Headlong Running from Cops

Cops  has been on TV for 30 years. Even if you’ve never seen the reality series, you know what it entails: police officers making arrests, with some handheld cameras and producers in tow.  Headlong: Running from Cops  hones in on that dynamic, critiquing the ethics of a for-profit venture partnering with the government to make something that will eventually air on your local station. This is the third serialized installment in three years from the host Dan Taberski, a veteran who’s somehow managed to not repeat himself while producing excellent work. A central question of his show—which interviews police departments, showrunners, suspects, and politicians—is why participants would allow their likeness to be used on TV. The answer, according to  Headlong , is often coercion or manipulation; meanwhile, police are given final say on what airs. Taberski takes listeners behind the scenes of both the criminal-justice system and reality-show stardom, revealing unexpected truths about American culture.