The Best Female Police Duo

One of the most compelling and convincing TV drama's ever to hit the airways was a sitcom about two New York City female detectives. The release date for this show was 25 March 1982.It's ironic that one of best shows on T.V. was actually canceled after the 82/83 season, but after viewers wrote into CBS protesting the cancellation, "Cagney and Lacey" was reborn again in March of 1984 and would run until 1988. Cagney and Lacey was directed by Ted Post with writers Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday.

It is considered to be one of the first American television's serious
drama series with two female leads. The show starred Sharon Gless and veteran television actress Tyne Daly as N.Y.City police detectives who led very different lives. Gless played the part of Christine Cagney who was a single, career and goal seeking woman while Daly,who played Mary Beth Lacey, was a married women who was also a mother. Al Waxman starred as their supervisor, Lt.Bert Samuels. Dick O'Neilplayed the part of Cagney's alcoholic father and Dan Shor played the part of Detective Jonah Newman from 1985 to 1986.

During the years that Cagney and Lacey were on their would be some episodes that were considered groundbreaking by some and taboo by others. The bombing of an abortion clinic that some affiliate stations refused to air. The birth of Lacey's third child and probably the most controversial episode 'The City is Burning' that was based on the 1986 racial incident in Queens Howard Beach. The use of racial slurs such as the word "nigger" that are taboo in prime-time. Another episode that brought cries of indifference dealt with the subject of Aids in the school system which is still a touchy subject in some districts even today.

Before Cagney and Lacey there was a stereotyped conception of what a police woman was. She was often seen as a person who would only escort prisoners or who would be passing out some parking tickets. The idea that a woman could reach a high rank in the department was almost impossible. What is really extraordinary is the way their differences were so clearly established, and yet we know without question that they could rely on each other completely.

This show helped change the conception of what women could do in police work. Cagney and Lacey were two women who were treated as real people.They experienced most of the situations that only two people, who work so closely together day after day, would encounter. That is why Cagney And Lacey were the first and best female police duo on T.V.