(June 29, 2011)               Maria Bello (A History of Violence), Aidan Quinn (Unknown), Brían F. O'Byrne (Flash Forward), Tim Griffin (Star Trek), Kirk Acevedo (Fringe), Joe Nieves (How I Met Your Mother), Damon Gupton (The Last Airbender) and Peter Gerety (Blue Bloods) in the police drama Prime Suspect, coming to NBC this fall on Thursdays at 10pm.

Based on the critically acclaimed British television series of the same name, "Prime Suspect" has been redeveloped for American audiences by writer Alexandra Cunningham ("Desperate Housewives," "NYPD Blue") and director Peter Berg (NBC's "Friday Night Lights"). Maria Bello stars as tough-as-nails Detective Jane Timoney. Timoney finds that being a homicide detective in New York City is tough enough and having to contend with a male-dominated police department to get respect makes it that much tougher. She's an outsider who has just transferred to a new precinct dominated by an impenetrable clique of a boys' club. Timoney has her own vices too, with a questionable past, and she tends to be forceful, rude and reckless. But she’s also a brilliant cop who keeps her eye on one thing: the prime suspect.

I like this show, but I have always been a sucker for a good story about an underdog who overcomes the obstacles. But what I like the most about this crime drama is the heart of the star, Maria Bello, who delivers a real person to the screen. This woman is not perfect, in fact she is far from it. But she does have a good sense of right & wrong, and the strength to act on her convictions. After just a few minutes on the screen, I was already rooting for her, even through the rough exterior.

What I don't like is the stereotype of the old boys club who refuse to let a woman join them. Are there really guys like that left? I thought they had all gone the way of the dinosaurs. Everything about these guys seems stuck in a fifteen year old time warp.

The other series of bad decisions falls on the wardrobe dept, who elected to give the leading character a hat that conflicts with her character and oversized men's shirt and coat to make her look more masculine. To me that suggests her character is trying to fit in with that old boys club, even though the dialogue suggests a different scenario. That look is contrary to the character and I think it has to be the first time in thirty years as a television reviewer that I suggested that a wardrobe selection was so wrong it could be the reason this series is not successful. The contrast between the look of the character and the actions of the character suggest that the actress and the wardrobe head could not agree on their interpretation of the character, and the wrong person won that fight.

This series suffers from the same thing many new series suffer from. It is nearly impossible to continue living with the premise of the series, because the audience will at some point desire a pay-off for their loyalty. If the woman becomes an equal member of the unit, the underdog thing is out the window. But if she doesn't, then we have a series that will stay forever in one place and the audience will grow tired of waiting for the pay off.

I want this show to succeed. Detective Jane Timoney is exactly the kind of cop I hope is out there protecting me. I know TV is just a fantasy, but that kind of fantasy is fine with me. Let's drop the fashion statements and the stereotypes, and get down to the business of being a good cop. If they do that, this series will find the audience it is looking for.

 

 - Editor.

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