6. Prime Suspect (1991-2006) / Prime Suspect (2011)
There are always police shows on TV and more and more are picked up every year. But so rarely do these cop shows feature a female lead, especially as the sole main character. Well, having the incomparable Helen Mirren helps. The show ran for seven series spread out over 15 years (an unusual TV schedule which likens more to a mini-series with seven 2-part movies) and followed the career of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison. Over the years, numerous big name actors appeared on the show in various roles, including Tom Wilkinson, Ralph Fiennes, David Thewlis, Ciarán Hinds, Mark Strong, and Jonny Lee Miller. The American re-imagining starred Maria Bello a great, underrated actress, but certainly no Helen Mirren (but then, who is?) as a tough-as-nails New York City detective fighting for respect in a male-dominated precinct. Receiving generally positive response from critics, especially for Bellos performance, the show struggled to find a consistent audience. Because of sagging ratings after the shows final episodes aired, NBC put the show on hold and was considering their options with show . . . which is a nice way of saying it was cancelled.
Chris Henson
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Chris lives in New Orleans. He writes for several local publications and national websites - mostly about film, television, books, music, food, special events, and pop culture. Since writing unfortunately never pays much, he pays the bills with his day job in marketing.
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