Cops was able to maintain its popularity across the decades despite the sometimes controversial subject matter which was shown.
The series filmed around the country and followed several police departments and sheriff’s deputies (often backed by state troopers or other state law enforcement officials) as they went out on service calls and patrolled their districts.
One of the things many viewers enjoyed about the series was the cinéma vérité style it was presented in, which offered no narration, additional music, sound effects or dialogue, and depended solely on the comments of the officers who were being followed and the subjects they interacted with.