19-2

I feel like Canadian TV has really stepped up its game in the last few years. I was blown away by 19-2 from the first scene and have not looked back. The character development has me fully committed to the outcomes of their lives. The story line really taps into the grittiness of real life and the challenges of the not so generic population. I love that this steps away from the white picket fence middle America and expresses some serious honesty. This show could have been really typical but it has been anything but - the feeling when I sit down and watch every week is that of a movie. I would rival this show to some original Netflix series that have done very well (Orange is the New Black). I will also never complain about a Nick Barron "butt" shot or watching Beatrice throw down for all of us girls out there. Bravo is setting a new standard with its actors as well and the attention to the details. I say Bravo - to Bravo and the cast of 19-2. You should all be proud, I know I am.

I LOVE 19-2 and I'm bummed that the fourth season is the final season. I wish it would go on forever. There is a special quality to this show that is rarer than rare, as if all concerned are concerned with just doing their jobs and keeping it real, because real is the operative element here. I am going to watch this series again, it's that good! The only series I've watched twice are The Sopranos, when I got a big screen TV, and Prime Suspect, which is amazing. Come to think of it, it may be time to re-watch a few more of Lynda LaPlante's series. Acorn TV has them, as they have 19-2. TV is ten times better than movies now. We're all very lucky.

I've never seen the original french series, so I can't speak to how it compares to that, but I can say that it holds up on it's own as a great drama series.

The show is not action based in the way that you might expect from a show about a police squad. Sure there is a fair amount of action, fights and gun play, but that's not where the shows strength is. Instead the show is about the characters and the drama between them. This is not typical episodic TV where the characters face a new challenge at the beginning of every episode, and then resolve it by the end of the episode so everything is back to being the same. In 19-2 the storyline stretches across multiple episodes. If you start watching the series he middle of the season it will take you a few episodes to get up to speed, probably a good idea to watch the earlier episodes online first.

The cast of 19-2 is fantastic and the story unfolds more like a feature film than TV.

if you're looking for a shoot 'em up action show then there are other shows you might like better, but I can easily recommend 19-2 to anyone looking for a deeper drama series.

Commencing season 4 via Crave TV, I've really been enjoying this series. I think the casting is superlative, acting excellent and most of the writing is very credible, I'm less inclined to nit-pick this series than many I've watched, especially Canadian ones. I've a Quebecois friend who tells me the French series on which this is based was much stronger. If true, the Francophone original must have been really special. I'm going to be watching for a change in tone in this final season with its switch to CTV from Bravo. Already, in the first episode I think I might be seeing a bit of a change in tone, perhaps less credible action on the part of at least one of the characters, and one improbable action event. That might reflect my prejudices about these networks, though. I miss Bravo network which we used to get before the cable service for our building was changed to a different provider. Another series that took a distinct nosedive switching to another network from its Bravo originator is Inspector Murdoch. Under CBC's watch the whole thing seemed to change emphasis to splashy production values and writing stereotypes. The main character Murdoch is awfully prettified.

From the first episode 19-2 distinguishes itself as a unique look inside a unit of urban patrolmen, giving equal glimpses of their lives on and off the job. This show is more character study than police procedural-- yes there are calls to answer and nerve wracking situations, but they exist as vehicles for developing our understanding of what makes these men and women tick as individuals and partners. The dialog is extremely well written and acted--the actors speak like real people in real situations. Occasionally scenes switch from what is happening IN the moment to what the characters are thinking OF the moment, a plot device that only works if a scene is expertly written,which is definitely the case here! Episode 10 just aired this week and a major (yet completely unanticipated) revelation occurred that I suspect will shift alliances and friendships within the unit. I have no idea what will happen next, but I'm sure it will be interesting!

This series is developing quite well, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's around for quite awhile!