History YMMV / TheThinBlueLine

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/JoannaLumley". Come 1999, Creator/RowanAtkinson ends up staring in the parody Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath as the Doctor, who - after a few regenerations - is indeed Joanna Lumley.

* MoralEventHorizon: Baz, a teenage boy, is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie, to throw her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BerserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]

* ToughActToFollow: It was unlikely the series was ever going to be better than Elton and Atkinson's previous work on ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/JoannaLumley". Come 1999, Creator/RowanAtkinson ends up staring in Comic Relief’s spoof Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath as the Doctor, who - after a few regenerations - is indeed Joanna Lumley.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler (played by Creator/RowanAtkinson) defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/JoannaLumley". Come 1999, Rowan Atkinson ends up staring in Comic Relief’s spoof Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath as the Doctor, who - after a few regenerations - is indeed Joanna Lumley.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler (played by Creator/RowanAtkinson) defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/JoannaLumley". Come 1999, Rowan Atkinson ends up playing the Doctor in Comic Relief’s spoof Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath, where - after a few regenerations - he is indeed Joanna Lumley.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler (played by Creator/RowanAtkinson) defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/Joanna Lumley". Come 1999, Rowan Atkinson ends up playing the Doctor in Comic Relief’s spoof Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath, where - after a few regenerations - he is indeed Joanna Lumley.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one episode, while dealing with a lunatic falsely claiming to be a terrorist, Fowler (played by Creator/RowanAtkinson) defuses the situation while stating "he is no more a terrorist than I am Creator/Joanna Lumley". Come 1999, Rowan Atkinson ends up playing the Doctor in Comic Relief’s spoof Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath, where - after a few regenerations, he is indeed Joanna Lumley.

'''Fowler:''' ... Well, I box a little myself! And I don't care! I ''love'' you, Patricia, and I always will. And if I end up being beaten to death protecting you from this filthy pervert, then I will count my life cheap.\\

* MoralEventHorizon: Baz, a teenage boy is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie to throw her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BerserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: In "Green-Eyed Monster", Dawkins breaks up with Fowler when he proposes to her purely to improve his chance of getting a promotion. Fowler then overhears several conversations Dawkins has with Habib about "Toby", and how aggressive he can be with her. Eventually, he has enough, and declares that if she doesn't want him, she should at least be with someone worthy of her, and vows to give Toby a damn good thrashing; the revelation that Toby is "a champion boxer" does nothing to blunt his resolve, and he says that defending her honour is worth the pain. Overwhelmed by his devotion, Dawkins says, "God, I love you!", and Habib tells the confused Fowler that Toby is a dog. In spite of the misunderstanding, Fowler re-affirms his own love for Dawkins, and they go off to have a drink and re-kindle their relationship - even when Habib points out that the promotion committee will be arriving imminently. Fowler says to tell them something more important came up, and "There's always next year."

* EnsembleDarkhorse / OneSceneWonder: BRIGADIER BLASTER SUMP, DAMN YOU! (It's helped by the fact he's played by Creator/StephenFry).

* MoralEventHorizon:
** Baz, a teenage boy is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie to throw her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BerserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]
** In-Universe, when Detective Grim agrees to plant evidence to finally catch a crook that has been giving him the slip, he has a massive crisis of faith when he believes he had crossed the line. [[spoiler: At the end of the episode he gives an uncharacteristically kind confession to Raymond for stopping him (whereas normally he would simply rage at Raymond for ruining an opportunity for him), as he believes his crimes were unforgivable and was thankful that it just fizzled out.]]

* MoralEventHorizon: Baz, a teenage boy is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie to throw her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BerserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse / OneSceneWonder: BRIGADIER BLASTER SUMP, DAMN YOU! (It's helped by the fact he's played by StephenFry).

* ToughActToFollow: It was unlikely the series was ever going to be better than Elton and Atkinson's previous work on ''{{Blackadder}}''.

* JerkSue: Habib.

* MoralEventHorizon: Baz, a teenage boy is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie to throw he her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BerserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]

* MoralEventHorizon: Baz, a teenage boy is revealed to have crossed it when he forces his confused girlfriend, Natalie to throw he her baby in a rubbish bin. She is at least remorseful for it, but Baz remarks "So what, who cares? It probably weren't mine anyway." [[BeserkButton This nearly causes Fowler to hit him.]]

* AccidentalInnuendo: This example from "Kids Today", in which he fondly describes his childhood Mechano sets, much to Habib's amusement:
-->'''Fowler:''' They'll never know the joy a young lad can have sitting alone in his room... with his tool in his hand, tightening his little nuts.
** Grim: "It's my arse on the line and I don't want a cock-up!" and [[RunningGag many]] variations.
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome / CrowningMomentOfFunny: Fowler informs an uncooperative young delinquent that he, if he suspects him of possesion of drugs, is entitled to order a full body search, "which involves a pair of rubber gloves and a large spoon." [[HilarityEnsues Cooperation ensues]].
** Raymond and co. busting the pub lock-in in "Alternative Culture" after Grim refuses to let Habib off for withholding evidence to protect her sister. Grim and Boyle try to escape through the bathroom (which Boyle claims is an "old coppers' trick"), only to find Raymond waiting for them.
--->'''Raymond:''' The problem with old coppers' tricks, Constable Boyle, is that old coppers know 'em.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMGTAHS592E "... and that should be enough for any man!"]]

* ToughActToFollow: It was unlikely the series was ever going to better Elton and Atkinson's previous work on ''{{Blackadder}}''.

* JerkSue: [[OneWordExamples Habib, just... Habib]].

* TrueArtSticksItToTheMan: After Elton's previous reputation for black humor and political satire, many fans and critics were expecting a much more aggressive BadCopIncompetentCop show, and would probably have never liked what they actually got even if it had been better.