The No. 1 Ladies' Political Organizer Agency

My favorite TV critic reminded me this morning why I heart her so much:

Over the past few decades, if you wanted to create a TV character who's striving to make the world a better place, you made that character a cop. Cops on TV have always been stand-ins for anyone who's striving to right some wrong or wrestle with the enormous injustices of the universe.

Because, unfortunately, shows about tireless employees of nonprofit organizations just don't have the same flair as murder mysteries. We don't necessarily care whether Joe finishes his grant proposal or files his expenses under the appropriate federal code. Likewise, schoolteachers, city councilmen, volunteers, drug counselors, public policy reform advocates, social workers and grass-roots organizers fail to capture our imaginations the way a gritty detective with a bad attitude and a drinking problem does.