Top 20 TV Cops

They serve and protect you from the forces of chaos and crime that spill nightly from your television. They are the primetime police, a thin blue line that defends your domicile and sofa environs from the delinquent element. It's a dirty, thankless job, but they do it willingly. Ditto for us, as we investigate the top 20 TV cops of all time. -- Jefferson Reid

• Sound Off: Best TV Couple?
• Our Top 20 TV Couples

Top 20 TV Cops

20. Oliva Benson

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/law-and-order-special-victims-unit/100016/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'</font></a>

This hard-headed, soft-hearted beauty is a beast if you're one of the pervs she hunts down for Manhattan's SVU. Herself a child of rape, troubled Liv identifies strongly with victims, which leads to occasional conflict with her partner Elliot and especially with her boss, Captain Cragen.

Top 20 TV Cops

19. Tony Baretta

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/baretta/112710/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Baretta'</font></a>

Later infamous for dodging a murder rap, Blake became famous as Baretta, whose theme song cautioned, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Baretta did his (prime) time as a gritty undercover officer living in a flophouse with his pet cockatoo, Fred, boosted by the streetwise smarts of his pimp informant, Rooster.

Top 20 TV Cops

18. Sonny Crocket

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/miami-vice/99778/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Miami Vice'</font></a>

Sonny and his partner Rico Tubbs were the preening peacocks of the Miami PD, vice cops sporting pastel-hell fashions as they gunned down drug dealers in weekly bullet ballets. Studly Sonny was the perfect music video lawman, cruising South Beach in a Ferrari, Armani jacket and stylish Ray-Bans. Cool personified.

Top 20 TV Cops

17. Chief Clancy Wiggum

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-simpsons/62653/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Simpsons'</font></a>

No donut is safe from Springfield's porcine police chief, who worked his way up from high school hall monitor to prison guard to top cop. Dumb enough to make Homer seem like a genius, he's fond of citing erroneous statutes such as, "It's illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purpose of gambling."

Top 20 TV Cops

16. Brenda Leigh Johnson

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-closer/417678/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Closer'</font></a>

The head of L.A.'s Priority Homicide is an ex-CIA interrogator who does her best thinking inside the box -- the interrogation room, that is. Displaying a laser-like focus on complex cases (when she's not busy ignoring her complicated personal life or junk-food cravings), this Southern belle is a living nightmare for bad guys.

Top 20 TV Cops

15. Officer Tom Hanson Jr.

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/21-jump-street/112709/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'21 Jump Street'</font></a>

A dropout in real life, Depp ironically went undercover in high school to catch juvenile hoods -- or maybe just to get his G.E.D. He became an instant teen idol as leather-jacketed bad boy Hanson. But after serving three years of TV probation, Johnnie Law jumped off 'Jump Street' for life as a big-time movie star.

Top 20 TV Cops

14. David Starsky & Ken Hutchinson

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/starsky-and-hutch/112620/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Starsky & Hutch'</font></a>

Boyishly effusive Hutch and cooler Starsky somehow remained undercover for four seasons as they burned rubber chasing bad guys all over "Bay City" in Starsky's raging red Torino. With flamboyant informant Huggy Bear and shoutbox Captain Dobey providing support, what's not to love about macho male bonding?

Top 20 TV Cops

13. Barney Fife

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-andy-griffith-show/62410/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Andy Griffith Show'</font></a>

Deputy Fife's spaz-tastic slapstick provided perfect comic counterpoint to poised Sheriff Andy. And the absence of crime in sleepy Mayberry couldn't stifle Barney's overzealous ineptitude in his crusade against minor offenses like jaywalking. Dangerous when armed, Barney was required to keep his gun's lone bullet in his shirt pocket.

Top 20 TV Cops

12. Pepper Anderson

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/police-woman/1234580/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Police Woman'</font></a>

Hot Pepper was TV's first successful female cop. Using her police-womanly wiles undercover as a hooker or stripper helped bustier the ratings, so to speak, and pushed up this <a href="http://television.aol.com/show/the-police-story/81390/main" target="_blank">'Police Story'</a> spin-off to No. 1 its first season (1974). And Pepper continued to kick ass beautifully for three more years.

TV Couples: Fans Pick Their Favorites

11. Jimmy McNulty

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-wire/1130387/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Wire'</font></a>

As endearing as a drunken womanizer could be, McNulty was a tragically flawed Baltimore detective who lived to solve big cases. Screw that petty stuff like family, career or his cop buddies Lester and Bunk, Jimmy would fudge evidence or fake a serial killer if it served his skewed idea of the greater good.

