Ironside

A ridiculously mundane and boring piece of political correct re-boot that fails in every sense of the word. I can't imagine what the producers of this show were thinking.

In it's day Ironside was edgy and suspenseful. However simple it might appear to audiences of today, it was a engrossing TV show in it's proper time frame. Other shows have made successful transitions via reboot, Hawaii 50 being notable, but they remain true to the idea of their initial show. This reboot seems to rely on the tragedy of a politically correct theme to inspire audiences to feel the drama and depth that's quite lacking in the writing. It doesn't work.

Simply changing gender, color, nationality etc. doesn't make a reboot viable. In fact, it would seem that unless there's something genuinely interesting about a reboot, audiences find them insipid and often resent the newer version.

I would think some talking head somewhere in the creation chain would eventually figure this concept out. Put something of merit in the new version for people to enjoy or don't bother remaking something that people were once entertained by.

This show deserves cancellation.

If you're a television historian, or just have a good memory of popular programming, you might know the name "Ironside." The role was originally played by long time star of "Perry Mason," actor Raymond Burr, who played the title role, Robert T. Ironside, a veteran police officer who got paralyzed on the job when a sniper shot his lower spine and made him a paraplegic. That original series was set in San Francisco and ran from 1967 to 1975. Most notable was the series theme music, composed by the great Quincy Jones.

If nothing else, the original "Ironside" did a lot to focus on better accessibility for society, something that was severely needed and was a positive for everyone... for example, having sidewalk curbs that dip down to meet the street at corners where crosswalks are, of course benefitted those in wheelchairs, but also helped people who were pushing baby carriages or carts with laundry or groceries. When we improve life for those that need that help the most, we are improving life for all.

In 2013, the character of Robert T. Ironside was reimagined as a NYPD cop, and the role was taken by Blair Underwood. Interestingly, when the original series began, Raymond Burr was about 50 years old. But 50 in 1967 years is totally different from 50 in 2013, as Mr. Underwood was also about the same age as Mr. Burr was when his series debuted.

Underwood's version of Ironside was an act first, base your actions on your gut feeling and let the chips fall where they may kind of cop. He wasn't above pressuring suspects, even brutalizing them at times, if that's what it took to get the results needed to solve the case. Of course, this didn't sit well with Ironside's boss, Captain Ed Rollins, played by Kenneth Choi. PR nightmares, bad press, questionable police tactics and borderline civil rights offenses were left for Captain Rollins to mop up as Ironside's crusade to clean up the streets relentlessly continued.

One controversy the show faced was the fact that an able-bodied actor was playing the role. This was a time when Hollywood was finally beginning to focus on giving parts to people who were appropriate for the character, and why wouldn't or couldn't an actual differently abled actor be cast? The answer was that the show featured flashbacks to Ironside's past, before he was shot, and those scenes had the character ambulatory, as a matter of course.

Ironside's hand picked team included Virgil (Pablo Schreiber), Nate (Jake Picking) and Holly (Spencer Grammer) who were all busy with research on cases, to acquire the intel needed to find the bad guys, but also doing the necessary leg work with Ironside out in the field to track and capture these suspects and bring them to justice.

The problem was that this version of "Ironside," didn't do much to advance the needs of the disabled, the way the original series managed, and often the actions and elements of the plots all but ignored the issues that Ironside faced when it came to his limitations. Underwood's Ironside came off as brash, borderline obsessive and willing to cross the line to get the job done, and that may have offended some viewers of the series.

New York played a part because of the media, the crime, the history of policing in The City and the demands on the members of the force were magnified through the lens of one who had to deal with a problem most cops did not have.

The greatest criticism the show had was that the lead character wasn't presented as a reasonable and reputable police officer, often "going rogue" or reacting rather than thinking. The show also received low marks for its handling of Ironside's disability and how it wasn't always a realistic portrayal of someone with that challenge.

In the end, this remake could never replace the original, but is an interesting curio on the list of rebooted shows that were changed drastically from their source material.

Despite the great casting and blair underwood's guaranteed emmy nominated performance as Michael ironside, this is a very dull and ultimately predicable remake of a 1967-75 classic starring the late great Raymond burr about a police officer who is shot and paralyzed into a wheelchair for a lifetime and in order to solved cases on his own, in the original he was a san Francisco police detective, but in the remake he is a NYC Police detective, the teleplay does not work, the story is a mess, the writing is ultimately useless and the editing is just plain unwatchable, although is not nearly as dreadful as the extremely horrible knight rider was in 2008, but still very disappointing, although the cast is fine in their roles, but the remake just doesn't do justice for me, so I Have to give this one a thumbs down for me.

Just watched a couple of episodes - I have to say that the original Ironsidewas way better.

It was clever without relying on the fine looks of the actors. The original Ironside was cool and held my interest to the end of each episode, this updated version just does not...at all. I think the producers were attempting to do 'gritty', fast-paced and pretty - all at the same time. I was bored and literally switched off a number of times. I only recommend this to people who primarily watch TV to see actors with good looks. Otherwise this is a poor knock-off version of the original. Blair Underwood is far too good looking, too toned and too suave to play this role.

My husband and I have been watching this show since it came out. We enjoy this drama because of the way it is - bloody, gripping, and sometimes the characters don't follow procedure. Frankly, it's what most of us secretly hope for - that the bad guys get the crap kicked out of them to get the job done!

So, a lot of cop shows have blood and guts - CSI, Law & Order & others - and they are still showing. I don't see the whining and crying that I did here about those shows.

Hey, folks, if you don't like dark drama, acted by a talented cast, find your favorite cartoons and enjoy those.

We are VERY disappointed about the decision to cancel this show. Please re-think your decision.