Post by Naj on Apr 22, 2005 17:58:18 GMT -5
CBS drama 'Cold Case' heats up crime genre
By JEFFREY SISK, Daily News Managing Editor April 22, 2005
In true follow-the-leader fashion, the modern television landscape is saturated with procedural crime dramas.
CBS is the network most responsible for the current trend. After striking unexpected gold with "CSI" in 2000, the Eye began mining the formula for all it was worth.
Over the next four years, CBS unveiled two "CSI" spin-offs, "Without a Trace," "NCIS"and the unheralded "Cold Case," arguably the best of the bunch.
Though it doesn't generate the buzz of the "CSI" franchise and "Without a Trace," "Cold Case" has anchored the network's Sunday night lineup at 8 p.m. for two years.
Set across the state in Philadelphia, the series centers on a unit of police detectives who specialize in investigating old crimes that have never been solved.
Told mainly from the point of view of Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris in a star-making role), the show puts a unique twist on the familiar police drama formula.
Much of each episode is told in flashback, as we see the circumstances leading up to the crime. To establish mood, the producers use songs from the era in question as a backdrop for the events. This simple but extremely effective tool greatly enhances the show.
The signature element of "Cold Case" is the final scene of each episode. After the squad has solved the crime - and since this is television, they solve every one - the perpetrator is taken into custody. An appropriate song provides the only sound for the events unfolding on screen (always in slow motion) as the story is wrapped up.
Lilly always "sees" the victim as he or she looked at the time of the crime, and there's a silent acknowledgment of thanks for her efforts. This admittedly cheesy element works surprisingly well.
Unlike many procedural dramas, "Cold Case" also provides insight into the personal lives of the characters.
As Season 2 has progressed, we've not only learned more about Lilly, but co-workers Scotty Valens (Danny Pino), Will Jeffries (Thom Barry), Nick Vera (Jeremy Ratchford) and Lt. Stillman (John Finn) have been fleshed out, as well.
Loyal viewers are rewarded with one or two personal nuggets each week that, when strung together, paint a good portrait of the principal characters.
In tomorrow's episode, "Kensington," the cold case squad investigates the 1984 murder of an unemployed millworker. There are the usual array of suspects - the victim's friends, family and former co-workers - as the detectives sift through the evidence to uncover the culprit.
Rather than use an assortment of songs from 1984, however, John Mellencamp provides the music for the entire episode. From "Jack & Diane" to "Crumblin' Down" to "Paper In Fire" to "Authority Song" to "R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A." to "Small Town," Mellencamp's music is ideally suited for the working-class story.
This is the second time "Cold Case" has tried the single-artist approach and both have been raging successes.
In "The House," which aired last Oct. 24, Johnny Cash's classic 1968 album "At Folsom Prison" provided the soundtrack for an episode that dealt with the discovery of human bones near a Philadelphia area prison.
With its solid ratings - it regularly outperforms personal favorite "Arrested Development" - strong acting and consistently well-written stories, "Cold Case" has developed into one of television's hidden gems.
Daily News
By JEFFREY SISK, Daily News Managing Editor April 22, 2005
In true follow-the-leader fashion, the modern television landscape is saturated with procedural crime dramas.
CBS is the network most responsible for the current trend. After striking unexpected gold with "CSI" in 2000, the Eye began mining the formula for all it was worth.
Over the next four years, CBS unveiled two "CSI" spin-offs, "Without a Trace," "NCIS"and the unheralded "Cold Case," arguably the best of the bunch.
Though it doesn't generate the buzz of the "CSI" franchise and "Without a Trace," "Cold Case" has anchored the network's Sunday night lineup at 8 p.m. for two years.
Set across the state in Philadelphia, the series centers on a unit of police detectives who specialize in investigating old crimes that have never been solved.
Told mainly from the point of view of Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris in a star-making role), the show puts a unique twist on the familiar police drama formula.
Much of each episode is told in flashback, as we see the circumstances leading up to the crime. To establish mood, the producers use songs from the era in question as a backdrop for the events. This simple but extremely effective tool greatly enhances the show.
The signature element of "Cold Case" is the final scene of each episode. After the squad has solved the crime - and since this is television, they solve every one - the perpetrator is taken into custody. An appropriate song provides the only sound for the events unfolding on screen (always in slow motion) as the story is wrapped up.
Lilly always "sees" the victim as he or she looked at the time of the crime, and there's a silent acknowledgment of thanks for her efforts. This admittedly cheesy element works surprisingly well.
Unlike many procedural dramas, "Cold Case" also provides insight into the personal lives of the characters.
As Season 2 has progressed, we've not only learned more about Lilly, but co-workers Scotty Valens (Danny Pino), Will Jeffries (Thom Barry), Nick Vera (Jeremy Ratchford) and Lt. Stillman (John Finn) have been fleshed out, as well.
Loyal viewers are rewarded with one or two personal nuggets each week that, when strung together, paint a good portrait of the principal characters.
In tomorrow's episode, "Kensington," the cold case squad investigates the 1984 murder of an unemployed millworker. There are the usual array of suspects - the victim's friends, family and former co-workers - as the detectives sift through the evidence to uncover the culprit.
Rather than use an assortment of songs from 1984, however, John Mellencamp provides the music for the entire episode. From "Jack & Diane" to "Crumblin' Down" to "Paper In Fire" to "Authority Song" to "R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A." to "Small Town," Mellencamp's music is ideally suited for the working-class story.
This is the second time "Cold Case" has tried the single-artist approach and both have been raging successes.
In "The House," which aired last Oct. 24, Johnny Cash's classic 1968 album "At Folsom Prison" provided the soundtrack for an episode that dealt with the discovery of human bones near a Philadelphia area prison.
With its solid ratings - it regularly outperforms personal favorite "Arrested Development" - strong acting and consistently well-written stories, "Cold Case" has developed into one of television's hidden gems.
Daily News
