"Brooklyn South" (1997) TV series 1997-1998

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Writer:

Michael Duggan (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

22 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A realistic and gritty police drama centering on the lives of a group of close knit police officers and crime victims at a seedy police station in Brooklyn, New York City.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Brooklyn New York | Murder | Irish American | Child Murder

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jon Tenney	...	Patrol Sgt. Francis X. Donovan (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Michael DeLuise	...	Off. Phil Roussakoff (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Gary Basaraba	...	Sgt. Richard Santoro / ... (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Titus Welliver	...	Off. Jake Lowery (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Klea Scott	...	Off. Nona Valentine (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Dylan Walsh	...	Off. Jimmy Doyle (22 episodes, 1997-1998)
Yancy Butler	...	Off. Anne-Marie Kersey / ... (21 episodes, 1997-1998)
James Sikking	...	Capt. Stan Jonas / ... (20 episodes, 1997-1998)
Richard T. Jones	...	Off. Clement Johnson (20 episodes, 1997-1998)
Adam Rodriguez	...	Off. Hector Villanueva (20 episodes, 1997-1998)
Patrick McGaw	...	Terry Doyle (16 episodes, 1997-1998)
A.J. Langer	...	Kathleen Doyle (9 episodes, 1997-1998)

Runtime:

60 min (22 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Why didn't it work?

A Steven Boncho production that lasted only one season. Partly because of airing opposite of the target audience's Monday Night Football, partly because of not one of the characters connecting to the little audience this show managed to keep after maybe a handful of episodes. I watched perhaps 4 episodes before I gave up on it during it's network TV run. Later, when it was released on DVD, I decided to give it another chance primarily on the strength of the superb first episode alone. Again I found that as the episodes wore on, my interest began to wane again. This show may be realistic, it may be well acted, but it doesn't have the spark that either "Hill Street Blues", "NYPD Blue", or to a less extant "S.W.A.T" did. The show committed the sin of not having anyone in the cast that stands out and is relatable for me. It just seemed a retread of story lines from other better productions.

My overall grade: C

Complete Series DVD Extras: Commentary by Co-creator David Milch on the Pilot; a 14 minute interview with Steven Boncho; Cast & Crew bios; and a list of police response codes