Dark Blue

Dark Blue truly takes these cop shows to a whole other level. I have always found the CSI, Law & Order type series to be so dreadfully boring they could actually put me to sleep. Dark Blue makes you feel more like you are watching a movie then a series which is a unique experience. We don't have to wait 45 minutes out of the hour for only a few minutes of action and gun fire because it's always happening and they keep you interested. Unlike focusing on the typical investigate this investigate that Dark Blue is all about a deep undercover unit hitting the streets and putting themselves right into the action. The cops are the ones who are actually committing the crimes so they can make that next bust. Save the put me to sleep and do some paper work garbage for CSI I promise you this one is a big hit and will keep you entertained. I would like to add that this review only applied to season 1. Unfortunately the show took a wrong direction for season 2 resulting in an epic fail and cancel. Everything I said that lacked in the typical cop series is what they applied to season 2. It's a shame because they really had something great here.

internet haters crawl out of the woodwork on this one... wow, maybe they should watch more than 5 minutes of something before they write a comment....

most of the TV series that have been most engrossing for me have been tough to get in sync with, then after a couple of episodes, I save em on tivo and am a devoted fan for years... Dark Blue is one of these..

It's imperfect as most are, cramming a case per episode is a little contrary to the serious nature of the delivery and feels rushed for example... but everything else is spot on... the actors do themselves great credit with interesting and fresh delivery of a overdone genre...

Well shot, well acted, a better emotional hook than other TV crime shows.. can't wait to see it through.....

EDIT: Season 2 update....

With Season 2 well under way and the addition of Battlestar Galactica alumni Tricia Helfer, Dark Blue has really taken off. Season long subplot arcs have been added and it puts the show over the edge for a long run. It truly feels like a great show now...

I'm always wary of any production that has Jerry Bruckheimer attached to it - I never know if things will turn out for the best (CSI: Las Vegas) or for the worst (Transformers 2). When I heard Dylan McDermott was going to star, I decided to give the pilot a chance...and I'm glad I did.

The show centers around Lt. Shaw's (McDermott) undercover unit, comprised of himself and two other cops, Curtis (Hardwick) and Bendis (Marshall-Green). Along the way, Shaw recruits a bright-eyed street cop with a dubious past, Allen (Aycox). The unit walks the line between committing felonies that could land them in jail for a considerable amount of time and nailing the criminal enterprises they have infiltrated.

The writing is sharp, if a little predictable when it comes to the "Federal Bureau of Intimidation," but the show works. I hope it becomes serialized like 24 and The Shield, and not procedural like NYPD Blue, as I think that'll give the show more of a chance to delve into the psychology of what it takes to be an undercover cop and remain the person you were when you entered into a cover.

All in all, a good start with a lot of potential. I hope they focus on the characters as much as they do on plot in the episodes to come.

8/10

The script is not bad, the directing and all not bad either ... but although Dylan McDermott was brilliant--if not perfect--in playing his character in every setting in The Practice, Lt Carter Shaw in Dark Blue is one role which should never have been offered to him/which he should never have accepted.

Let us face it, nearly every actor/actress has roles they cannot possibly play convincingly--Streep can pull off Sophie's Choice, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia, but that does not mean that everyone else can.

If you adore Dylan McDermott even if he just sat there watching paint dry, then there is no reason for you not to enjoy Dark Blue. But if you are the type of viewer who is distracted by actors playing roles which do not suit them--as in Michael Weston in BURN NOTICE Season 3-Episode 5 "Signals and Codes"--then you will be distracted throughout much of Dark Blue.

This format works for other shows like NYPD Blue, CSI, Law & Order, etc. but I think it really limits a cop show about undercover police officers. Even more so because "Dark Blue" also promises to focus regularly on the characters' personal lives. I don't see how they can do this effectively if they rush through each and every episode. The pilot episode felt so rushed that I felt as if I could hardly keep up with what was happening. The Franzine character, who according to Detective Shaw was "a jack of all trades", could've easily lasted for several more episodes before being wiped out. The writing and the dialog seemed off! I hope the writers realize they can cover a lot more ground with story lines and characters by stretching things out a little.