Cop Rock



Cop Rock was a 1990 police drama presented as a musical. Steven Bochco made it in an attempt to replicate the success he had with Hill Street Blues, the acclaimed gritty police drama. He largely reused its premise but in musical form. This experiment definitely didn't work, possibly due to the dissonance of cheery, happy songs appearing spontaneously in an otherwise relatively serious police drama. In the show, the ensemble cast mixed musical numbers and choreography throughout storylines, for example, bursting into songs during court trials. It's just as bizarre as it sounds, and became infamous for its strange premise and stranger execution.

It has the honor of being rated #8 on the TV Guide List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time. You could, of course, watch it for the Camp factor without taking it seriously, and you might enjoy it.


 * Amoral Attorney: The spin doctors hired by the legal team sing about how they will portray Vincent La Russo as having shot the suspect in self-defense.
 * Audience-Alienating Premise: TV Musicals have a hard time. Only Fame, Smash and Glee avoided being killed after their first season, largely because they took place in rare settings where a character's sudden burst into singing could possibly be justified.
 * Awesome Music/The Newmans: Alfred's nephew Randy Newman won three Emmys, one for Cop Rock and two for Monk.
 * Camp
 * Crazy Homeless People: In an episode where a homeless encampment was being cleared out, the homeless people inexplicably break out in a song and dance number.
 * Crowd Song: Used often.
 * End of Series Awareness: The short-lived musical procedural did this in the final scene.
 * Every Man Has His Price: The mayor accepts a bribe in exchange for awarding a building contract.
 * Follow Up Failure: After Hill Street Blues and other successes, ABC gave Bochco an unprecedented deal to create ten shows. Among them were Cop Rock and Capitol Critters, a prime time animated series about mice living in the White House which was cancelled after seven episodes.
 * Gospel Revival Number: He's Guilty!
 * Intercontinuity Crossover: With characters from Hill Street Blues appearing often.
 * Intercourse with You: The 'Bumpty Bumpty' song.
 * Just Like Robin Hood:
 * And you foot patrols keep a lookout
 * For the supermarket Robin Hood
 * He's been stealing from the store and giving to the poor
 * He's the hero of the neighbourhood


 * Loads and Loads of Characters: Common to many of Bochco's series, including L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues.
 * Musical Episode: Every episode is a musical.
 * Musical World Hypotheses: Definitely the 'Alternate Universe' hypothesis fits here. Any attempts to make this fit into Adaptation Hypothesis go right out the window when people actually play musical instruments during 'He's Guilty' and 'Be Careful Out There'.
 * Narm: The plight of the homeless, sung here, for one particular example. It's a cop drama turned musical, what can you expect?
 * Naughty Nurse Outfit: The nurses in Cop Rock's musical number say the phrase Bigger Is Better and wear Stripperiffic dresses.
 * Protection From Editors: Steven Bochco was given not only free rein but enough rope to hang himself, largely on the strength of NYPD Blue and other prior works.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: The upper class people arrested for using narcotics sing that they should be ignored since they pay high taxes.
 * Short Runners: Cancelled in the first season, largely because the premise never did make sense.
 * So Bad It's Good: Oh God, yes.
 * Strawman News Media: Portrayed cynically, where ratings are the only concern.
 * Villain Song: Here. 'Baby Merchant' definitely qualifies.
 * Wunza Plot
 * X Meets Y: The Police Procedural meets The Musical.