why this show only has 89 votes. It's one of my favorite shows of all time along with Twin Peaks, Arrested Development and Miami Vice. And anyone who loved Vice should love this. It's also by Michael Mann who as great as he is with movies is so much better with TV. This is actually where I fell in love with Andrew Dice Clay. That's right, you heard me. He played Max Goldman on the show and was great. Along with the wonderful Anthony John Denison, Dennis Farina and Stephen Lang. And in the pilot there is a super young David Caruso and the 4400's Billy Campbell plays one of the detectives. And let's not forget the super-cool don Manny Weisbord played by the legendary Joseph Weisman. And speaking of stars this was much like Miami Vice with a long list of guest stars. I remember Kevin Spacey playing a Kennedy type in one episode. They don't make shows like this anymore. It's a shame. We're fascinated when something like LOST is almost as good as TV used to be. If you like watching TV on DVD definitely give it a watch. It's better than everything on television right now.
51 Reviews
Crime Story Should Had Lasted Longer
shelbythuylinh4 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The late Dennis Farina a real life cop that turned into acting stars as Lt Mike Torello who is determined in the Windy City to wipe out crime.
As the mission is to bring down Antony Denison's Ray Luca a small time hood who is working his way through the mob through threats of intimidation, robbery, kidnapping, murder, you name it.
Together with a task force that goes national in the middle to late first season, Mike and his tight knit crew to finally bring them all down, one step at a time.
Look for a then unknown Stephen Lang as the DA and Federal prosecutor and close ally and friend of Mike's there. As well as rising stars that were unknown like TV actor Billy Campbell.
As the mission is to bring down Antony Denison's Ray Luca a small time hood who is working his way through the mob through threats of intimidation, robbery, kidnapping, murder, you name it.
Together with a task force that goes national in the middle to late first season, Mike and his tight knit crew to finally bring them all down, one step at a time.
Look for a then unknown Stephen Lang as the DA and Federal prosecutor and close ally and friend of Mike's there. As well as rising stars that were unknown like TV actor Billy Campbell.
"They don't make series like this..."
inxsfett2 October 2014
I remember too see this series in the late 80's (the other favorite of mine was WISEGUY) and i just simply was stick to the TV.
This series was unique in the 80's because the style and the look of the 50's something like i never see before,the cars,the music,the girls,the food,the action,the cops,the criminals...Everyhting was handle with a great direction and the scripts was incredible.
Of course the cast was amazing.Dennis Farina (RIP) was like always incredible,Bill Smitrovich,Steve Ryan,Bill Campbell and Stephen Lang was incredible too...The chemistry between this guys was amazing and still miss all this characters in the TV.
Simply one of the best cop series i ever see in my life and when i mention to people if they remember this series EVERYONE says:"oh men!! what a AWESOME series!!! They don't make series like this!!!" and you know what?...They are right!!!
This series was unique in the 80's because the style and the look of the 50's something like i never see before,the cars,the music,the girls,the food,the action,the cops,the criminals...Everyhting was handle with a great direction and the scripts was incredible.
Of course the cast was amazing.Dennis Farina (RIP) was like always incredible,Bill Smitrovich,Steve Ryan,Bill Campbell and Stephen Lang was incredible too...The chemistry between this guys was amazing and still miss all this characters in the TV.
Simply one of the best cop series i ever see in my life and when i mention to people if they remember this series EVERYONE says:"oh men!! what a AWESOME series!!! They don't make series like this!!!" and you know what?...They are right!!!
Steel-tough Chicago Cops, Old School justice.
buzznzipp199525 July 2006
I only wish I could rate it higher on the scale than just ten stars.
Talk about a lot of work that went into this one. I actually felt as if I was back in the early sixties when I was watching it. This was masterfully done. The scripting, to me was flawless. The development of the characters, was straight up, right. The scenery, well...brought to you by Good Ole Michael Mann. Largely some of the coolest style and presentation in Television and Cinema that I have seen yet. Mr. Mann brings deep emotional content and sustaining context to what he makes. I was traveling on a short vacation, I stopped into Tower Records in L.A. probably about (1995) and found the complete 'Crime Story' series on VHS for I believe it was merely $60.00 then. Needless to say I bought it. Then later on laser disk, but only found a couple. Now it has been put out on DVD!! Thankyou everyone in charge of production and ownership of the rights and especially WalMart for selling it on-line! Cheaper than when I bought it on VHS even.
