LOS ANGELES — According to a family spokesman, John Langley, the creator of the long-running TV series “Cops,” died during a road race in Mexico.
When it premiered in 1989, “Cops” was one of the first reality shows on television, and it went on to become an institution over the course of 32 seasons. Langley and his co-producer Malcolm Barbour had been shopping the concept for years before landing it on the nascent Fox network.
Its eccentricities, such as the frequently shirtless suspects and the reggae theme tune “Bad Boys,” provided material for standup comedians and were frequently parodied in films, TV programs, and songs.
It was panned for having a skewed, pro-police viewpoint, and Paramount yanked it off the air permanently last year following international demonstrations after the shooting of George Floyd.
Some versions of the show are still broadcast in syndication across the world.
Langley grew up in Los Angeles after being born in Oklahoma City. In the early 1960s, he graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and served in the United States Army.
He was an avid off-road racer who regularly competed in events like the one he did on Saturday.
Langley is survived by his son Morgan, who runs their production firm, Langley Productions; another son, Zak; two daughters, Sara Langley Dews and Jennifer Blair; his wife Maggie; and seven grandkids.