Top 20 TV Cops

10. Theo Kojak

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/kojak/62683/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Kojak'</font></a>

This lollipop-licking lawman played the hoodlums for suckers. Kojak was an upright detective of Greek heritage who bent the rules in the time-honored TV tradition. Gruff with hoods but genial with fellow officers McNeil, Crocker and Stavros (<a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/george-savalas/63343' target='_blank'>Telly's</a> real-life brother <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/telly-savalas/109992' target='_blank'>George</a>), Kojak was known for the catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?"

Top 20 TV Cops

9. Frank Pembleton

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/homicide-life-on-the-street/49458/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Homicide: Life on the Street'</font></a>

The troubled soul of a sprawling show, Frank was a Catholic cop from NYC who migrated to the murderous streets of Baltimore. Frank could be pithy ("He who loses control, loses."), but he believed every case counted. And despite inner conflicts, clashes with his partner and even a stroke, Frank was a winner, if a complicated one.

Top 20 TV Couples

8. Steve McGarrett

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/hawaii-five-o/62997/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Hawaii Five-0'</font></a>

With curly hair breaking on his forehead just like the surf in his show's intro, McGarrett was the ultimate pretty-boy policeman. Aided by Danno, Chin and Kono, he battled spies, mobsters and arch-villain Wo Fat on the streets of Honolulu, invariably jailing baddies with his classic tagline: "Book 'em, Danno -- Murder One."

Top 20 TV Cops

7. Mick Belker

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/hill-street-blues/761699/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Hill Street Blues'</font></a>

Belker was so undercover that you almost felt like you were watching him in smell-a-vision. Providing comic relief on the gritty, groundbreaking 'Hill Street,' Mick was something of mad dog. In fact, he actually barked at dogs, bit criminals and was once even mugged by a group of bums. He was giving them a bad name!

Top 20 TV Cops

6. Vic Mackey

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-shield/77787/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Shield'</font></a>

Forget good cop/bad cop, Vic played bad cop/worse cop. When he wasn't murdering mobsters or undercover officers threatening to expose his corrupt Strike Team, Vic was stealing drug dealers' money to pay for alimony or his kids' autism treatments. And while no one would mistake him for a good guy, he was always good viewing.

Top 20 TV Cops

5. Christine Cagney & Mary Beth Lacy

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/cagney-and-lacey/62396/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Cagney & Lacey'</font></a>

Looking like the band Heart with firearms, single career gal Cagney and working mom Lacey brought the thunder and a sense of humor into the mostly male world of TV police-dom. Cancelled after the first season, these ladies and their fans fought back and wouldn't be denied. Right on, sisters!

Top 20 TV Cops

4. Joe Friday

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/dragnet-1952/62126/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Dragnet'</font></a>

Joe started on radio in 1949 with his "Just the facts, ma'am" approach, offering true crime stories with a cop's eye view. The '60s TV version featured blabby partner Bill Gannon for comic relief balancing Joe's deadpan anti-crime and anti-hippie screeds, which seemed reactionary at the time but later could be appreciated as camp.

Top 20 TV Cops

3. Lennie Briscoe

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/law-and-order/167770/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Law & Order'</font></a>

A world-weary recovering drunk with two ex-wives, Lennie was a central character for 12 years in the series that launched a thousand spin-offs. Brimming with toughness and acerbic wit ("New Hampshire. I spent a year there one weekend."), Lennie always seemed like a real cop. Or at least how you hoped a real cop would be.

Top 20 TV Cops

2. Columbo

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/columbo/112507/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Columbo'</font></a>

Looking more like a homeless man than an L.A. homicide detective, Lt. Columbo was a faux bumbler who disarmed his suspects by making them feel superior. Each episode, his scatterbrained schtick gradually gave way to tough questions that eventually cornered his suspects. He was always underestimated and they were always under arrest.

Top 20 TV Cops

1. Andy Sipowicz

<a href='http://television.aol.com/show/nypd-blue/228784/main' target='_blank'>'NYPD Blue' </font></a>

As the central character on 'NYPD Blue,' Andy appeared on every episode. Starting out as an intolerant and racist alcoholic, this cantankerous lout eventually quit drinking and learned to live and let live. Curiously, the flabby cop was also something of a sex symbol, risking a citizen's arrest for indecent exposure in an infamous nude shower scene.