Every character together makes the 'tapestry' of the story complete. From the lawyer, David Abrams(Stephen Lang), the ever 'Bad', Ray Luca, to Johnny O'Donnell (David Caruso, now C.S.I.:Miami's Lt. Caine) Pauli Taglia the roly-poly happy go lucky, sometimes fearful,(when running into Turello) sidekick to head man 'Luca'. But, you can't forget (or even try) the king of the street Lt. Mike Turello! Now He's the man!!! His crew, including Big Walter Clemmons, Nate, Joey and of course Danny. All excellent detectives battling highly organized crime (or evil) in their fair city.
The town and all the back ground in the story just rings true to form of that city in that era. The job putting this all together to make it that real, takes incredible work, time, effort, research. Even down to using real 'Morgue footage' actual film stock from 1963 for the real 1960s Chicago look. It was compiled and layered just right.
But then the network that let this epic show, just go, I believe is really stupid. Just like other shows that have had total-life left and yet the network 'lunk-heads' pulled the plug instead of giving some better, (uh hmmm) P.R. than they had done, back then. This show inspired me and my creative mind. I didn't quite know in what way, then, but I know now. I recommend this awesome police-mafia drama, with some comical over tones to those who enjoy wheel made television. (***)
P.S: I just bought the DVD set, and it is still a beauty to behold, now digitally remastered!!!!
Talk about a lot of work that went into this one. I actually felt as if I was back in the early sixties when I was watching it. This was masterfully done. The scripting, to me was flawless. The development of the characters, was straight up, right. The scenery, well...brought to you by Good Ole Michael Mann. Largely some of the coolest style and presentation in Television and Cinema that I have seen yet. Mr. Mann brings deep emotional content and sustaining context to what he makes. I was traveling on a short vacation, I stopped into Tower Records in L.A. probably about (1995) and found the complete 'Crime Story' series on VHS for I believe it was merely $60.00 then. Needless to say I bought it. Then later on laser disk, but only found a couple. Now it has been put out on DVD!! Thankyou everyone in charge of production and ownership of the rights and especially WalMart for selling it on-line! Cheaper than when I bought it on VHS even.
Every character together makes the 'tapestry' of the story complete. From the lawyer, David Abrams(Stephen Lang), the ever 'Bad', Ray Luca, to Johnny O'Donnell (David Caruso, now C.S.I.:Miami's Lt. Caine) Pauli Taglia the roly-poly happy go lucky, sometimes fearful,(when running into Turello) sidekick to head man 'Luca'. But, you can't forget (or even try) the king of the street Lt. Mike Turello! Now He's the man!!! His crew, including Big Walter Clemmons, Nate, Joey and of course Danny. All excellent detectives battling highly organized crime (or evil) in their fair city.
The town and all the back ground in the story just rings true to form of that city in that era. The job putting this all together to make it that real, takes incredible work, time, effort, research. Even down to using real 'Morgue footage' actual film stock from 1963 for the real 1960s Chicago look. It was compiled and layered just right.
But then the network that let this epic show, just go, I believe is really stupid. Just like other shows that have had total-life left and yet the network 'lunk-heads' pulled the plug instead of giving some better, (uh hmmm) P.R. than they had done, back then. This show inspired me and my creative mind. I didn't quite know in what way, then, but I know now. I recommend this awesome police-mafia drama, with some comical over tones to those who enjoy wheel made television. (***)
P.S: I just bought the DVD set, and it is still a beauty to behold, now digitally remastered!!!!
Absolutely riveting crime drama!
michaelRokeefe23 October 2001
From producer Michael Mann, a brilliant crime drama series that can be mentioned with similar reverence as THE UNTOUCHABLES(TV series)1959-1963. Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Las Vegas...organized crime is spreading its wings. Michael Torello(Dennis Farina)is the head of Chicago's Major Crime Unit and determined to bring down up and coming crime figure Ray Luca(Anthony Denison). The action takes place in the early 60s...and it is very impressive that the clothing, hair styles, automobiles and music are circa 1963. The opening theme is a revved up revised version of Del Shannon's "Runaway". The Torello/Luca relationship may even be more intense than that of Ness/Nitti in THE UNTOUCHABLES. From direction to dialogue; from story line to acting...hard to find fault with one of the best in this genre.
Kudos for strong acting from Stephen Lang, Bill Smitrovich, Andrew Dice Clay, Jon Polito, David Caruso, Ray Sharkey and Joseph Wiseman. Rocker Todd Rundgren is responsible for all original music that drives this 42 episode crime drama.
