The study identified 417 illegal acts, an average of about 1.7 crimes per serious episode. Criminals were usually middle- or upper-class white males over age 30 and primarily motivated by greed. Most law enforcers were white males portrayed in a positive but not heroic light. Private investigators were portrayed as almost 'God-like' on television. Television largely ignores most aspects of real crime, focusing instead on the most serious, violent, and life-threatening offenses. By sensationalizing crime, television misses its opportunity to educate the audience about the true dimensions of America's crime problem. The focus on avarice of the rich leaves little room for exposure to the greater threat from youth gangs or to the culture of poverty that produces crime. Effective law enforcement is often the province of the outside -- the private eye -- who bypasses the law enforcement establishment. Thus, television manages to enforce the laws without glorifying the police establishment. On prime time the insiders break the law and the outsiders enforce it. Data tables and a list of programs surveyed are included.