Fastlane: Brigada especial

Fast lane is a great show......Wicked cars, delectable ladies, booming soundtrack and loads of action. The 'backwards' approach to the action is unique and a welcome change from regular cop show fare. (the beginning of each episode is usually the prelude to the climax, then we see how the main characters go to the point. Tiffani Theissen is terrific as the Boss, as are Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli who have great on screen chemistry. As great as it is however, it is a blatant rip off (perhaps tribute is a kinder word) of Miami Vice. The pilot episode is the same, check it out: Miami Vice: Undercover drug officer's partner killed.....meanwhile new York undercover cop's brother (also a cop) is killed by same organization. New York Cop (tubbs) comes to Miami to avenge Brother, becomes partners with Miami Cop (Crockett). Substitute Miami with LA and change Crockett and Tubbs to Ray and Deqe. Just an observation....Vice was a great show in it's day and Fastlane is the rightful heir to the throne. Finally a winner from Fox...(it's been a while guys.....)

This show could have been to the 00's what Miami Vice was to the 80's. A hip, highly stylized, well-written, action-packed police drama with characters that you actually care about, and enough pop culture references to be timely.

The show centers around a couple of deep-cover detectives from opposite coasts who work for a vixen police lieutenant who arms her UC's with flashy cars, tons of cash, and seized contraband in order to entice LA's highest rolling criminals into stings operations. Complications and emotional conflicts inevitably occur on their assignments together, along with car chases, gunfights, and a little romance.

The plots were usually pretty lightweight but emotionally engaging, and there was genuine chemistry with the three main leads. The highly stylized action scenes with their trademark slow-motion and up-to-date soundtracks feel almost like music videos. Impressive guest stars showed up weekly, the latest hits played in the background, and the stories were set against a rich, flashy, glamorous background that you can't help but enjoy watching.

The show went for a full season until being canceled due to high production costs. Part of me thinks that the expenses would not have been a problem if the FOX network had not habitually changed what night and time it aired, costing the show countless viewers (especially when they gave it the Friday Night Death Slot).

The show lives on in DVDs, but they do not quite do the show justice since the music has since been changed. Many scenes were cut specifically to go with the music, and the soundtracks themselves were highly appealing. With this element removed and replaced with generic music, the show feels a little more ordinary than it rightly would in its original form.

An under-appreciated gem of a show.

This was a great show that was pulled after one season. It was like a 2000's version of Miami Vice but with cooler people. The using of Los Angeles as a backdrop was a good choice, because most of the drama cop shows are set around New York. The action was fast paced, and the music was updated weekly. Tiffany, Bill, And Peter were cast superbly, and the scripts were well written. It's a shame that Fox pulled this show. They didn't give it time to gather a following. If I remember correct, they kept switching the nights it was on, which is a major factor in trying to keep viewers. The show ended with a cliff hanger that made you think that it was coming back. If you can catch this show on video, or on cable anywhere, you will not be disappointed.

I don't need to see another ER or NYPD Blue. When it comes to TV, I'm looking for good entertainment, not necessarily mind-numbing but nothing terribly serious. I found Fastlane to be a perfect middle ground. It's the great action flick adapted for the small screen. Fastlane is what its title proclaims, quick paced and not necessarily about the nitty-gritty stuff you'll find in other cop shows. If you want serious cop shows, go watch NYPD Blue, CSI, or any of the plethora out there. Fastlane is its own niche, and I'm sad to see it go. It's nice to unwind to this show at the end of the week.

I'll keep this short and sweet: "Fastlane" was an incredibly enjoyable TV Show. It was extremely high quality, glossy, flashy, hip, and entertaining.

Apparently it was canceled because of High Production Costs (?). If this is true, I can certainly see where the money went. It went to producing quality entertainment, meant for 18 and up adults (this was definitely not a "kids" show).

FOX definitely screwed up by airing this show on Friday Nights in the United States. What were they thinking???? Only an idiot would put such an expensive show on a night when most people "go out" to recover from a work week, or even better, go to bed early to recover from a work week. This show had Sunday NIGHT written all over it. Only MTV had the brains to pick up the show second run (a week after it aired on FOX), reaching an audience that I am SURE this show was targeted at. Unfortunately though I don't think people knew enough about the show to make the effort to catch it on either network.

While I severely morn the passing of this show, I can only pray that FOX will decide to recoup some of their apparent "losses" by releasing the first and only season on DVD.

Do you hear me FOX execs??? RELEASE THIS SHOW ON DVD!!! People will buy it!!!

*EDIT* Apparently someone listened to somebody, as it's coming out on DVD Summer 2008! Yes!!!!