User Reviews

"Police Story" is an amazing old cop show because it showed a HUGE range of duties by the police. Not only did you see uniformed officers and detectives, but SWAT teams and the 'brass' (Captains and the Chief). Additionally, the types of stories varied tremendously and in a few shows, like "Cop in the Middle", you have a cop who is no hero! Because of the wide variety of stories, it's a darn shame that so far only Season One is available on DVD--and I strongly doubt if the rest of the shows will be released because there just isn't much demand.

In this story, Christopher George stars as Doug Rollins--a cop on the take with a local bookmaker, Reggie (Albert Paulsen). When Reggie is about to be indicted and sent away to prison, he decides to play his trump card--and he shows Rollins film of his taking a bribe. Why? Because Reggie wants Rollins to destroy evidence--something Reggie just can't bring himself to do. What's next? See the show.

In addition to the actors above, the show also features Glenn Corbett as Rollins' partner and Sid Haig in a smaller role as Reggie's sidekick. The only reason I mentioned Haig is that this actor has a HUGE cult following and his fans would certainly want to know.

The episode is very well written and acted--making it about average for the series. Well done and well worth your time.

Three of my favorites star in this excellent but heart-breaking entry: Chris George, Glenn Corbett, and Donald Barry.

The cast is just one reason to watch this. The story is another.

Police spend a lot of time and energy and manpower -- meaning taxpayer money -- trying to topple a leading criminal ... but, wait: Is he really a criminal?

The target of this police activity, at such taxpayer expense, is a gambling czar.

He offers a service to certain people who are after that proverbial "something for nothing." Which includes almost every person, such as the one who plays the horses, or who plays bingo at a church, or who buys a state-sponsored lottery ticket, or who plays a football pool at the workplace.

In the Los Angeles area, where the "Police Story" dramas take place, are several horse-racing facilities, and they also offer gambling.

Heck, Las Vegas is a short bus or train or plane ride or short drive, and there certainly is every kind of gambling there.

But non-licensed, non-government-sanctioned, gambling is still illegal. For reasons primarily of enforcing the moral and/or religious code of some people.

And such so-called "victimless crimes," or "consensual crimes," are still the primary focus of police all across these United States.

Since even the respective police officers themselves often see no real crime in gambling, they can sometimes become susceptible to bribes.

That kind of corruption is at the center of this show.

I hate to see Chris George play a bad guy, though he is so talented, he makes his character awfully believable. And I think most of us will still pull for him, wanting him to be able to make everything right.

How his character works out the situation is convoluted and tricky, but I think the most important lesson is this: Government has no business telling people how to live their own lives.

Trying to outlaw vices is both foolish and immoral, and creating such laws does more to create crime and, worse, to lead to corruption of law enforcement agencies.

Chris George and his fellow performers and the writers of "Cop in the Middle" have, as usual, given us an engrossing hour; but they have also given us a lot to think about.