John Langley, creator of the long-running television series
Cops
,
died during a car race in Mexico
.
The 78-year-old producer died Saturday in Baja, Mexico, of an apparent heart attack during the Coast to Coast Ensenada-San Felipe 250 off-road competition, said a family spokeswoman, Pam Golum.
Cops
was one of the first
reality shows
when it debuted in 1989 and
became an institution over 32 seasons
.
Langley and his production partner, Malcolm Barbour, had been trying to sell the idea for years and found a place in the newly opened Fox network.
John Langley, creator of the television show Cops, died in Mexico of an apparent heart attack.
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The show gained popularity for following the police on long, boring nights on patrol or in thrilling foot chases.
Driven by its quirks, such as often bare-chested suspects and its reggae theme song
Bad Boys
, the series fueled the comedy routines of many comedians and
was frequently mentioned in movies, television series and songs.
The series ran on Fox until 2013, when it went to Viacom-owned Spike TV, which later changed its name to The Paramount Network.
It was criticized for what was seen as a biased perspective in favor of the police, and Paramount permanently took it off the air last year during worldwide protests over the murder of George Floyd.
["Gone with the Wind", "COPS" affected by "Black Lives Matter"]
Some versions of the show are still broadcast and broadcast internationally.
Langley was born in Oklahoma City and grew up in Los Angeles.
He graduated from California State University at Dominguez Hills and served in the Army in the early 1960s.
He was also a producer on the 2009 film
Brooklyn's Finest
, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Richard Gere and Don Cheadle;
and the nonfiction series
Jail
,
Vegas Strip,
and
Anatomy of a Crime
.
He was an off-road racing enthusiast
and frequently drove in events like the one he took part in on Saturday.
He is survived by his son and producing partner, Morgan, who oversees his company Langley Productions;
another son, Zak;
two daughters, Sara Langley Dews and Jennifer Blair;
his wife, Maggie, and seven grandchildren.