By Heather Sevrens Thu, March 11, 2010, 12:01 am PST

"Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Jer-ry!" It's like watching a train wreck: you can't pull away. (Photo by Daniel DiMarco) On March 11, 1989, "COPS" debuted on Fox in all its tacky glory, bringing pot dens and streetwalkers into America's living rooms. Packed full of drunken brawls and high-speed chases, "COPS" is the longest-running reality show on television -- unless you count C-SPAN (and really, only political nerds are dorky enough to consider Senate proceedings reality programming*). In honor of "COPS's" 21st birthday, here's our salute to some of television's classiest (and trashiest) guilty pleasures. * From lesbian mothers who steal their daughters' girlfriends to little-person Klan members, "The Jerry Springer Show" has been bringing good taste to daytime programming since 1991. Between the crowd chanting, "Jer-ry, Jer-ry," the wacky premise of each episode, and the down-and-out brawls on stage, "The Jerry Springer Show" is like a bag of Cheetos: You know it's bad for you, but it's so tasty. * Slightly more highbrow than "Springer," though no less addicting, is Judith Sheindlin, or as she's better known, "Judge Judy." Rather than knocking over chairs, the defendents on her show sling it out in words and use props -- ahem, evidence -- to try and make their cases. Arbitration never looked so good. * On top of all the lying, cheating, and stealing of "Divorce Court," "Dog the Bounty Hunter," and "America's Most Wanted," there's a slew of daytime talk shows that don't have anything to do with petty crime. There's "Maury," "Ricki Lake," and "The Montel Williams Show," all of which ushered in an era of baby-daddy drama, out-of-control teens, and hoochie-mama makeovers (warning: links may contain horrific '90s fashion). Of course, in prime time, there's "Jersey Shore," "The Bachelor," "Millionaire Matchmaker," "The Real World," "Big Brother," "The Real Housewives of (Insert Here)," and an endless stream of reality television to satisfy even the most ravenous of TV viewers. With so much outlandish behavior filling up the airwaves, it's enough to make anyone wonder why an enthusiastic acceptance speech gets our knickers in a bunch and this does not. *Author of this article may or may not be a political nerd. Suggested Sites... Reality TV World - news and forums about your favorite reality programs. Reality Blurred - blog about current reality TV news. Guilty Pleasures - shows so bad, they're actually good. Best Guilty Pleasures of 2009 - reviews of some of the most fun shows to watch from last season. EW's Guilty Pleasures - Entertainment Weekly's list of guilty pleasure television shows to love.

Directory categories: Reality Television, Law Enforcement Shows, Talk Shows, Talk Show Hosts, Soap Operas

Archived under: 1990s, Crime, Entertainment, Law Enforcement, Reality TV, TV, Talk Show Hosts

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