Does anyone else miss when crime dramas actually had a distinct "vibe"?

I was rewatching some old classics last night, and it struck me how much modern prestige TV has lost that specific, gritty atmosphere. Everything feels so polished and "clean" now, even when they're trying to depict something dark. It’s like the aesthetic is always tuned to a certain high-budget sheen that washes out the soul of the setting.

I've always been a sucker for those stories where the environment feels like a character itself—where you can practically smell the street food and the exhaust, and the fashion actually tells you something about the era. There's a certain weight to a show when the style isn't just window dressing, but a direct reflection of the desperation or the pride of the people living in those specific neighborhoods. When a show nails that balance of being incredibly stylish while remaining unapologetically raw, it stays with you way longer than a generic police procedural.

Lately, I feel like we're seeing a bit of a resurgence in shows that aren't afraid to dive into the deep end of local subcultures, but it's rare. Do you think we're entering a new era of "atmospheric" crime storytelling, or is it just nostalgia making me crave that old-school grit?