"The Beat" (2000) TV series

Directors:

Adam Bernstein
Ed Bianchi

Writers:

Anya Epstein (writer)
Tom Fontana (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

21 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Mystery

Plot:

Two uniformed police officers cope with day-to-day life in New York City.

Plot Keywords:

Police | New York City | Engagement | Medical Student | Murder

Cast

Celeste Holm	...	Frances Robinson (13 episodes, 2000)
David Zayas	...	Rei Morales (12 episodes, 2000)
Lee Tergesen	...	Steve Dorigan (9 episodes, 2000)
Derek Cecil	...	Mike Dorigan (8 episodes, 2000)
Mark Ruffalo	...	Zane Marinelli (8 episodes, 2000)

Also Known As:

Flesh & Blood (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Levinson / Fontana Company, The

This "Beat" could have gone on

While "The Beat" undoubtedly had some problems, I think it could have gone on to be a hit. And despite the fact that its format similar to shows like "Hill Street Blues," "Homicide," and "NYPD Blue," it was also unique in a way: Going from film to video (the latter of which was used during the characters' on-duty scenes) and vice versa. It also looked more hip than other "semi-serial" shows of its ilk.

UPN had a good chance to have a "Homicide" or "Hill Street Blues" of its own. I would like to have seen the network keep it on the air a little longer so that it could find an audience that would stick with the show. When I first saw the show on its March 2000 debut, I liked it right away, and kept watching it until its premature demise nearly two months later.

Despite its flaws, this "Beat" could have gone on for five or six years.