Kudos for strong acting from Stephen Lang, Bill Smitrovich, Andrew Dice Clay, Jon Polito, David Caruso, Ray Sharkey and Joseph Wiseman. Rocker Todd Rundgren is responsible for all original music that drives this 42 episode crime drama.
The amazing tale of a ruthless gangster and the cop who'll stop at nothing to catch him
Sephiroth_FF2 August 2008
Whether you like action, drama or anything else in between, Crime Story is a one-of-a-kind show. If you've never seen it before and just read about it, you'll think "it's all been done before" but that's entirely untrue. Debuting in 1986, Crime Story centres on Lieutenant Mike Torello (Dennis Farina), a 1960's Chicago cop who is determined to catch the notorious and ruthless gangster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison). As Luca rises to power with each new kill, Torello is even more willing to do whatever it takes to take him down. And that includes going against protocol. Not only does Luca affect his working life but he also affects his personal life, with people he cares about getting in the cross-fire.
Often touted as a "precursor to "The Sopranos", Crime Story is a show that's seems too good to be true. Every episode is powerful and riveting and features some top-notch acting performances. Dennis Farina shines in the lead role as Mike Torello in his first-ever regular TV series. Being an ex-Chicago cop in real life, the role comes easy to him and makes it so believable that you'll sometimes forget it's just a TV show. You'll laugh with him, you'll cry with him, you'll feel his pain, you'll feel his joy. Dennis Farina has a very wide range and carries this show like he's not even trying. He's THAT good. Not only is Farina excellent but Anthony Denison (now known as Tony Denison who appears on TNT's The Closer) is just as good as Ray Luca. Crime Story was one of the first things Denison had appeared in but made it look like he had been acting all of his life. His performance as Ray Luca has to be one of the most gripping I've ever seen. He starts off as a street thug working for other people but gradually rises up in the ranks, taking people down around him. For the most part, Tony seems expressionless yet still manages to convey an evilness that is simply chilling. Torello and Luca cannot exist without each other. If you take one away, the show would lose something. Every time they come eye-to-eye, you'll feel the tension between them. As Luca becomes ever more powerful, he begins to think he is unstoppable and pushes the boundaries to the limit. No matter how frightening Luca seems, the only person who could send a shiver down his spine is Torello and although Luca would never admit it, you can see the fear in his eyes.
Not only are Farina and Denison's character two of the most powerful in television history but the supporting cast is also great too. Bill Smitrovich plays Danny Krychek, who works with Torello closer than anyone else on the team, Steve Ryan plays Nate Grossman, the smart-alec of the team, Bill Campbell is the young Joey Indelli and Paul Butler plays Walter Clemmons (who constantly has a smoke in his mouth). There is also Stephen Lang as David Abrams, an attorney who is at ends with Torello but eventually becomes one of his closest allies.
Support from the other side of the law include memorable performances from Jon Polito as Phil Bartoli (many of whom would recognize from a string of TV shows and movies), John Santucci as Ray Luca's clown-faced side-kick Pauli Taglia, Ted Levine as the slow-witted Frank Holman and Joseph Wiseman as the boss-of-bosses, Manny Weisbord. Also backing up the cast are guest stars such as David Caruso, Michael Madsen, Pam Grier, Julia Roberts, Gary Sinise (both in two of their earliest roles) and many more.
Music also plays a big part in the series. As we watch modern-day shows, lines and lines of dialogue are often drowned out by whiny and screaming music. This isn't the case with Crime Story. The show is filled with rock n' roll tunes that'll make you feel like you're really back in the 60's. But the most important thing about the music is that there's always a reason for it to be played (once again, unlike modern shows). Every episode of the show is introduced with a redone version of Del Shannon's "Runaway". Shannon was asked to rewrite the lyrics to reflect on the tragic circumstances that are often encountered by the characters featured in the show, hence the "some live and others die" line.
If all of this doesn't convince you to see the show then I don't know what would. It has so much to offer. Even after it's over, you'll still be thinking about it. It'll have a great impact on you and although it only went for two seasons, they were two incredibly powerful seasons. Even though the show was cancelled twenty odd years ago, you'll rack your brain over how it could've happened. The ratings may not have been too good but the show was highly praised at it's time and is now considered a cult classic. Once you see it, you'll want to watch it again and again and again.
