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As far as I'm aware, McBain essentially invented the "ensemble" police procedural. Plenty of TV series have utilized the concept, with perhaps the best example (in my experience) being "Hill Street Blues".
Law and Order may have been loosely based on the series, but to me it seems more focused on the progress of the case through multiple groups (police, prosecutor), and less focused on the backstories of the characters than the 87th series. Other TV shows follow the format, in a different environment (LA Law was basically 87th precinct in a legal office, St. Elsewhere was 87th Precinct in a hospital, etc.)
I started somewhere in the middle of the series, read all the later ones in order as they came out, but filled the gaps between releases by digging out earlier ones from used bookstores. Very readable in any order.
KentE
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