I strongly recommend the NBC TV series Law and Order as an example of
how American television *can* present morally complex problems when it
puts its mind to it. The "good guys" don't always win; the "good guys"
aren't always even that good. The current Assistant District Attorney on
the show bends the rules and tries more dodges to get a conviction than
I'm entirely comfortable with -- but it's very good stuff.
(Defense attorney to Assistant District Attorney: "What's next, McCoy?
Drag a suspect over the border to Mexico, beat a confession out of him
there, then come back and use it in New York?"
ADA McCoy: "Works for me!")
Past episodes of Law and Order are also rebroadcast by the Arts and
Entertainment Network every night at 8 pm and 12 pm Pacific time
Another mass-media product that discusses this in an interesting way is
the comic book (OK, "graphic novel" for you purists) Batman: The Dark
Knight Returns. In this the question is asked whether Batman is really a
public-spirited citizen, or an out-of-control vigilante; and do we
really want such a person running around our town?