Deadline (TV series)

infobox television
show_name = Deadline


caption = Title card
format = Drama
runtime = 1 hour per episode
creator = Dick Wolf
starring = Oliver Platt
Hope Davis
Bebe Neuwirth
Lili Taylor
Damon Gupton
country = USA
network = NBC
first_aired = October 2, 2000
last_aired = April 7, 2001
num_episodes = 13|

"Deadline" is a television series which was shown on the NBC television network in the 2000-2001 season. It starred Oliver Platt as Wallace Benton, who worked for the "New York Ledger". This was a daily newspaper which was seen in many episodes of "Law & Order".

Cast and characters

Oliver Platt as Wallace Benton

Bebe Neuwirth as Nikki Masucci

Tom Conti as Si Beekman

Lili Taylor as Hildy Baker

Hope Davis as Brooke Benton

Damon Gupton as Charles Foster

Christina Chang as Beth Khambu

Production

Series creator Dick Wolf hired Robert Palm as head writer and executive producer.cite news
last = Liebeskind
first = Ken
coauthors =
title = On "Deadline"
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Mediaweek
date = July 17, 2000
url =
accessdate = ] Palm worked for years as a newspaper reporter on the "Hartford Times" and the "Los Angeles Herald Examiner" and then moved into screenwriting with jobs on "Miami Vice". He and Wolf had worked together previously on the tenth season of "Law & Order". They didn't want to do another "cop show" and agreed on one with journalism as its focus. In 1999, Wolf pitched the show to NBC with Oliver Platt as its star and sold it without producing pilot, as is the norm, but with a three-minute trailer.cite news
last =
first = G.G
coauthors =
title = In Wolf's New "Deadline", the Detective is a Reporter
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Christian Science Monitor
date = October 6, 2000
url =
accessdate = ] Wolf and Palm worked with NBC Entertainment President Garth Ancier on developing the show with Platt in mind. Plots for the show were based on true stories from newspaper articles that Palm and Wolf found. Richard Esposito, a New York newspaper veteran of 20 years, was hired as a consultant on the show. He worked with the actors and writers on outlines of stories and on "everything that helps them get a feel for the tone and pace of a newspaper." He also introduced Platt and other cast members to journalists around the city. Wolf invited director Michael Ritchie to direct episodes of "Deadline" but he had to drop out for personal reasons.cite news
last = Grego
first = Melissa
coauthors =
title = Auteurs Join Wolf Gang
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Variety
date = July 17-23, 2000
url =
accessdate = ]

Platt had been approached numerous times to do a television show but it was Wolf's reputation and the chance to do it in his hometown so that he could be close to his family that persuaded him. Wallace Benton was modeled on veteran New York journalist Jimmy Breslin, Mike McAlary and other New York tabloid columnists. To research for the role, Platt spent time with crime reporters Phil Messing of the "New York Post", Lenny Levitt of "Newsday", and Juan Gonzalez and Jim Dwyer of the "New York Daily News". The actor went out on stories with them, watched them interview and listened to them work the phones. During lunches, he remembers that he "got them to tell me their trade secrets."

"The New York Ledger"'s offices were constructed at the old "New York Post" building on South Street in New York City. The show based their look of the their offices on old black and white photographs of the newspaper. The "Post" allowed the show to shot the Pilot episode in its old offices and then agreed to a short-term lease through November 2000. Shooting started in mid-July 2000 and the first episode debuted on October 2, 2000. "Deadline" was scheduled to run Mondays at 9 pm opposite ABC's "Monday Night Football" and Fox's "Ally McBeal".

Episodes

*Pilot (Originally Aired 10/2/2000)
*Lovers And Madmen (Originally Aired 10/9/2000)
*Perception (Originally Aired 10/16/2000)
*Daniel In The Lion's Den (Originally Aired 10/23/2000)
*Howl (Originally Aired 10/30/2000)
*The Old Ball Game (Originally Aired 3/17/2001)
*Don't I Know You? (Originally Aired 3/17/2001)
*The Undesirables (Originally Aired 3/24/2001)
*Somebody's Fool (Originally Aired 3/24/2001)
*The First Commandment (Originally Aired 3/31/2001)
*Just Lie Back (Originally Aired 3/31/2001)
*Shock (Originally Aired 4/7/2001)
*Red Herring (Originally Aired 4/7/2001)

Reception

"Variety" magazine praised Platt's work on the show in their review: "Platt, best-known for his work on the big screen, is a colorful choice for Benton, and, judging from the first episode, he can carry the bulk of the action." [cite news
last = Fries
first = Laura
coauthors =
title = "Deadline"
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Variety
date = October 2-8, 2000
url =
accessdate = ] "USA Today" criticized the show's authenticity in their review: "The only thing accurate about "Deadline" is the sense of urgency implied by the title. Someone had better fix this show fast, before it becomes yesterday's news." [cite news
last = Bianco
first = Robert
coauthors =
title = "Deadline"
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = USA Today
date = October 2, 2000
url =
accessdate = ] The "Boston Globe" found fault with some of the characters on the show: "Benton's merry band of journalism students are silly, and the show should replace them with an expanded cast of "Ledger" co-workers." [cite news
last = Gilbert
first = Matthew
coauthors =
title = "Deadline" Misses, and That's a Crime
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Boston Globe
date = October 2, 2000
url =
accessdate = ]

The Pilot episode was seen by 14.3 million viewers but its rating declined steadly afterwards with 6.8 million viewers watching the last episode. NBC cancelled the show after five episodes.cite news
last = Andreeva
first = Nellie
coauthors =
title = NBC Reports "Deadline"s Demise
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Hollywood Reporter
date = November 1, 2000
url =
accessdate = ]

References

External links

*imdb title|0247086|Deadline
* [http://www.newyorkpressclub.org/hottopics.htm Dick Wolf and Oliver Platt speak at the New York Press Club]
* [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/tv/0,6115,278125_3|6437||0_0_,00.html "Entertainment Weekly" review]
* [http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/3834/ "New York Metro" review]