“Yes! We are the new Cagney and Lacey!” said Angie Harmon about Rizzoli & Isles taking up the mantle as the new female-led buddy cop series.

Rizzoli & Isles shares a good amount of qualities as its predecessor, Cagney and Lacey. Both series are about two women solving crimes and catching criminals. While the Cagney and Lacey series is about two police officers rather than a detective and a medical examiner and takes place in New York instead of Boston, the spirit of the ’70s cop series is still there.

Both Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander have welcomed comparisons of the two shows. Harmon also credits Cagney and Lacey to being an inspiring television series in her youth.

“I remember one scene from that show, I was little and I remember looking at them while they were in a car and they were talking. Their body language, their gestures, and everything, and I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like those women. They are strong; they are tough!’ To have it ironically come full circle like this and now be on a show that people are comparing to Cagney and Lacey is very flattering,” said Angie Harmon.

The comparison was even made by Cagney and Lacey actress Sharon Gless who played Christine Cagney in the series. Gless had been a big fan of the show, one time even running into Angie Harmon to tell her how much she loved her as Jane Rizzoli. Thrilled by the tremendous compliment from a member of the original duo, Harmon invited Gless to guest star in the 100th episode of Rizzoli & Isles.