Detroit 1-8-7

[canuck]

The Bullet Train probably means the People Mover. Whoa! Did you see that shot of the PM going at 70 miles an hour, I think Disney, which owns ABC had something to do with tweaking that...

All in all, not so bad, I hope the cinematography gets better, less choppy and the Intro is not very strong. I am hoping to see stronger stuff in the next episodes. I will keep watching it and compare notes.

[sirrealone]

2. First impressions do matter. Yes, it's exciting to see the places where you live and work played out Hollywood-esque. It's insulting when the authenticity of their portrayal is done poorly, which brings me to point #3:

3. Was there a reason that the pilot was shot in the ATL instead of Detroit? And the fact that some true "Detroit-isms" were missed, e.g., soda vs. pop, the "bullet train" [[is that another name for the People Mover?), and a passing mention of the city of Ferndale were, in a word, weak.

I'm sure that there were economical reasons that the pilot was shot in Atlanta. For whatever reason, it was most likely cheaper, and since pilots get a limited budget [[and since so few pilots are actually picked up) they surely had budget constraints. Once it got the greenlight, they were able to move production to Detroit, which is key. I think the episodes moving forward will be the ones that allow to judge the true authenticity.

Until the two murder investigations merged mid-episode, they were captioning them as Bullet Train and I think the other was Pharmacy Double or something similar. It was reference to how the victim was found, killed by a bullet and discovered lying on a train. I don't believe it was supposed to reference the People Mover in any way.

[Melocoton]

I thought it was pretty weak [[and as for the guy who criticizes Detroiters "bitching" about the fact that the "writing sux," isn't this a thread reviewing a TV show? Isn't the suckiness of the writing fair game?). I thought the plot moved too fast, and the fake documentary thing was really inconsistent.

We all laugh at the big inaccuracies, which matter a lot to us here but not so much to Joe Blow in Dallas or Peoria--the New York term "slice," the "loft district," etc. These are minor things, maybe, but since they seem to want to do gritty realism, that stuff reflects bigger problems with the show, namely: 1) the cliched murder plot complete with hostage crisis coolly handled by Christopher from the Sopranos, who also saved the hot lady cop from a burning car! I'm hoping next week she's tied to railroad tracks. And 2) the fact that it's basically an LA or NY cop show that happens to be set in Detroit. There's nothing particularly Detroit-specific so far, other than the establishing shots, Motown songs [[which are obviously all 30 years old), and a few heavy-handed lines about Ferndale or the east side. Maybe that will change as they move into the filmed-in-Detroit stuff.

[Downriviera]

I thought it was ok, but for cops shows I liked Adam 12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5C_B4Mr78o

[daddeeo]

I heard some reference to NYPD Blue as a comparison for this show on ABC but I picked up more than a few scenes that had Homicide Life on the Streets as their jump off point. When James McDaniels speaks Italian that sure reminded me of Giardello.
The ketchup on the coney was borrowed from Dirty Harry too.
I'm hoping this show won't be about car chases and shoot outs. That last scene reminded me of when Homicide tried to get viewers with a season ending shoot out in the squad room.
I got high hopes for this show though. This cast is good. Hope they don't go to waste.

[Ravine]

How in the hell is it even possible, that some of you don't get that the term "Bullet Train" was a play on words?

Oh wait.

[iheartthed]

The Bullet Train probably means the People Mover. Whoa! Did you see that shot of the PM going at 70 miles an hour, I think Disney, which owns ABC had something to do with tweaking that...

All in all, not so bad, I hope the cinematography gets better, less choppy and the Intro is not very strong. I am hoping to see stronger stuff in the next episodes. I will keep watching it and compare notes.

"Bullet train" referred to the guy being shot and falling onto the freight train car.

[FoxyScholar10]

How in the hell is it even possible, that some of you don't get that the term "Bullet Train" was a play on words?

Oh wait.

Why/how is it possible to mock a sincere inquiry?

No need to wait. Impatience and cockiness makes for a soft behind [[or brain), depending on one's vantage point.

