Policewoman was Detroit�s first locally produced half hour dramatic TV program. The show depicted realistic reenactments of police cases taken from the files of the Women�s Division of the Detroit Police Department. Policewoman made its debut on January 10, 1959. It aired every Saturday at 7 PM on WWJ-TV.  

 Broadway and movie actress Mady Correll played Police Sgt. Mary Carter. Correll is probably best known for her final movie role as Charlie Chaplin�s invalid wife in his 1947 masterpiece Monsieur Verdoux. By the mid 1950s Correll�s career had stalled, so she moved to the Detroit area where she acted in industrial films and community theatre.  

 Real-life Detroit cop Lucia Stevens doubled as Correll�s sidekick and was the show�s technical director.  

 Policewoman aired live, utilizing two studios and four cameras. Permanent sets were built to depict the Women�s Division desk, where violators were booked, and the sergeant�s office. Film footage was used for establishing shots between the scenes. A typical story line would have Sgt. Carter investigating a suspicious arson fire in a teenage hangout or a confrontation between two girls who were caught shoplifting. The show received accolades from community leaders for presenting a realistic depiction of the life of a female police officer.   

 The show�s small budget, coupled with the limitations of live television, contributed to the cancellation of Policewoman. The last show aired on September 5, 1959. It was replaced by a NBC network game show.  

 Mady Correll became a resident actor and instructor at Detroit�s Vanguard Playhouse for a brief time before retiring permanently to Los Angeles. Her death in 1981 was attributed to stomach cancer. Because Policewoman aired live, no episodes exist of this ground breaking TV show.