Often touted as a "precursor to "The Sopranos", Crime Story is a show that's seems too good to be true. Every episode is powerful and riveting and features some top-notch acting performances. Dennis Farina shines in the lead role as Mike Torello in his first-ever regular TV series. Being an ex-Chicago cop in real life, the role comes easy to him and makes it so believable that you'll sometimes forget it's just a TV show. You'll laugh with him, you'll cry with him, you'll feel his pain, you'll feel his joy. Dennis Farina has a very wide range and carries this show like he's not even trying. He's THAT good. Not only is Farina excellent but Anthony Denison (now known as Tony Denison who appears on TNT's The Closer) is just as good as Ray Luca. Crime Story was one of the first things Denison had appeared in but made it look like he had been acting all of his life. His performance as Ray Luca has to be one of the most gripping I've ever seen. He starts off as a street thug working for other people but gradually rises up in the ranks, taking people down around him. For the most part, Tony seems expressionless yet still manages to convey an evilness that is simply chilling. Torello and Luca cannot exist without each other. If you take one away, the show would lose something. Every time they come eye-to-eye, you'll feel the tension between them. As Luca becomes ever more powerful, he begins to think he is unstoppable and pushes the boundaries to the limit. No matter how frightening Luca seems, the only person who could send a shiver down his spine is Torello and although Luca would never admit it, you can see the fear in his eyes.
Not only are Farina and Denison's character two of the most powerful in television history but the supporting cast is also great too. Bill Smitrovich plays Danny Krychek, who works with Torello closer than anyone else on the team, Steve Ryan plays Nate Grossman, the smart-alec of the team, Bill Campbell is the young Joey Indelli and Paul Butler plays Walter Clemmons (who constantly has a smoke in his mouth). There is also Stephen Lang as David Abrams, an attorney who is at ends with Torello but eventually becomes one of his closest allies.
Support from the other side of the law include memorable performances from Jon Polito as Phil Bartoli (many of whom would recognize from a string of TV shows and movies), John Santucci as Ray Luca's clown-faced side-kick Pauli Taglia, Ted Levine as the slow-witted Frank Holman and Joseph Wiseman as the boss-of-bosses, Manny Weisbord. Also backing up the cast are guest stars such as David Caruso, Michael Madsen, Pam Grier, Julia Roberts, Gary Sinise (both in two of their earliest roles) and many more.
Music also plays a big part in the series. As we watch modern-day shows, lines and lines of dialogue are often drowned out by whiny and screaming music. This isn't the case with Crime Story. The show is filled with rock n' roll tunes that'll make you feel like you're really back in the 60's. But the most important thing about the music is that there's always a reason for it to be played (once again, unlike modern shows). Every episode of the show is introduced with a redone version of Del Shannon's "Runaway". Shannon was asked to rewrite the lyrics to reflect on the tragic circumstances that are often encountered by the characters featured in the show, hence the "some live and others die" line.
If all of this doesn't convince you to see the show then I don't know what would. It has so much to offer. Even after it's over, you'll still be thinking about it. It'll have a great impact on you and although it only went for two seasons, they were two incredibly powerful seasons. Even though the show was cancelled twenty odd years ago, you'll rack your brain over how it could've happened. The ratings may not have been too good but the show was highly praised at it's time and is now considered a cult classic. Once you see it, you'll want to watch it again and again and again.
in one word: Epic
burnett3316014 July 2006
Crime story is often considered a predecessor to more well-known but lower quality shows like the Sopranos which is essentially a soap opera with a minstrel show with Italian- Americans caricatures. Crime Story is a top 5 candidate for best crime drama of in TV history. It is the story of two men, one a smart, ambitious hoodlum determined to rise from small- time thievery to international kingpin, even if he has to kill his own mother to get there. The other is an old-fashioned, volatile policeman whose sole mission in life is to destroy the organized crime syndicate. There are both men on a quest that feels destined from day one to collide with the others quest. It is always clear to the audience that the reason for torellos hatred of luca and other criminals is his fundamental respect for human life and his adversary's lack of it. Mike Torello is the kind of cop who believes people are responsible for there actions and should be held accountable. This is the reason the show was set in the early 60s to begin with and the reason why torello is rapidly becoming a dinosaur. The Vietnam war begins late in the second season and you can feel torellos obsolesence coming on. Soon Americans will enter an era where public opinion leans toward blaming society for the criminals crimes and not the criminal. I Feel that if the series had gone on for 5-7 years instead of 2, we would have seen the locales and general feel of the show vary from season to season, with much character development. In the end assuming the shows final season was set around 1970 i think torello would have been considered a raving fascist lunatic in an asylum somewhere and ray luca would be running for office. I think crime story was as much about an important decade in American history as it was about these two men.
