Brooklyn South

Infobox Television
show_name = Brooklyn South


caption =
show_name_2 =
genre = Police drama
creator = Steven Bochco
Bill Clark
William Finkelstein
David Milch
writer =
director = Paris Barclay
Marc Buckland
Jean de Segonzac
Lesli Linka Glatter
Elodie Keene
Christopher Misiano
Matthew Penn
Mark Tinker
Michael Watkins
James Whitmore, Jr.
creat_director =
developer =
presenter =
starring = Jon Tenney
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer = Mike Post
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 22
list_episodes =
executive_producer = Steven Bochco
Michael S. Chernuchin
William Finkelstein
David Milch
Michael Watkins
co_exec =
producer = Mark Tinker
sup_producer = Marc Buckland
Bill Clark
asst_producer = Caroline James
Laina Mumbrue
co-producer = Tracey D'Arcy
Joseph Berger-Davis
Doug Palau
location = Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Los Angeles, California
runtime = 60 mins.
channel = CBS
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_aired = September 22, 1997
last_aired = April 27, 1998

"Brooklyn South" is a short-lived American ensemble police drama series that aired on CBS for only one season during the 1997-98 television season. One of the show's producers was Steven Bochco, creator of many well-known police dramas such as "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue". The show was also created and produced by David Milch.

The series attempted to create a setting of a gritty, realistic police station similar to that of "NYPD Blue", but differed by focusing on the uniformed police officers rather than the detectives. The pilot of "Brooklyn South" was noted as the first TV-MA rated episode on broadcast television. [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb1437/is_199708/ai_n5950222|title=Content controversy goes 'South.' (graphic violence in 'Brooklyn South')|last=Stern|first=Christopher|date=August 1997|publisher="Variety"|accessdate=2008-08-26]

ynopsis

The focus for "Brooklyn South" was the 74th Precinct in southern Brooklyn, New York City. Francis "Frank" Donovan was the patrol sergeant who presided every day over the morning shift assignments he gave to the uniformed officers. Donovan was an informant for the hated Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB), and secretly reported to Captain Stan Jonas, who, early in the series, transferred from being an IAB Officer to the precinct commander after the officious Captain Lou Zerola retired. It was later revealed in the season that Donovan became an undercover informant for IAB to protect his father, a retired cop living in Florida, from indictment for corruption.

In the pilot episode, a psychotic gunman went on a shooting rampage outside the police station, killing a number of policemen and innocent bystanders. He was wounded in the shootout and brought back into the station where he died from his gunshot wounds. It was later revealed that Ann-Marie Kersey, a policewoman whose boyfriend was one of the victims of the shooting spree, slipped into the room where the wounded madman was being held and kicked him in his stomach which caused his death. Because of the race related issue (the shooter was black and all of his victims were white) prompted the killer's black racist family to pressure the city to launch an Internal Affairs investigation. Eventually everybody, including Kersey, was exonerated. Kersey then had a romantic affair with Donovan, but it did not last. Later in the series, she was promoted to detective and traded in her blue uniform for a suit.

Also in the pilot episode, Phil Roussakoff, a burly officer, transferred to the 74th Precinct and was partnered with Jimmy Doyle, a well liked and respected street cop whose younger brother, Terry, was trying to become a police officer to follow in their late father's footsteps. Roussakoff was a beat cop who often used his fists or mouth to get out of a problem, but often regretted his actions. Jimmy's brother, Terry, left the police academy to take an undercover assignment to infiltrate an Irish street gang planning a bank robbery. Roussakoff began dating Jimmy and Terry's younger sister, Kathleen, but was awkward and uncomfortable to dating. Terry helped foil the Irish gang's robbery and joined the police vice squad.

Jack Lowery was a tough street cop coping with personal demons which included his selfish and nagging wife, Yvonne, who died early in the season. Lowery later started an affair with his female partner, Nona Valentine, which did not sit well with Clement Johnson, Nona's former boyfriend and the station's traffic cop. Eventually Nona and Clement got back together, then broke up, and by the series end, Nona got back together again with Lowery. Hector Villaneuva was a young rookie cop who was tutored by the rest of the officers how to do his job the best be could.

Richard Santoro was the station's desk sergeant, a police veteran who seen it all, and was the voice of reason in the station house of keeping things calm. Santoro later stuck up for Donovan when he came out as an informant for Internal Affairs Bureau to save Santoro from a corrupt IAB officer from ruining Santoro's reputation. Ray MacElwaine was a 50-year-old veteran police officer who transferred to the 74th Precinct late in the series and soon proved himself to everyone that despite his age, he could still "walk the beat" and take down criminals, and also stuck up for Donovan after finding out Donovan's work with IAB. In the final episode, MacElwaine decided to retire from the police force, and Santoro was promoted to Lieutenant.

Other secondary characters included Kevin Patrick, a police officer wounded in the opening shooting spree in the pilot episode, which made him a paraplegic, and his wife Noreen, both of whom were friends with Jimmy, Terry, and the Doyle family.

Cancellation

The series was scheduled opposite ABC's "Monday Night Football" and struggled in the ratings, averaging 10.5 million viewers and ranking 74th for the season. The series underwent retooling in an attempt to boost ratings, [cite news|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980203&slug=2732182|title=Bochco Hurrying To Save `Brooklyn South'|last=Williams|first=Scott|date=1998-02-03|publisher="The Seattle Times"|accessdate=2008-08-26] but despite the changes, the series was canceled in May 1998 shortly after the first season wrapped. [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E6DF1239F932A15756C0A96E958260|title=CBS's Fall Lineup Adds Urban-Based Shows|last=Carter|first=Bill|date=1998-05-21|publisher="The New York Times"|accessdate=2008-08-26]

Cast

References

External links

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* [http://cglass.vinu.edu/21js/sbs.html Remembering Brooklyn South] - Formerly titled "Save Brooklyn South," this page originated as part of an unsuccessful Internet campaign to keep the show on the air.