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John Langley, director, writer, and producer of television and film, is best known as the creator and executive producer of the long-running television show COPS, which premiered on FOX in March 1989. Prior to that, he was among the so-called reality television pioneers as a producer of various two-hour event specials in syndicated television markets during the 1980s.

Among Langley's credits are American Vice: The Doping of a Nation, featuring three "live" drug busts across the United States during primetime viewing; Who Murdered JFK, an examination of the John F. Kennedy assassination; and Terrorism, U.S.A., an early warning of the coming problems with terrorism in the United States as well as across the world. Those programs set the tone for a series of crime-related specials which quickly followed, ranking in the top-ten syndicated programs of all time. Langley's credits also include various network, cable and syndicated TV shows, including the television series Code 3, Anatomy of Crime, Video Justice, and Police Beat.

He has also produced various independent films and directed film and documentary film, including Dogwatch, Tiptoes, and Wildside. His most notable achievement perhaps is the innovation of the "video verite" signature style of the award-winning Cops television program, which notably influenced TV advertising and news reporting, not to mention other network and syndicated programming. COPS, meanwhile, has broken records for primetime network television with over 700 episodes aired as of 2006, making it one of the longest running entertainment series in TV history. Langley has won various awards for the COPS television series, including the American Television Award and four Emmy nominations. In addition, his other awards include the Cine Golden Eagle and Houston International Film Festival winner for the documentary Cocaine Blues.