Quirky. Brilliant. Ahead of it's time.
trescia-119 May 2019
Brilliant but "quirky" (in a good way). Michael Mann was a favorite of mine after he made "Thief" and I was happy to see him become a household name making "Miami Vice." This show is simply one of the best ever made-- IF you are willing to jump on board and go along for the ride. It's not a "typical" show but a typical show is BAD.
Not like this one. This one is good.
But it's quirky. If you like quirky, then this is your show. If you expect another copy of everything else ever made... you will surely be unhappy.
Not for everybody. But it's wonderful if you like TV with an edge.
Not like this one. This one is good.
But it's quirky. If you like quirky, then this is your show. If you expect another copy of everything else ever made... you will surely be unhappy.
Not for everybody. But it's wonderful if you like TV with an edge.
Dark, Menacing and Wonderfully Entertaining!
gooelf5028 January 2007
You just don't get this kind of show in television! How this series ever came about is a mystery. All of the stars and planets must have been in perfect alignment to result in the genesis of such a perfectly entertaining crime drama. I've never been a fan of police series, old or new. Dragnet, NYPD, Hawaii 50, CSI, Crossing Jordan, Closer, etc, etc, etc. They bore me. I guess it was pure luck that led me to "Crime Story" one day a few decades ago when I was off work with the flu. There was nothing else on and I was stuck with it. As I watched, the realization that I was seeing a unique drama hit me like a bag of anvils. The taste and feel of the show was unlike any other police series I'd ever seen. Dennis Farina looked absolutely menacing with his dark, foreboding eyes and physically intimidating approach to crimebusting, especially when interrogating the baddies. He headed up a group of hand selected detectives who handled the tough going with one hand in their pockets. They were fearless and didn't feel it was necessary to play fairly with the underworld characters they pursued with pitbull determination. The series was set in the 50s and 60s with dress and cars that gave viewers a nostaligic look the dangerous side of the "Happy Days" era. Each episode opened with background music by Del Shannon (Runaway), a musical icon of the period. When I first started watching the series, I was unaware that Dennis Farina, the star of the series and a virtual unknown, was a former Chicago Police Detective. That certainly explains the realistic feel of the series. I've looked everywhere for reruns, but have never been able to find a channel that carries the series in syndication. I also have no idea why the series ended. Did Dennis Farina decide that Television was not where he wanted to be? He eventually began making feature films ( I recall his terrific performances in "Get Shorty" and in a movie that he made with Bette Middler.) and decide to walk away from the series. I can't believe that the series wasn't popular enough to avoid cancellation because of low ratings, so what happened?
Crime Story was the best!
b_crouch25 June 2006
I agree with this assessment of Crime Story as I also taped every episode that I could when they were on. My greatest Fathers Day gift from my son was the complete 2 seasons on DVD. Now I have a digital version of this "Best of the best" police shows. We need more great programs along these lines.
What was really interesting is that IMDb has complete bios on all the actors involved in the production and I found that the pilot had many current stars cast. As the show progressed, other actors early in their careers showed up from time to time. One in particular is the "deranged gunman" in season one that is currently Captain Brass in Crime Scene Investigation (CSI).
What was really interesting is that IMDb has complete bios on all the actors involved in the production and I found that the pilot had many current stars cast. As the show progressed, other actors early in their careers showed up from time to time. One in particular is the "deranged gunman" in season one that is currently Captain Brass in Crime Scene Investigation (CSI).
Ahead of its time for its serialized format, but not a great show unfortunately
TonyCamonte842 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The 1986 NBC drama 'Crime Story' is often credited as a predecessor to today's greatly serialized TV show such as 'The Sopranos' or 'The Wire', and as the prototype for this kind of series whose story-arcs span multiple episodes. Set in the 1960s it's about policeman Lt. Mike Torello and mobster Ray Luca who rises through the ranks. The first season takes 22 episodes to tell their story, however – being among the first shows to not be completely episodic – it is not as brave in its approach as the shows that would follow it are, and there are a lot of episodic stories weaved into the overarching plot. The show still feels quite episodic because of it, and you can tell that the writers at the time didn't feel the viewers would be able to appreciate a single narrative over the course of about 18 hours. This is especially obvious with the inclusion of season 1 'episode' 12 "Crime Pays", which is nothing but a 45 minute recap of what had happened in the previous 11 episodes. There are other moments later in the show, as it generally declines quite a bit, when there are long flashbacks, too.