[smogboy]

I'm going to look at this show as if it was Peoria 187 and try to put my regionalism out of this. Sure I can nit pick it to death because we all know the in inaccuracies of things like "soda", the geography, the weird call letters on the "local" TV broadcast, and all of those other things- BUT was it compelling drama? If I wasn't a Detroiter, would I consider this a good show to follow for weeks on end? Would the plots be compelling? The actors good?

I wouldn't say it was amazing after one show but I'd be willing to give it a little more time. The pilot was okay at best because some things in the story were so unbelievable, but I thought some of the acting and visual style was fine. I'll take another dose or two before I ditch this show or follow it a little more.

[menckensghost]

Yeah. Hmmm. Not the best cop show, but not the worst. [[Can anyone say CSI: Miami.) I am hoping the show improves as they start using real Detroit locations, etc., but I have to agree with whomever said that they wouldn't have stayed tuned if not for the Detroit connection. I can't see your average Joe in, say, St. Louis or Pittsburgh giving this show much attention.

And I kept half-expecting to hear Gandolfini's voice shouting "Chrissy" and Michael Imperioli waking up and going "Tony, I just had the strangest dream . . ."

[Hornwrecker]

How in the hell is it even possible, that some of you don't get that the term "Bullet Train" was a play on words?

Oh wait.

They're too busy bitching about there not being enough groundfloor retail, and not enough walkability in the episode.

[Ray1936]

Hey, it's fiction. Fantasy. Make-believe. It also had a thin plot and lousy acting.

This show ain't gonna last, so "enjoy" it while you can.

[Downriviera]

Detroit Police Homicide slogan

Our Day Starts When Yours Ends

[Detroitnerd]

I thought it was ... boring. But I'll give it a chance.

[rhythmc]

I though the show was decent, though a Detroiter would be able to tell they didn't use much Detroit influences, like slang and places. The Wire was much more authentic, but then again, it was on HBO. I'll give the show a chance to hit a stride, but it needs to be much more dramatic [[too many bad jokes) and they need to work on their accents.

[fryar]

Also, for those who keep complaining about how this shows a negative side of the city... well I haven't seen a positive side looking on the news anytime soon. This is what the nation thinks of us and in essence what we think of ourself. We can't keep pretending that these things don't happen here.

Almost exactly my point. This is what the nation thinks of Detroit, and that is a good thing. Things are worse.

Nobody thinks Detroit is this crime-free Garden of Eden. People who read newspapers and such are aware there is a high murder rate here. However, I do not expect that the outside world has any clue that Detroiters nonchalantly [[although, in fact, it's highly organized!) strip one another's homes if someone dares go on vacation, or that Detroit reporters who film Detroiters breaking into cars in front of the court house don't even bother calling the cops because they won't show in a timely fashion. Theft from fire engines on the scene. And so on, ad nauseam.

This show is cops solving homicides, which is a good thing.

And give America time. People'll warm to saying "pop." :-)

[Wingnatic]

catsup on a coney ? Thats just not right lol

[fryar]

catsup on a coney ? Thats just not right lol

Didn't Vikram, first-generation immigrant from India [[Ah, yes, yet another Detroit story), call it a chili dog at one point to clue "outsiders" in?

[Hypestyles]

...I wonder will they use all fictional names for current elected officials depicted on the show..
.. will they have a storyline about corrupt officials?

...The rookie cop was a little too green, taking personal calls at inappropriate times.. [[what about texts, dude?)

...will they ever allude to the Kilpatrick era.. or Coleman Young...

... is Brooks Patterson angling for a cameo?

...will the show deal with Detroit's ethnic enclaves- arabic, asian, latino, etc.

...I wonder will there be a recurring villain, like a Belle Isle strangler.. or maybe a mad bomber that detonates derelict buildings [[season finale- Michigan Central Station= ratings gold!)

...they telegraphed the eventual sparks between Fitch and the Latina cop, also likely the guy who just got promoted to be her new partner..

