Nasty Boys (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Nasty Boys was a television action drama series based on the real life Narcotics Officers of the North Las vegas Police Department.
produced several award winning anti drug Public Service Announcements that featured real life footage of the Nasty Boys making busts and one featured the North Las Vegas Chief of Police looking into the camera, with the heavily armed team behind him, saying, "If you sell drugs in North Las Vegas, we'll be knocking at your door."
, of Miami Vice
fame, noticed the Nasty Boys and proposed to the two North Las Vegas Narcotics Officers who had produced the anti-drug song that a television show to be released by Universal Studios, and broadcast on the NBC
network. The two officers agreed and provided stories to the writers, were technical advisors and acted in the pilot and several episodes. A pilot episode was aired as a TV movie September 21, 1989 , and 13 episodes aired as a mid season replacement show. The show was very popular with a small cult following but the Universal Studios
produced Nasty Boys was not renewed because that same year, NBC had begun producing many of their own television productions and only renewed one non NBC production that year. .
The Nasty Boys featured a North Las Vegas Police
narcotics unit consisting of six undercover police officers who fought crime in drug
-ridden neighborhoods using “unorthodox” methods. The show starred Benjamin Bratt
, Don Franklin
, Craig Hurley, Jeff Kaake, James Pax
, and Dennis Franz
, who played Lieutenant Stan Krieger. William Russ
played Lieutenant Farlow in the pilot movie and was killed off unexpectedly.
The theme song was "Nasty
" by Janet Jackson
, though the song was performed by Lisa Keith
and the lyrics were changed to fit the TV series.
Jimmy Jackson and Larry Bradley were technical advisors/actors
Background
The innovative cops were known locally as the NTNB which stood for the North Town Narcotics Bureau but quickly were nicknamed the North Town "Nasty Boys" by the local drug dealers because of the unit's all black hooded raid uniforms and their quick breeching methods for serving search warrants. The unit caught the attention of the producers of "The Reporters" while they were in Las Vegas for an unrelated show. It was the practice of the unit at the time to allow the local press to ride with them and tape their raids and "Reversals", that's where the cops take over a drug sales location and then pretend to be the drug sellers busting the arriving buyers one by one. Then with the help of the local NBC affiliate would air the bust on the 11:00 p.m. news with the opening, "The Nasty Boys shut down another drug sales location at ..." The Reporters aired a segment showcasing the Nasty Boys serving warrants and speaking their "Say No To Drugs" presentation to local adult and children's organizations. Two of the undercover narcotics officers began the anti drug presentations with a rap song, BUSTED, written by one of the officers and sung by three of them, this was followed by t-shirts that read, "BUSTED by the Nasty Boys" and another showing a photo of the hooded team with the caption "We Make House Calls!" the NBC affiliate KVBCKVBC
KSNV-DT, channel 3 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the flagship station of Intermountain West Communications Company...
produced several award winning anti drug Public Service Announcements that featured real life footage of the Nasty Boys making busts and one featured the North Las Vegas Chief of Police looking into the camera, with the heavily armed team behind him, saying, "If you sell drugs in North Las Vegas, we'll be knocking at your door."
Synopsis and broadcast history
Producer Dick WolfDick Wolf
Richard Anthony "Dick" Wolf is an American producer, specializing in crime dramas such as Miami Vice and the Law & Order franchise. Throughout his career he has won several awards including an Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Early life:Wolf was born in New York City, the son...
, of Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
fame, noticed the Nasty Boys and proposed to the two North Las Vegas Narcotics Officers who had produced the anti-drug song that a television show to be released by Universal Studios, and broadcast on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network. The two officers agreed and provided stories to the writers, were technical advisors and acted in the pilot and several episodes. A pilot episode was aired as a TV movie September 21, 1989 , and 13 episodes aired as a mid season replacement show. The show was very popular with a small cult following but the Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
produced Nasty Boys was not renewed because that same year, NBC had begun producing many of their own television productions and only renewed one non NBC production that year. .
The Nasty Boys featured a North Las Vegas Police
North Las Vegas Police Department
The North Las Vegas Police Department is the police department of the City of North Las Vegas in Clark County in southern Nevada....
narcotics unit consisting of six undercover police officers who fought crime in drug
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
-ridden neighborhoods using “unorthodox” methods. The show starred Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
, Don Franklin
Don Franklin
Don Franklin is an American actor, best known for his roles in seaQuest DSV as Commander Jonathan Ford, Seven Days as Captain Craig Donovan, and as one of The Young Riders .-Partial filmography:...
, Craig Hurley, Jeff Kaake, James Pax
James Pax
James Pax is best known as an actor. He has acted in Hollywood, Hong Kong and Japan.-Early years and education:He earned a degree in business from New York University and later studied film production/directing at the University of Southern California. He has lived and worked around the globe...
, and Dennis Franz
Dennis Franz
Dennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt...
, who played Lieutenant Stan Krieger. William Russ
William Russ
William Russ is an American actor, best known for his role as Alan Matthews on Boy Meets World.-Early life:Russ was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is the son of a naval officer...
played Lieutenant Farlow in the pilot movie and was killed off unexpectedly.
The theme song was "Nasty
Nasty (song)
"Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared...
" by Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, though the song was performed by Lisa Keith
Lisa Keith
Lisa Keith is an American Christian contemporary/pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, "Making Love in the Rain"...
and the lyrics were changed to fit the TV series.
Cast
- Don FranklinDon FranklinDon Franklin is an American actor, best known for his roles in seaQuest DSV as Commander Jonathan Ford, Seven Days as Captain Craig Donovan, and as one of The Young Riders .-Partial filmography:...
as Alex Wheeler - Benjamin BrattBenjamin BrattBenjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
as Eduardo Cruz - Craig Hurley as Danny Larsen
- James PaxJames PaxJames Pax is best known as an actor. He has acted in Hollywood, Hong Kong and Japan.-Early years and education:He earned a degree in business from New York University and later studied film production/directing at the University of Southern California. He has lived and worked around the globe...
as Jimmy Lee - Jeff Kaake as Paul Morrissey
- Dennis FranzDennis FranzDennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt...
as Lt. Stan Krieger - Nia PeeplesNia PeeplesVirenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Chapman on Fame...
as Serena Cruz - Sandy McPeak as Chief Bradley
Jimmy Jackson and Larry Bradley were technical advisors/actors