As far as I'm concerned that's a blemish for the show, as it insults the viewers' intelligence, even though the times and their viewing practices might have warranted that. The show does have a bit going for it, though, other than retrospectively exploring the beginnings of today's great shows' narrative structures. It features some very good acting, especially from Dennis Farina (playing Lt. Mike Torello), and Jon Polito, whose character Phil Bartoli doesn't get enough screen-time, though. A young Julia Roberts has a guest role in one of the episodes, too, as well as Kevin Spacey and other great actors. Also, there's some fantastic work being done behind the camera. Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, The Addiction, ) directs the two episodes spanning pilot and Michael Mann (Heat, The Last of the Mohicans, ) produces the entire series.
It's quite evident that this show was made in the 80s, and it feels like the 1980s 90 percent of the time (not only because of the constant anachronistic 1980s score), even though its story takes place in the 1960s, but that doesn't really deter from the production quality of it all. Where the show – at least for me – ultimately falls short of being a great one, though, is in the writing. There's just not enough substance to it. The story definitely has the potential for it, as Michael Scorsese later showed in 'Casino', which was inspired by 'Crime Story', as he himself admitted, but the show doesn't quite live up to it. The episodic elements don't help, but in the end it comes down to the characters not being refined enough. Torello and Luca are interesting enough in the beginning, but character-wise they stay where they are for the rest of the series. They are mainly identified by their hatred for each other, their ambition and their hotheadedness. Unfortunately, there's little beyond that. We get to see them with their significant others and similar things like that, but little is done to further the characters anyway, and in the end there's just too little to care about, especially when the main storyline regularly gets interrupted by often uninspired cases-of-the-week.
The dialogue-writing is sharp enough for it to be a decent show, yet sadly the characters aren't fleshed out well-enough. The plot- writing is also not up to par. It often takes the cheap way out and generally lacks credibility and quality. There wasn't nearly enough for it ever to be a great show, but it could have been a good one with a few tweaks. All of this, by the way, is only talking about the first season. The second one is generally another notch below the first one.
As far as I'm concerned that's a blemish for the show, as it insults the viewers' intelligence, even though the times and their viewing practices might have warranted that. The show does have a bit going for it, though, other than retrospectively exploring the beginnings of today's great shows' narrative structures. It features some very good acting, especially from Dennis Farina (playing Lt. Mike Torello), and Jon Polito, whose character Phil Bartoli doesn't get enough screen-time, though. A young Julia Roberts has a guest role in one of the episodes, too, as well as Kevin Spacey and other great actors. Also, there's some fantastic work being done behind the camera. Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, The Addiction, ) directs the two episodes spanning pilot and Michael Mann (Heat, The Last of the Mohicans, ) produces the entire series.
It's quite evident that this show was made in the 80s, and it feels like the 1980s 90 percent of the time (not only because of the constant anachronistic 1980s score), even though its story takes place in the 1960s, but that doesn't really deter from the production quality of it all. Where the show – at least for me – ultimately falls short of being a great one, though, is in the writing. There's just not enough substance to it. The story definitely has the potential for it, as Michael Scorsese later showed in 'Casino', which was inspired by 'Crime Story', as he himself admitted, but the show doesn't quite live up to it. The episodic elements don't help, but in the end it comes down to the characters not being refined enough. Torello and Luca are interesting enough in the beginning, but character-wise they stay where they are for the rest of the series. They are mainly identified by their hatred for each other, their ambition and their hotheadedness. Unfortunately, there's little beyond that. We get to see them with their significant others and similar things like that, but little is done to further the characters anyway, and in the end there's just too little to care about, especially when the main storyline regularly gets interrupted by often uninspired cases-of-the-week.
The dialogue-writing is sharp enough for it to be a decent show, yet sadly the characters aren't fleshed out well-enough. The plot- writing is also not up to par. It often takes the cheap way out and generally lacks credibility and quality. There wasn't nearly enough for it ever to be a great show, but it could have been a good one with a few tweaks. All of this, by the way, is only talking about the first season. The second one is generally another notch below the first one.
By far the greatest TV gangster epic ever!
aldiboronti6 September 2022
And yes, better even than The Sopranos, although I love that show. Before Paulie Walnuts there was Paulie Gaglia. Before Tony Soprano there was Ray Luca. Many people seem to believe that quality television first appeared in the 90s but it isn't so as this show amply demonstrates.
Everything about this is superlative: the acting is incredible and clearly everyone who was anyone wanted to appear in this, apart from the regular cast, ably led by Dennis Farina and Tony Denison, we see Michael Madsen, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Eric Bogosian, Pam Grier and many more. The soundtrack is also to die for. I just can't praise this enough and Michael Mann is an absolute genius.
