rapist, his marriage dissolves in favor of his badge.

Fingerprint

21. Fingerprint

1h

12th Mar 1974

A police veteran in the Latent Prints Division is discouraged with his job until some unexpected combat gives him a new perspective.

Chief

22. Chief

1h

19th Mar 1974

A police chief must overcome an assissination plot and political games in order to speak at a local meeting of police-haters.

The Gamble

23. The Gamble

1h

26th Mar 1974

The transfer of desk officer Lisa Beaumont to the vice squad leads to a series of explosive developments.

First air date

20th Mar 1973

Last air date

3rd Dec 1988

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks