I say this as a non-American..
maybe possible exception 'Hill street Blues" (was that even NYC, or was it Chicago, I saw one review referred to it as Chicago)..
But you have your 'High Incident"
Your "Boomtown"
the probably incomparable 'Southland"
vs them, you have NYPD Blue, Brooklyn South (both Steven Boccho) and this and NYC22 , and Blue Bloods..
they are mostly ok, but never quite great.
But Law & Order, and Law & Order: SVU are both NYC based shows that are hugely successful and critically acclaimed, and will probably go down as two of the most famous American detective dramas of all time.
And yeah Hill Street Blues was in Chicago
Hey folks,
Hill Street Blues was actually supposed to take place in some unnamed city location. This is rather interesting in that shows were filmed in and around Los Angeles as well as some Chicago shot. Opening credits shot and the exterior shots of the police station were done in Chicago. The City Hall we see, however, was actually that of Philadelphia.
The producers of the show did their best to keep this show from being identified as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or Philadelphia. I suppose if you were familiar with one of these cities and recognized one of the scenes as your particular city, you might tend to think of the show as taking place in "your city."
Best wishes,
Dave Wile