Everything about this is superlative: the acting is incredible and clearly everyone who was anyone wanted to appear in this, apart from the regular cast, ably led by Dennis Farina and Tony Denison, we see Michael Madsen, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Eric Bogosian, Pam Grier and many more. The soundtrack is also to die for. I just can't praise this enough and Michael Mann is an absolute genius.
Kind of rough
wsteinhauer17 September 2019
Some good parts if you ignore too many repeats of scenes and a really dumb ending!
daveferg-223173 May 2019
Enjoyed the old music and classic cars. Acting was pretty good and lots of future stars in early rolls. Way too much of repeating scenes. The ending was so bad, it was like the writers were saying up yours to the network canceling them.
Greatly missed...
Brooklyn-101 February 2000
Crime Story was very probably the best show of its kind ever. Although it ran only two seasons, it boasted a superbly worked story and, without question, the best cast ever assembled for television. Not a big star in the mix, but the finest selection of character actors around. Probably the best conflict ever between two men on screen, Denis Farina as cop Mike Torello, and Anthony Denison as hot-headed mob figure Ray Luca. Luca's rise to power in Chicago and later in Las Vegas is the central plot, with Torello and his task force on target to bring him down. With Torello's every failure to bring Luca to justice, he becomes more frustrated and empassioned, and turns up the heat a notch each time, while Luca dances just beyond his reach, increasingly arrogant in his new-found invincibility.
Along with the well-laid foundation of drama and conflict, there was quite a lot of dark humor, one of the things I liked best about the series. Much of this was provided by John Santucci as Paulie, and Ted Levine as Holman, as Luca's sleazy low-life helpers. One show in particular stands out, in which Luca dispatches Paulie and Holman to go to work at a competitor's casino, to do everything possible to make it lose money. Another great role was Luca's long-suffering wife, Cori, played with shrewish gusto by Johann Carlo.
The first season was superior to the second, mostly because the first was so close to perfect. The second half of the first season, in which Torello follows Luca to Las Vegas, is no less than outstanding. Having seen "Casino",the Martin Scorcese movie from 1995, I was struck by how many similarities there were between that movie and "Crime Story" in Las Vegas.
This show was in reruns on USA ten years ago, for a short time, it seems they only ran the whole series through twice. I did tape it at the time, but have since been able to order the entire series on tape, a ten-cassette set. Although the picture quality is not great (EP mode), I am grateful to have these episodes to watch at all. If anybody ever properly puts this series on video (two episodes per tape, stereo sound), I would be even more grateful. The best television show of the 1980's deserves better!
Along with the well-laid foundation of drama and conflict, there was quite a lot of dark humor, one of the things I liked best about the series. Much of this was provided by John Santucci as Paulie, and Ted Levine as Holman, as Luca's sleazy low-life helpers. One show in particular stands out, in which Luca dispatches Paulie and Holman to go to work at a competitor's casino, to do everything possible to make it lose money. Another great role was Luca's long-suffering wife, Cori, played with shrewish gusto by Johann Carlo.
The first season was superior to the second, mostly because the first was so close to perfect. The second half of the first season, in which Torello follows Luca to Las Vegas, is no less than outstanding. Having seen "Casino",the Martin Scorcese movie from 1995, I was struck by how many similarities there were between that movie and "Crime Story" in Las Vegas.
This show was in reruns on USA ten years ago, for a short time, it seems they only ran the whole series through twice. I did tape it at the time, but have since been able to order the entire series on tape, a ten-cassette set. Although the picture quality is not great (EP mode), I am grateful to have these episodes to watch at all. If anybody ever properly puts this series on video (two episodes per tape, stereo sound), I would be even more grateful. The best television show of the 1980's deserves better!
Some live while others die. And I wonder what makes me stay .
feakes4 March 2016
Crime Story is a major triumph in Television history. Michael Mann brought to life the blazing 60's and crime in Chicago and Las Vegas. Mann was behind Miami vice and helped give vice its look and feel. Yet While Vice was about flashy clothes cars and trends and stories that came out of the newspapers. Crime Story was all about where we had been. The 1960's was a era in which organized crime Thrived. the FBI never really acknowledged the Mafia. And power brokers quietly worked behind the scenes changing the course of history. Crime Story follows the Chicago MCU Its major crimes unit as they under the command of Lt. Michael torello chase after a street thug named Ray Luca who goes from street thug to a major player in one of the major crime families. Torello must try to be one step ahead of Luca in what becomes a personal Vendetta between both men. Crime Story Is maybe one of the finest cop shows that ever aired. And that says a lot. Has it aged well. I'd say yes. Did the show go out poorly I'd say yes killing the show after season 2 in what has to be one of the worst cliffhangers in TV History. Its still remembered s one of the biggest mistakes in TV History. But we got to remember the show when it was in its prime and at its best. At its best it was untouchable and unbeatable. At its worst it was still heads and tails above anything else on TV.
