Cagney & Lacey

The 80's were a unique time in history, mainly because of the ground breaking events that took place. One aspect of the changes that could be seen were the television programs that were now being seen. Television programming underwent a transformation from its development some 40 years previous. The transformation went from shows that were pretty much whitewashed of reality or only showed the positive elements of life in the 40's and 50's and into the 60's and even early 70's. The face started changing in the 70's when you either saw some of the despair, but in a humorous way, or you saw the grit and grime of life and of course some shows simply showed how life once was. However, when the 80's came along television programming began showing all the potential aspects of life in realistic viewing. One such program that did that very well was the ground breaking police drama; Cagney and Lacey.

Cagney and Lacey focused on the lives of two female New York City detectives; Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey, roles played so convincingly by Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly. What made the show so unique is that it gave a realistic glimpse into the pressures and problems that female police detectives face, whether married or single. Cagney is the free spirited single woman who focuses on her job and career with dedicated vigor, while Lacey is the more down to earth wife and mother who does her job with just as much dedication, however, must between that and her family.

This show goes a long way to showing the pressures that women in, what were once considered, men's jobs face the obstacles and rise to meet the challenges thrown at them, no matter what.