I think this program was far superior to COPS for a number of reasons: There was a host (Maury Hannigan)that gave a narrative to what we were about to see on the screen. Being based on the Highway Patrol,normally pursuits and accidents are shown,normally from in car dash cams.COPS give you less motor vehicle coverage. At the end of a segment,they give you a follow up....the amount of jail time given,the fate of an injured person (for better or worse)....COPS has never done this...and leaves you hanging without closure. COPS a lot of the time focuses on dull activities....calls that really aren't "entertaining" or "attention getting".Yes its a part of police duty,but the show is only 20 minutes long in 3 segments.You cannot fill the 20 minutes with fluff and expect a happy TV viewer. Give me RSOTHP any day.....however,I am sure we have seen the last of it. (TRIVIA:Both Southpark and Beavis & Butthead have done parodies of this show).
9 Reviews
Mediocre cop vs. criminal reality show.
OllieSuave-0079 November 2016
This is a reality TV series featuring true stories of the Highway Patrol. It shows real footage of officers in action.
The show covers a variety of cases from chasing down drug dealers to high-speed car chases. While it is interesting seeing officers on duty in action and hearing their viewpoints during their interviews, overall, the show is not as exciting or attention grabbing as other cop shows like Rescue 911. There isn't much urgency or suspense presented in each episode - just a mediocre case overview of cops chasing down criminals. The suspense and adrenaline just weren't there.
Grade C
The show covers a variety of cases from chasing down drug dealers to high-speed car chases. While it is interesting seeing officers on duty in action and hearing their viewpoints during their interviews, overall, the show is not as exciting or attention grabbing as other cop shows like Rescue 911. There isn't much urgency or suspense presented in each episode - just a mediocre case overview of cops chasing down criminals. The suspense and adrenaline just weren't there.
Grade C
great show
mattkratz21 March 2001
An excellent real-life show featuring the real exploits of police officers. While most of the show focussed on highway chases and pullovers, there were also such features as police officers making drug busts and foiling robberies. At the end, the host would always provide a safety tip (for driving or otherwise).
Why did they cancel this show
csweetleaf27 April 2003
Man this was a great show, while not quite as exciting as COPS, it's pretty close, and they sure picked the perfect host for this show and seeing how long the bad guys might get if convicted was also a big plus, something that COPS should've done, I'll never forget the one when one guy who got arrested actually peed his pants.
It's a shame that this show isn't on television anymore but there's always COPS.
It's a shame that this show isn't on television anymore but there's always COPS.
Like a superior version of "Cops" with cool re-enactments.
EightiesKid12 October 2008
This was my favorite of all the cop shows that were on in the early-mid 90s, and it's one of many shows that gets me nostalgic for my late childhood/early teen years For anybody that's not familiar, it usually had 4 stories per show, one was a dramatized re-enactment (usually for a more serious crime) and a safety tip at the end. Like a few of you guys have said, one thing I always liked about it over Cops are the aftermaths of every segment (go figure Cops lasted and this didn't!). The reenactments were my favorites, that's what got me interested.
I think it was best in the beginning. The 1993 episodes still looked pretty 80s, and they seem more overproduced and dramatic ("Unsolved Mysteries" was like that too). The reenactments were like movies with lots of narration (did anybody notice that decreased over time until it totally stopped?).
I'm the most familiar with the middle era around '95. That's when it had that hiphop theme song ("I'm Lookin Out for You") and the reenactments were a teeny bit more entertaining, as opposed to the slightly scarier and dark early ones. They also started doing little mini stories over the credits at the end (sometimes funny or unusual stuff) which I liked. The last couple seasons seemed to get lazy, the re-enactments were still kinda cool, but didn't have narration and seemed watered down.
I wish they'd come out with DVDs (seasons would be best, but even just a collection of re-enactments would be cool, esp if it focused on the early years). I have some on tape, but there's lots more I vaguely remember and probably some I never saw in the first place. it's a bummer they don't show it on TV anymore, I'd love to see it again.
I think it was best in the beginning. The 1993 episodes still looked pretty 80s, and they seem more overproduced and dramatic ("Unsolved Mysteries" was like that too). The reenactments were like movies with lots of narration (did anybody notice that decreased over time until it totally stopped?).
I'm the most familiar with the middle era around '95. That's when it had that hiphop theme song ("I'm Lookin Out for You") and the reenactments were a teeny bit more entertaining, as opposed to the slightly scarier and dark early ones. They also started doing little mini stories over the credits at the end (sometimes funny or unusual stuff) which I liked. The last couple seasons seemed to get lazy, the re-enactments were still kinda cool, but didn't have narration and seemed watered down.
I wish they'd come out with DVDs (seasons would be best, but even just a collection of re-enactments would be cool, esp if it focused on the early years). I have some on tape, but there's lots more I vaguely remember and probably some I never saw in the first place. it's a bummer they don't show it on TV anymore, I'd love to see it again.
When will it comeback on Television
csweetleaf28 April 2003
I thought that this show was very good but not quite as exciting as COPS and this show deserves more recognition, it mainly focuses on pullovers and drug busts and there is a safety tip at the end of the show and if you loved COPS or America's Most Wanted, then you'll love Real Stories of the Highway Patrol and I hope that it comes back on television, I think the show lasted from 1993-97 and the final season wasn't that great compared to the earlier seasons.
Loved it
fallen_angel_17_0612 August 2004
Man i remember watching this when i was little every morning id be with my dad eating cup of noodles watching real stories of the highway patrol. it was the best show. Most people thing that a highway patrol job would be pretty boring for the most time, which for some it could very well be, but this shows the high points of the job. i guess it just pretty much hit home since my dad works for the highway patrol. The best part was seeing my dad on there twice! They shouldn't have canceled it, i mean it might not be as fast moving as cops but it sure was entertaining! you got to see what happened to the guys after they were arrested unlike in cops where all you see is them getting arrested and that about it you think they'd make a DVD of all the episodes?
Good program.
loueloui25 May 2005
I agree, this was a great show! I liked how they actually showed what happened to the people after they got busted. This was a sort of copycat show of COPS for a while, but I still really enjoyed it. It was on in South Florida for many years on WBFS 33. There was also a third show, I think in Jersey or New York somewhere that was in the same genre, it was pretty short lived though.
I am wondering why they don't come out with a DVD for these episodes, or at least make them cheap enough for some stations to pick these up. I would rather watch these than another re-run of Moesha or some crap like that.
I am wondering why they don't come out with a DVD for these episodes, or at least make them cheap enough for some stations to pick these up. I would rather watch these than another re-run of Moesha or some crap like that.
Real!
internationaldave22 December 2009
What a good show! Want a bad "cop" type show? Read my pan of "Cop Rock". I'm about the only one who hated it. I compared it to "Evita". R.S.H.P was a winner. They need to bring it back. My favorite episode featured the inbred red necks who are partying with a live "Band" (who sounded like a cat stuck in a room full of rocking chairs). A few of the unibrow partiers power-brake a pickup truck on a wooden bridge on the property raising a cloud of white tire smoke. Mom calls the law. They show up and she explains what happened, and I quote, "They was spinnin' on the bridge, and set it afire!". Something about her accent and the way she said it just cracked me up! Wish someone had a copy of that one!
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