SERIESTSThe Shield2002

Tvseries

The Shield

Name: The Shield
Genre: drama, suspense/thriller, police, crime drama
Cast: Michael Chiklis, Benito Martinez, CCH Pounder, Walton Goggins, Catherine Dent

200247mdrama • suspense/thriller • police • crime drama

Drama series with a runtime of 47 minutes, released in 2002. Presented in English.

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Availability can vary by country and over time.

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

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Created by Shawn Ryan, the weekly, 60-minute cop drama The Shield may well have been the most cynical and uncompromising series ever developed for "basic" cable. The emphasis was on a tough, crime-infested L.A. police precinct and an elite team of troubleshooters headed by hard-bitten Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, light-years removed from The Commish). Undeniably efficient when it came to rounding up perps and cracking tough cases, Mackey was also relentlessly sadistic and foul-mouthed -- not to mention corrupt to the bone. Vic's self-serving, cold-blooded tactics (and blatant graft-taking) were tolerated by his comparatively honest partner Det. Claudette Wyms (C.C.H. Pounder), but only because it yielded results, and, frankly, there was no other method to deal with the dirty job at hand. The other detective denizens of Vic's precinct included the borderline-psychotic Shane Vendrell (Walt Goggins), the troubled, religiously inclined Julien Lowe (Michael Jace), the well-named Lemonhead Lemansky (Kenneth Johnson), and resident "choirboy" Dutch Wagenback (Jay Karnes), whose fondness for female officer Danielle Sofer (Catherine Dent) was compromised by the fact that Danielle was enmeshed in an after-hours affair with the very-married Vic Mackey. Meanwhile, new precinct Captain Aceveda (Benito Martinez), whose own integrity tended to vacillate if it impeded his political ambitions, made it his mission in life to expose and "break" Mackey. As the series' ad copy put it, "The road to justice is twisted" -- and so were many of the characters. The Shield made its FX network bow on March 12, 2002.

Runtime Card

Runtime47m

Can Finish TonightYes

One SittingYes

With Break59m

Movie Facts

Release Year2002

Runtime47m

LanguageEnglish

Genresdrama, suspense/thriller, police, crime drama

DirectorGuy Ferland, Scott Brazil

ProducerMichael Chiklis, Craig Yahata

Series Snapshot

Seasons7

Episodes217

Avg Episode19m

About This Guide

This series page summarizes the total episode count, average runtime, binge-time expectations, and supporting credits for The Shield. The goal is to make the page useful both as a quick watch-time answer and as a fuller series overview.

Editorial Take

The Shield is handled as a series hub rather than a single-record page, which means the content is organized around total commitment, episode count, and binge expectations. Right now the guide reflects 217 episodes across 7 seasons, giving readers a clearer sense of scale before they start. Genre signals such as drama, suspense/thriller help frame what kind of binge this is likely to be, especially for visitors comparing multiple shows.

How OnlySynopsis Builds This Page

OnlySynopsis combines stored title metadata such as runtime, release information, genres, and cast or crew data into a reader-first guide. The goal is not just to list fields, but to help visitors understand whether a title fits their available time and viewing mood.

FAQ

How long is The Shield?

The Shield runs for 47m.

What language is it available in?

The primary language listed for this title is English.

What kind of series is this?

It is tagged under drama, suspense/thriller, police, crime drama.

How big is the series commitment?

This series currently shows 217 episodes across 7 seasons.

Series Binge Profile

Total Content Density: 133 hours 9 minutes (217 episodes)

Intensity Rating: Epic Binge A massive saga. Set aside dedicated weekends for this run.

Binge Milestones

1 episode/day: 217 days

3 episodes/day: 73 days

5 episodes/day: 44 days

Episodes (217)

Related Collections

Same Genre

Yes

This is an easy single-evening watch.

The Shield

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Runtime Card

Movie Facts

Series Snapshot

About This Guide

Editorial Take

How OnlySynopsis Builds This Page

FAQ

Series Binge Profile

Binge Milestones

Episodes (217)

Related Collections

drama

suspense/thriller

Guy Ferland

Yes

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