...Will they deal with criminals doing stuff in Detroit then hiding in hamtramck/highland park/grosse pointes or vice versa, and having to coordinate efforts with another department?

the M.E. was hot.. who is she?

...Maybe Detroit rappers will try to get involved, playing hoods..

"The last assembly line left in Detroit"-- heh-heh.. sad, but..

[PeachLaser]

I was watching to see scenes from Detroit and now you tell me the pilot was shot here in Atlanta! I missed the Atlanta scenes. Georgia is going after movies and TV shows big time. Buildings in the old fair grounds being converted into state of the art studios. Going to look like Universal Studios before long down there.

[davewindsor]

I wonder why Detroit gets all the lousy scripts. I just finished watching it with another pilot called "Boardwalk Empire" directed by Martin Scorcese, which was about gangsters during prohibition in Atlantic City trafficking Canadian Club. I can just imagine how had it been written about Detroit's history, it would have been Oscar material. We still have a lot of those legendary old buildings that could highlight the grandeur this area once had. Yet, we get this stuff.

[220hendrie1910]

Did anybody notice the production designer's [[weak) attempts to make Atlanta into Detroit by hanging "TO 94" and "TO 75" signs all over the place? In retrospect, it would have made a good "drinking game" topic. - Ross in Ottawa

[iheartthed]

Did anybody notice the production designer's [[weak) attempts to make Atlanta into Detroit by hanging "TO 94" and "TO 75" signs all over the place? In retrospect, it would have made a good "drinking game" topic. - Ross in Ottawa

I didn't see an I-94 sign... I did see an I-75 and I-85 sign, both of which run through Atlanta [[where the pilot was primarily filmed).

[fryar]

...I wonder will they use all fictional names for current elected officials depicted on the show..

I expect so.

.. will they have a storyline about corrupt officials?

I expect so.

...The rookie cop was a little too green, taking personal calls at inappropriate times.. [[what about texts, dude?)

Yes, that was lame, but the history of TV pilots is littered with lameness like that. I expect we'll all be heartened to see him return next week, as he has now grown on us, that loveable goof.

...will they ever allude to the Kilpatrick era.. or Coleman Young...

They ought to. They're already alluding to the urban-suburban fault line with that hokey line about criminals not coming to Ferndale. Maybe Michael Imperioli [[Det. Finch, was it?) hits an inexplicable wall of silence on some murder that ties, in some way, into the murder of Tamara Greene? Wouldn't be a bad way to generate buzz.

... is Brooks Patterson angling for a cameo?

What? Why? To stick it to Detroit? I say give it to him. Have him talk straight about the faux-Kwame, the faux-Cox, and so on, during the faux-Tamara Greene-linked subplot.

...will the show deal with Detroit's ethnic enclaves- arabic, asian, latino, etc.

I think so. They have already broached the urban vs suburban divide.

...I wonder will there be a recurring villain, like a Belle Isle strangler.. or maybe a mad bomber that detonates derelict buildings [[season finale- Michigan Central Station= ratings gold!)

You could do one where firefighters are injured and killed by arson, sort of based on that fire at E. Jefferson at the Metro PCS place, and have them prosecute the arsonist.

...they telegraphed the eventual sparks between Fitch and the Latina cop, also likely the guy who just got promoted to be her new partner..

I reflected back sparks of my own

the M.E. was hot.. who is she?

Erin Cummings. I kid you not. At 24, she's rather young for an MD. She must be quite the prodigy. That, or Detroit can only afford residents, instead of full-fledged doctors, due to budgetary pressures brought on by the necessary expansion of the council's budget.

"The last assembly line left in Detroit"-- heh-heh.. sad, but..

Yes, a bit of dry with there for us all to enjoy. I felt it sting a litle, but I think most of the country sees that as sarcasm - Lenny-style, sort of.

[lilpup]

Erin Cummings is a little bit north of 24. Not much, but a little.

There's a program at UMich where if you enter it right out of high school you can get through med school by 24.

Pilots are always done on the cheap. Expect future episodes to be better in the what cash can fix department. If they get picked up for even more shows then they'll get even more $$ to work with.