While "The Beat" undoubtedly had some problems, I think it could have gone on to be a hit. And despite the fact that its format similar to shows like "Hill Street Blues," "Homicide," and "NYPD Blue," it was also unique in a way: Going from film to video (the latter of which was used during the characters' on-duty scenes) and vice versa. It also looked more hip than other "semi-serial" shows of its ilk.
UPN had a good chance to have a "Homicide" or "Hill Street Blues" of its own. I would like to have seen the network keep it on the air a little longer so that it could find an audience that would stick with the show. When I first saw the show on its March 2000 debut, I liked it right away, and kept watching it until its premature demise nearly two months later.
Despite its flaws, this "Beat" could have gone on for five or six years.
