Of all the long-running police procedural drama TV shows to have seen enduring success, Blue Bloods is easily one of the most distinctive. Many of the best police procedural TV series of all time feature storylines in which the intensity of the job can play havoc with the main characters’ home lives, which is why many emphasize the way in which the colleagues at the series’ center can become each other’s found family. Blue Bloods had a smart way of avoiding many of the tropes associated with this storyline, by having the central family be law enforcement.

Series centering on crime families are not unusual, with masterpieces like The Sopranos and Animal Kingdom standing the test of time. On the other hand, a series about a crime-fighting family is surprisingly rare, and Blue Bloods‘ impactful Reagan family dinner scenes came to define the series. Every episode of Blue Bloods includes a scene in which the characters have a meal together, underscoring the show’s emphasis on family and connection, and while this aspect has never yet been beaten, there are several excellent police procedural TV shows that outperform Blue Bloods in other ways.

Law & Order

When it comes to police procedural TV shows, the location can almost become another character, with cities and towns each having their own set of potential issues. New York is central to both Blue Bloods and Law & Order, and both shows explore complex issues surrounding justice in greater detail than more simple shows in which cops catch the criminals and go home. What made Law & Order one of the best police procedurals ever made was its questioning of what constitutes justice, and this is something we also see in Blue Bloods.

Blue Bloods‘ legal arc with Erin was a high point, but Law & Order outshines Blue Bloods in its in-depth analysis of the legal system. The series often presents episodes that explore whether or not a person can be convicted, rather than just whether they did the crime. This has led to some shocking conclusions in which a guilty person has escaped justice, highlighting very real issues within the system and often ending the show on a disturbing but realistic note.

Columbo

Columbo’s catchphrase “just one more thing” made the character iconic, tripping up criminals just as they thought they were getting away with their crime. Most Blue Bloods characters tend to be more straightforward, but this has not stopped the detective from inspiring actors in the show. Danny Reagan is famously hot-headed, walking “on the line,” as Frank puts it. Even so, Donnie Wahlberg could not resist bringing some of Columbo’s signature wit to his character, telling CBS, “there are moments when I’ll play around and may say, “I’m going to go a little Columbo [Peter Falk] in this moment.”

Blue Bloods forms an excellent character study of multiple people at once, while highlighting the nuances in the business of law enforcement. However, Columbo’s focus on the detective skills of the central character allows the series to showcase his expertise and wit in every single episode, which is something that Blue Bloods could not do without drastically changing its format. Viewers wanting to see this more intricate psychological battle between a killer and detective may prefer Columbo for this reason.

NYPD Blue

Both Blue Bloods and NYPD Blue feature realistic aspects of police life, and the TV show is very similar to Blue Bloods in some respects. The shows explored the way in which police work affected the relationships of the main characters and was not afraid to feature storylines that explored corruption in law enforcement. That said, the two series have drastically different tones, with Blue Bloods feeling tamer despite being the more modern show.

NYPD Blue was infamously controversial, depicting nudity, swearing, alcoholism, and gritty topics that were ahead of their time for the early 1990s. This willingness to push boundaries paved the way for other police procedural shows, including Blue Bloods, and NYPD Blue outshines the series when it comes to raw and unflinching portrayals of the everyday lives of New York City police, ugly moments and all. Blue Bloods, while a great police series, is also a family drama, but the overall vibe of NYPD Blue keeps the attention on the world of police.

Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit

Both shows center on New York, but the city setting is much more interconnected with Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit, while the physical heart of Blue Bloods is the Reagan family dinner table. This is not necessarily a bad point as it makes the two shows different, but viewers wanting to feel a better sense of place should watch Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit first.

It is understandable that a TV show that centers on a family of police characters would generally give more attention to their dynamics and experiences than unrelated victims of the crimes they are investigating. Still, the comparative lack of emotional nuance when it comes to the victims of serious crimes is one of Blue Bloods‘ few failings, and the factor that makes Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit shine in comparison.

While well-written, well-meaning, and well-acted, even the best characters in Blue Bloods cannot compare to Olivia Benson in terms of character development. Her backstory informs many of her actions, with longtime fans able to understand her reasoning even when she makes mistakes, and the way Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit tackles victim advocacy is directly related to Mariska Hargitay’s outstanding performance.

Chicago P.D.

NBC

Blue Bloods‘ family center makes it a difficult TV show to replace, and it stands out above virtually every other police procedural for this unique aspect. That feature has given it the edge over series like Chicago P.D., which have been criticized for writing characters out between seasons without giving viewers a chance to feel their absence. However, Blue Bloods‘ greatest strength does not mean that the show is immune from criticism.

While Detective Baez is the unsung hero of Blue Bloods with her partnership with Danny being one of the show’s best and most subtle relationship arcs, Chicago P.D. truly excels at representing detective work. The series features some of the best detective characters on TV, like Kim Burgess, and explores the characters’ varied problem-solving methods with a far greater focus than Blue Bloods gives.

Adam-12

Like many TV shows from the 1960s, Adam-12 has dated considerably. That said, one main aspect of the series is still represented in a better way than in Blue Bloods. Through following characters like Pete Malloy and Jim Reed in their police cruiser, Adam-12 shows the everyday reality of police patrol work without relying on dramatic plots, major criminal cases, and unpredictable heroics in each episode. Blue Bloods has its own version of the beat cop, with Jamie filling the role, but the focus is divided among the other family members, who each represent a different side of law enforcement.

Adam-12 does feature some significant incidents, from terrorism to shootouts, but the show’s seven seasons juxtapose them with much more mundane issues, including DUIs and traffic stops. The home lives of the characters in Adam-12 are rarely given much focus outside Malloy’s dating life, which gives the series a very different feel from Blue Bloods. Still, viewers looking for a show that fits neatly into the procedural genre with a focus on the everyday lives of patrol officers may find Adam-12 a better show.

Rookie Blue

At times, Rookie Blue shares the main tone of Blue Bloods through the warmth and camaraderie among the main characters. However, Blue Bloods does this through blood relations, which is almost the exact opposite to Rookie Blue, which sets the characters up as a found family all learning together. The Canadian series shares Blue Bloods‘ themes of mentorship, learning through mistakes, and a more wholesome approach to some of the grittier cop shows available.

The characters in Blue Bloods are not immune to making mistakes, but most are starting out from relatively experienced positions, while the Rookie Blue characters are complete beginners. With Blue Bloods‘ Danny-centered spinoff, Boston Blue, being praised by critics, some have noted that it may have been interesting to see a prequel showing the Reagan family’s introductions to police work. Despite being set in Canada, the closest we come yet to a Blue Bloods prequel is Rookie Blue.

Source: CBS