GIRL DETECTIVES

On the AOL/PGP Classic Soap Channel's broadcast of The Edge of Night, in Episode #6129, Chief of Police Derek Mallory (Dennis Parker) laments the addition of women cops to the force. He doesn't believe they are physically up for the job, and assumes that Detective Deborah Saxon (Frances Fisher) rose in the ranks due to political correctness (it's what he implies anyway, obviously the term had yet to be coined in 1979).

In the almost thirty years since, soaps have become rather enamored of women police officers. Most recently, we've seen Margo (Ellen Dolan -- originally Margaret Colin, who also appears in the above episode of EON) on ATWT, Harley and Marina on GL, as well as GH's Anna and Fancy on Passions (to go from the ultra-competent to the... less so).

But have we really come a long way, baby? What do you think of daytime drama's portrayals of the women in blue? Are they realistic? Would you like to see more female characters in positions of law-wielding authority?

Let us know in the Comments below! And, to check out the attitude towards "girl detectives" in their infancy, watch The Edge of Night, here!