One of the greats.
rvmagee16 May 2022
If you are a crime and film noir enthusiast, watch this series. It is the best -- both acting and story are solidy authentic -- and many a later drama owes its sense of legitamacy from this one. Loved watching this in the 80s as a college student, and Wiseguy (the series that followed it) was at least equally compelling. Film noir buffs of any era will find much to love here. Can't recommend this series highly enough.
LOVED this show
saxmanjt12 April 2020
EAT YOUR HEART OUT QT
seanjewett-7970723 April 2021
You'd have to ask him, but it's a good bet that Quentin Tarantino was inspired by this brilliant series when he wrote Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. So much about it, including the musical score and especially Dell Shannon's classic Runaway make Crime Story one of the best shows ever.
Crime story is remarkable and gripping
afijamesy2k28 April 2022
This is a brilliant and wonderful crime drama series from the creator of Miami vice, set in the 50's, Chicago, the home of organized crime, the late Dennis farina plays a police detective searching for mobsters and others, thr rest of the cast is Terrific as well, the music is straight classic, the teleplay is marvelous and everything else is good as gold, this is a masterpiece.
Just adding my ten stars.
amandarose71223 April 2020
Favorite Crime Show
cdxbow8 November 2021
Uneven
rk9119 October 2019
This series had great potential and even lived up to that potential...occasionally. several episodes were just plain silly (Pauli Taglia's Dreams for example). the acting was uneven and john santucci should've stuck to being a jewel thief. the one consistent good thing? the music...muy bueno!
Awesome pilot to a great series!
alexmachine21 June 2003
This tv show had it all, great characters played by a fantastic cast, some of the coolest cops and villians you could ever ask for, great music, the cars, the atmosphere and dialogue, and a plot that went way beyond any single episode! It's the story of one cop named Michael Torello (Dennis Farina) who makes it his life's mission to bring down a "ruthless hood" named Ray Luca (Anthony Denison) who is quickly working his way to the top of the Chicago organized crime syndicate. Along the way, you're introduced to other key figures, like Andrew Dice Clay's character Max Goldman and a performance by Joseph Wiseman as Manny Weisbord that stands just as strong as anything The Godfather produced (in my absolutely biased opinion, of course). Don't forget Pauli Taglia, Ray's henchman, and rockin' Frank Holman (the same guy who plays Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs), who bears an intriguing resemblance to the Rev. Horton Heat! The series started in Chicago, migrated to Las Vegas about a third of the way through, and ends in Latin America of all places. I won't give anything away here, but I will warn you that if you see the pilot, you'll want to get your hands on the rest of the series. Unfortunately, that's not as easy. The tapes show up on ebay regularly but aren't cheap. Good news is that Anchor Bay is releasing all the episodes on dvd really soon, so it's probably just better to wait for that. Alot of the tapes were copied in SLP mode anyway, and don't have the best quality. This series has a severe cult following now, even though it only aired for two seasons in the '80s. I introduced my girlfriend at the time to this show, and while she was skeptical at first, by the end she insisted we had to get the rest of the series. You'll watch it over and over again and pick up on stuff you miss everytime, not to mention the stories are just classic and filled to overflowing with one-liners and scenes! Michael Mann is a genius for making this show happen. I hated Miami Vice, but this was just "the greatest thing, since bullets"---Yikes!!!!, I could write on and on about the merits of this series!! It's hard to believe how few people know about Crime Story! Don't be one of those people, check it out!
awesome
gregberne1114 December 2018
This was an awesome crime drama from the 1980's from michael mann who went on to make the hit series miami vice. this show was much better than that one though. it was very dark and edgy and real. fantastic acting top to bottom, both the cops and the criminals. ted levine and the guy who played paulie were excellent dirtbag flunkies for ray luca. luca and torello were awesome. the cops were great. even the district attorney in a smaller role was very well done. too bad it ended on such a bizarre abrupt cliffhanger, basically part one of a two parter then the show was just done!
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