"Boomtown" (2002) TV series 2002-2003

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

Graham Yost

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

29 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

One crime. Seen from every point of view.

Plot:

Each episode of this series, set in present day Los Angeles, examines one crime from many different viewpoints - uniformed cops...

Plot Keywords:

Blood Splatter | Blood | Strangulation | Prison | Pepper Spray

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Donnie Wahlberg	...	Detective Joel Stevens / ... (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Neal McDonough	...	David McNorris (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Detective Bobby 'Fearless' Smith (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Gary Basaraba	...	Officer Ray Hechler (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Lana Parrilla	...	Teresa Ortiz (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jason Gedrick	...	Officer Tom Turcotte (24 episodes, 2002-2003)
Nina Garbiras	...	Andrea Little (18 episodes, 2002-2003)

Runtime:

45 min (24 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

El Mirage Dry Lake, California, USA

Company:

NBC Studios

Trivia:

The beginning credits feature actual footage of controversial Los Angeles events: The Watts riots, a shot of Robert Kennedy moments before he was assassinated at the L.A. Ambassador Hotel, and footage of the O.J. Simpson Bronco "slow chase".

Quotes:

Mr. LaFontaine: I've been trying to think of a prayer but I'm coming up blank. It's been a long time. You got any?
Det. Joel Stevens: No. No I'm all out.
Mr. LaFontaine: How about you? Prayer?
Det. Bobby "Fearless" Smith: I don't have a prayer, but I do have a story.
Mr. LaFontaine: Ok.
Det. Bobby "Fearless" Smith: There was this wave way out in the ocean. He was just racing along having a great time. Sun light glinting, sparkling, just flying. Until one day he look ahead and he saw wave after wave in front of him crashing on the beach and he got scared. And this older wave in front of him said, "I know what your problem is. You've been having so much fun being a wave that you forgot you're just part of the ocean."
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Raines: Pilot (#1.1)" (2007)

It doesn't deliver an hour's worth of story, but it does deliver.

The last time DreamWorks and NBC got together for a series imported by Channel 5 (pre-Five), the result was "The Others," which was appropriately enough co-produced by Delusional Films. Appropriately, that is, because delusional is precisely what the makers were if they thought that sub-"Poltergeist: The Legacy" sleep-inducer had what it took to become a hit. (It was cancelled after about 13 episodes by NBC and swiftly demoted to a late-night slot in the UK.)

"Boomtown," though not the most blistering series to arrive in years, is much, much better. The hook is that each episode follows one story through seven participants; an assistant DA (Neal McDonough), a reporter (the gorgeous Nina Garbiras), two uniformed cops (Gary Basaraba and Jason Gedrick), two plainclothes cops (top-billed Donnie Wahlberg and Mykelti Williamson) and a paramedic (Lana Parilla) - these last few are what seem to have led some to compare it unfavourably to "Third Watch," and this show does have some flaws; the stories of each episode would in fact be a lot shorter if they didn't keep repeating scenes in order to have them from another point of view.

But when the show does work, it's enormously effective; and so far, it hits more often than it misses, with each of the core having more than one strong moment; the continuing plot about Wahlberg's severely depressed wife is especially noteworthy, and the acting and scripting are strong enough to make it worth the time. "Boomtown" may not be as effective as Graham Yost's earlier "Speed," but he also scripted "Broken Arrow" and co-wrote "Mission To Mars." This is far better than either.

I doubt this'll last long, but I'll enjoy it while I can.