The Shield: Groundbreaking Crime Drama That Paved Way For Prestige TV

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Most crime thriller series don’t stay consistently good over many seasons, but The Shield is a notable exception. When it first aired in 2002, The Shield was different from other crime shows because of its realistic, dark style and its police characters who weren’t simply good or bad. Michael Chiklis even won an Emmy for his performance as Vic Mackey, the leader of a dishonest LAPD unit called the “Strike Team“.

Most crime shows start strong but often lose steam, because a good idea isn’t enough to keep a series interesting for long. But The Shield lasted for seven amazing seasons, thanks to its unique approach—it wasn’t a typical police show—and fantastic acting by Chiklis, Walton Goggins, and the entire cast. The Shield really paved the way for high-quality crime dramas on television, and it deserves more recognition for that.

The Shield Paved The Way For Breaking Bad

Vic Mackey paved the way for characters like Walter White. Though Tony Soprano is often considered the original TV antihero, a lot of his popularity came from revealing the vulnerable and relatable aspects of a criminal’s life.

Vic and Walter were different – they operated within the law, with Vic actually upholding it – but weren’t hesitant to break it when it suited them, often in harsh ways, to get what they wanted. Surprisingly, audiences didn’t condemn these flawed characters; they actually enjoyed watching them, despite their lack of morals.

Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, recently told the Daily Beast that his show was heavily influenced by earlier television dramas. He specifically mentioned The Sopranos, noting that Breaking Bad – like many shows with complex, even unlikeable main characters – benefited from the groundwork laid by that series. While he didn’t mention it by name, the early 2000s show The Shield clearly shares similar qualities.

How The Shield Perfected The Crime Drama

Before The Shield, most crime shows followed a simple formula: each episode presented and resolved a new case. The Shield changed that by introducing a continuing storyline, and it launched with one of the most memorable opening episodes in television history.

The first episode of The Shield ends with a stunning moment: Vic Mackey kills a fellow officer who was looking into his team’s actions. This immediately introduced Vic as a complex and unconventional lead character – a law enforcer unlike any seen on TV before – and set up the central idea of a past wrongdoing, or “original sin,” that would drive the entire series.

Crime dramas like The Shield and Breaking Bad consistently show us that once a main character crosses the line into criminal behavior, it’s incredibly difficult to escape. One crime leads to another, and the character spirals further into wrongdoing, creating compelling storylines that can last for many seasons as they descend into villainy.

FX Has Been At The Vanguard Of Prestige Television For Decades

MovieStillsDB / HBO

As a long-time movie and TV fan, everyone always talks about HBO setting the standard for quality shows – and they definitely have, going all the way back to groundbreaking series like Oz, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos in the ’90s. But for over two decades, FX has been right there with them, consistently delivering amazing television. I always felt The Shield was where they really hit their stride, and since then, they’ve become a powerhouse for really compelling crime dramas – shows like Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, and especially Fargo have all been fantastic.

Prestige FX Series
Title Release Years Rotten Tomatoes Score
The Shield 2002-2008 90%
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 2005-Present 94%
Sons of Anarchy 2008-2014 87%
Justified 2010-2015 97%
The Americans 2013-2018 96%
Fargo 2014-2024 94%
Baskets 2016-2019 92%
Atlanta 2016-2022 98%
Better Things 2016-2022 98%

When it comes to comedy, FX has often been more willing to take risks than HBO. While It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is now a well-loved sitcom, it was groundbreaking when it started – no one expected a show about awful people doing terrible things to last for over 20 years. Other excellent and innovative comedies from FX include Atlanta, Baskets, and Better Things.

While many viewers love these shows, they don’t quite reach the same level of prestige as HBO’s most iconic series. This is a shame, as they’re just as significant to the evolution of television, and they all owe a debt to the groundbreaking series, The Shield.

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2026-02-25 22:22