Dark Blue (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Dark Blue was an action
/drama
television series which premiered on TNT on July 15, 2009, at 10 pm (9 pm Central). It ended its run on September 15, 2010. The series is set in Los Angeles
, California
. It revolves around Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott
), the leader of an undercover unit. He is an officer who has dedicated his life to taking down the worst criminals in L.A., and this dedication has cost him his marriage. His team includes Ty Curtis, a newlywed who struggles between his job and his new life; Dean Bendis, an officer who is so deep in his undercover role that his team is no longer sure which side he is on; and Jaimie Allen, a green patrol cop recruited into the undercover unit because of her dark past and criminal skills.
that is so secret, many of the team members' own colleagues do not know they are involved. Heir to several generations of police officers and a graduate of UCLA, Shaw quickly rose through the ranks of the LAPD. He made a large number of arrests of high profile criminals during his eighteen years on the force. Shaw frequently uses criminal contacts to further leads and add substance to his team's covers during investigations; Carter's team members are often shocked at how friendly and casual he seems with known criminals.
Carter was married with one child before he became a deep undercover officer. His ex-wife claims his double life was the reason their marriage dissolved. This earlier part of his life is sharply contrasted with the one he now leads, in which he has few personal relationships.
His team includes a recently married cop (played by Omari Hardwick
from TNT’s Saved
) who struggles with personal relationships he developed while undercover; a shoot-from-the-hip officer (played by Logan Marshall-Green
) whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the other side; and a callow patrolwoman (played by Nicki Aycox
) brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and her shady past.
who produced CSI
and its spin-offs, as well as Cold Case and Without A Trace
; Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon
, and Doug Jung serving as executive producers. KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. Cannon directed the pilot episode, which attracted 3.5 million viewers. The season finale was watched by 1.61 million viewers, a series low. The first season average was 2.589 million viewers. It was cancelled by TNT on November 16, 2010.
released Dark Blue: The Complete First Season on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
, who frequently composes music on CSI: Miami
and Eleventh Hour
, along with David Russo III, who also composed Eleventh Hour.
praised the series, saying "This is a solid and particularly well-produced cop show—and should be, with Jerry Bruckheimer topping the credits—although we take off points for extreme violence..."; he gave the show 83 out of 100. Philadelphia Inquirers Jonathan Storm gave it 70 out of 100, saying "If you're looking for unencumbered tough-guy entertainment, you won't be disappointed." Mary McNamara at the Los Angeles Times
also gave the series a 70, saying "It's going to take more than an unshaven cheek and a few hollow coughs to make the character real, but Dark Blues great supporting cast and high production values may buy its star enough time to disappear as effectively into his role as his undercover team disappears into theirs." The Boston Globe
, however, criticized the show, saying "The characters are not especially dimensional, and McDermott's flat edginess as Carter doesn't help. But what's worse about Dark Blue is the sloppy plotting."
Action genre
The word action has more than one meaning in fiction. Action is one of the fiction-writing modes authors use to present fiction. The term is also used to describe an exiting event or circumstance.-Action as a fiction-writing mode:...
/drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series which premiered on TNT on July 15, 2009, at 10 pm (9 pm Central). It ended its run on September 15, 2010. The series is set in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It revolves around Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott
Dylan McDermott
Mark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
), the leader of an undercover unit. He is an officer who has dedicated his life to taking down the worst criminals in L.A., and this dedication has cost him his marriage. His team includes Ty Curtis, a newlywed who struggles between his job and his new life; Dean Bendis, an officer who is so deep in his undercover role that his team is no longer sure which side he is on; and Jaimie Allen, a green patrol cop recruited into the undercover unit because of her dark past and criminal skills.
Premise
Carter Shaw is the head of a crack undercover team of the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
that is so secret, many of the team members' own colleagues do not know they are involved. Heir to several generations of police officers and a graduate of UCLA, Shaw quickly rose through the ranks of the LAPD. He made a large number of arrests of high profile criminals during his eighteen years on the force. Shaw frequently uses criminal contacts to further leads and add substance to his team's covers during investigations; Carter's team members are often shocked at how friendly and casual he seems with known criminals.
Carter was married with one child before he became a deep undercover officer. His ex-wife claims his double life was the reason their marriage dissolved. This earlier part of his life is sharply contrasted with the one he now leads, in which he has few personal relationships.
