Line #5 YMMV/CagneyAndLacey


1	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song ([[ReplacedTheThemeTune actually the show's second theme song]]) written by Music/BillConti. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMB_cwgy6mY Dig those saxes!]]
2	* FanPreferredCouple: Despite the fact that Mary Beth Lacey is HappilyMarried to Harvey, very few fans actually ship her with him online. Instead, most fans ship her with her police partner Christine Cagney. This is mainly due to them feeling Mary Beth has better chemistry with Christine and the fact that their partnership is the focus on the plot. In fact, the studio was aware of this potentially happening and tried to repeatedly meddle to prevent it. However, even decades later, Mary Beth/Christine remains basically the only ship in the fandom.
3	* HarsherInHindsight: The episode where Creator/JudithBarsi plays an abuse victim, becomes this after her murder at the hands of her abusive father.
4	* HoYay: The major reason for the ExecutiveMeddling to replace Meg Foster with Sharon Gless. Meg was seen as very "butch" as was Tyne Daly. They were, "Too tough, too hard and not feminine. We perceived them as dykes." So Foster was replaced with the more traditionally feminine Gless; it didn't destroy the illusion. Cagney and Lacey had and continues to have a huge lesbian following. Both stars frequently fielded questions about their sexuality during the show's run, and for many years thereafter.
5	* RetroactiveRecognition:
6	** The first Cagney, Creator/MegFoster, would later [[Film/MastersOfTheUniverse become a lackey for Skeletor and his attempted conquest of Eternia and Earth]].
7	** Hm. So that's why [[Series/BurnNotice Mama Westen]] is so badass.
8	** One of the other detectives in the precinct runs a [[Film/TheKarateKid karate dojo]] where he tells his students "Mercy is for the weak."
9	** [[Creator/CarlLumbly His partner]] also helped [[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]], was [[Series/{{MANTIS}} a scientist in a wheelchair who was also a superhero]], and [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague formed the Justice League]].
10	** In addition, the precinct's desk sergeant is [[Film/{{Meatballs}} Tripper Harrison's]] boss. Alternately, he's [[WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow King]] [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSuperMarioBros3 Bowser]] [[WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld Koopa]], [[WesternAnimation/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam]], or the [[TheOtherDarrin original voice of]] [[WesternAnimation/TheRippingFriends Crag]].
11	** This also applies to people working off camera as well. Series producer Terry Louise Fisher later went on to co-create ''Series/LALaw'' alongside Creator/StevenBochco.
12	** DaChief is the ''Series/KingOfKensington''.
13	** [[Series/WelcomeBackKotter Juan Epstein]] is a cop!
14	** [[Creator/MerryClayton Verna Dee Jordan]] sang with Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}} on the song, "Gimme Shelter".
15	* SavedByTheFans: A letter-writing campaign resurrected the show from a 1983 cancellation.
16	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
17	** What we see as regards gender roles (i.e. women being accepted in a traditionally male occupation, but only recently and with occasional misgivings), TheBigRottenApple nature of the New York setting, occasional examples of EightiesHair and fashions, the presence of typewriters and rotary dial phones in the squadroom, etc. date the show to the period it's made.
18	** One 1986 episode revolves around Cagney & Lacey protecting a white South African marathon runner who is facing death threats from anti-apartheid activists. The running theme of Apartheid South Africa has thoroughly dated this episode. It happened relatively quickly, given that only four years after it aired State President F. W. de Klerk released Nelson Mandela from jail and South Africa ultimately returned to majority rule in 1994.
19	** Also in comeback feature ''Cagney And Lacey: The Return'' (set in the '90s) has Mary-Beth Lacey trying to find another job (having since retired from the force) when Harvey takes ill and can no longer work; as she doesn't want to return to police-type work[[note]]such as working for Christine Cagney, now investigator for the D.A.[[/note]] a lot of the jobs she tries for are clerical/secretarial work, but she fails at interviews due to lack of computer skills (she's typed plenty of reports, but only on a typewriter). Computers at this point were just becoming ubiquitous and it was still possible to be out of work for just a few years and never have come into regular contact with one.

Context YMMV / CagneyAndLacey