Public Morals

If you want to know who writer, director Ed Burns is please see the wonderful, recent story on CBS Sunday Morning. Burns is a great example of being persistent in following his dream of being a writer. Along the way he was resourceful and self deprecating which helped in his success. Public Morals is set in NY in the 1960's and revolves around the Public Morals Division in the police department. I love it when I barely recognize the cast as it gives us an opportunity to see fresh faces and their work. Some faces will resonate like veterans Brian Dennehy and Timothy Hutton. Public Morals with it's mature theme, language etc is for adult audiences.

I really wanted to like this show a lot more than I did. Found the characters to be rather one-dimensional and stereotypical. Acting is spotty and production leaves something to be desired. Writing is uninspired, dialogue is cliché and story seems predictable - not expecting too many surprises going forward... Hope they can turn this one around 'cause it actually could have the potential to be an interesting a new twist on the ubiquitous "TV Cop Drama" genre if it were done right... Not to mention, (and now I'm just nitpicking) how do you start a show about the police "set in the early 1960's in New York City" with a song by The Doors?

Public Morals is an excellent new show that takes place in the 1960s. The attention to detail and authenticity to the era is truly remarkable. There are plenty of new faces in this series and I am impressed by the acting. The interaction between the police and the gangsters is fraught with tension and suspense. Most cop shows deal with solving crimes, but this show is different because it shows how the police interact within society.

What is also interesting about Public Morals is the family dynamics of the police officers. Some of my favorite scenes include Ed Burns dealing with his young son and his interactions with his beautiful wife.

I have viewed all four of the episodes which are available On Demand and on TNT. The series gets better with each episode. I look forward to watching them all.

I decided to give Public Morals a shot and I was not disappointed. This show is great! It feels authentic to the times, everything from the accents to the set. Not too overdone either, it doesn't look costume-y nor doesn't it feel like they are trying to hard.

Basically the show is about cops in the 60's and how they deal with crime. Actually, most importantly, it's about how they are a part of crime. They play the line between cops and criminals. Just in the first episode we see them taking bribes, lying, playing illegal games, etc. Yet (so far) they seem like good cops when it matters.

I see it as a show about how people dealt with crime in a time when the law was too restrictive to be enforced. Even gay bars were illegal! These cops are trying to keep the city in order, knowing the law as it is can not be properly enforced. Of course there are some points that cross the line and have us wondering on which side they actually stand.

With plenty of good characters, Public Morals explores not only the crime scene in 1960's New York, but also the family life, values, and the sense of morality of the times.

The show has an interesting premise, and I for one am excited to see where it goes.

We get it. We really really get it. Working class Irish Catholic New Yorkers with big loud complicated families and all their Irish Catholic stuff. I feel like Burns needs to stop doing the same thing over and over. In his world you're a cop a crook or a sheet rock guy. Your dad's a drunk your mom is probably dead and 4 of your 9 brothers are gangsters or ex cons. All the women are blond and understanding but some odd reason haven't popped out 4 Irish Catholic of their own. Except for that one sister who's Irish boyfriend beats her. The hookers are all pretty sassy black girls. The men all drink whiskey. There's probably bagpipe music at some point. The only place social gatherings is the bar and no one's moved out of the neighborhood they grew up in. Everyone was an altar boy at St. Shamrock's. The original priest is retiring next month and the new priest has a new way of doing things.