His team includes a recently married cop (played by Omari Hardwick
Omari Hardwick
Omari Lateef Hardwick is an American actor, known for his roles in the TV series Saved and Dark Blue, and in the movies Spike Lee's Miracle at St...
from TNT’s Saved
Saved (TV series)
Saved is a medical drama television series, which was broadcast on Turner Network Television in 2006. The series was created by David Manson....
) who struggles with personal relationships he developed while undercover; a shoot-from-the-hip officer (played by Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor best known for his roles in Dark Blue, The O.C., 24, and Traveler.-Early life:...
) whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the other side; and a callow patrolwoman (played by Nicki Aycox
Nicki Aycox
-Personal life:Aycox was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has a younger brother, Steve. She speaks fluent German according to an interview in Jack magazine. She also comes from a Native American heritage.-Career:Aycox began performing at a young age...
) brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and her shady past.
Production
Dark Blue comes to TNT from Warner Horizon Television, with prolific producer Jerry BruckheimerJerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
who produced CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and its spin-offs, as well as Cold Case and Without A Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
; Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon is a film and television screenwriter, director and producer.- Career :Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre...
, and Doug Jung serving as executive producers. KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. Cannon directed the pilot episode, which attracted 3.5 million viewers. The season finale was watched by 1.61 million viewers, a series low. The first season average was 2.589 million viewers. It was cancelled by TNT on November 16, 2010.
Cast
- Dylan McDermottDylan McDermottMark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
as Lt. Carter Shaw - Omari HardwickOmari HardwickOmari Lateef Hardwick is an American actor, known for his roles in the TV series Saved and Dark Blue, and in the movies Spike Lee's Miracle at St...
as Ty Curtis - Logan Marshall-GreenLogan Marshall-GreenLogan Marshall-Green is an American actor best known for his roles in Dark Blue, The O.C., 24, and Traveler.-Early life:...
as Dean Bendis - Nicki AycoxNicki Aycox-Personal life:Aycox was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has a younger brother, Steve. She speaks fluent German according to an interview in Jack magazine. She also comes from a Native American heritage.-Career:Aycox began performing at a young age...
as Jaimie Allen (real name Jaimie Anderson according to her Detroit Juvenile Authority file) - Tricia HelferTricia HelferTricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
as FBI Special Agent Alex Rice (Season 2)
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | Ratings | DVD Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | 10 | July 15, 2009 | September 16, 2009 | 2.6 million | June 6, 2010 |
| Season Two | 10 | August 4, 2010 | September 15, 2010 | 2.3 million |
DVD release
On July 6, 2011, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
released Dark Blue: The Complete First Season on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
Music
Composer Graeme RevellGraeme Revell
Graeme Revell is a New Zealand film score composer.Revell attended Auckland Grammar School, where he finished his final year in 7A...
, who frequently composes music on CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
and Eleventh Hour
Eleventh Hour (U.S. TV series)
Eleventh Hour is an American science-based drama television series, which is based on the 2006 British series of the same name. The series originally ran on CBS from October 9, 2008 to April 2, 2009 and aired on Thursdays at 10 pm . The series was a joint venture between Jerry Bruckheimer...
, along with David Russo III, who also composed Eleventh Hour.
Reception
Since the premiere, the series has gained mixed reviews. Verne Gay of NewsdayNewsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
praised the series, saying "This is a solid and particularly well-produced cop show—and should be, with Jerry Bruckheimer topping the credits—although we take off points for extreme violence..."; he gave the show 83 out of 100. Philadelphia Inquirers Jonathan Storm gave it 70 out of 100, saying "If you're looking for unencumbered tough-guy entertainment, you won't be disappointed." Mary McNamara at the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
also gave the series a 70, saying "It's going to take more than an unshaven cheek and a few hollow coughs to make the character real, but Dark Blues great supporting cast and high production values may buy its star enough time to disappear as effectively into his role as his undercover team disappears into theirs." The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, however, criticized the show, saying "The characters are not especially dimensional, and McDermott's flat edginess as Carter doesn't help. But what's worse about Dark Blue is the sloppy plotting."
International broadcasting
| Country | Broadcaster | Season Premiere | |
|---|---|---|---|
| >Citytv | |||
| CNBC-e CNBC-e CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e.... >align="center"| 1 |align="center"| |
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