John Langley
PMP Network Presents
John Langley is the executive producer of the long-running television show "COPS." He discusses the show's syndication, its pioneering role in "real TV," and his decision to use the song "Bad Boys" as its theme.
John Langley
Executive Producer of "COPS"
About John Langley
John Langley was an American television producer, director, and writer who created and executive produced the groundbreaking reality series "Cops," which premiered on Fox in March 1989. Often called the "Godfather of Reality Television," he pioneered the observational documentary style that influenced countless programs. His earlier work included the award-winning documentary "Cocaine Blues," which won a Cine Golden Eagle and Houston International Film Festival honors. He also produced the 2009 film "Brooklyn's Finest" and created "Inside American Jail" for TruTV.
In this interview
- Explained he personally selected the reggae song "Bad Boys" as the theme for "Cops."
- Recalled the song came from a band that was breaking up at the time.
- Discussed "Cops" as a trailblazer in reality TV with no similar predecessors.
- Noted his documentary "Cocaine Blues" set him on the reality television path.
“I picked that way back when we started the show in Florida, and I thought it would be an interesting idea to do Reggae song.”— John Langley, in this interview
Since this interview
John Langley continued producing "Cops" and won the 2017 Baja 1000 off-road race in the Spec Trophy Truck class with his COPS racing team. He died on June 26, 2021, at age 78 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
