Though Hill Street Blues got all the awards and Miami Vice got all the attention, for some viewers it's the short-lived Crime Story (the second series produced by Vice's Michael Mann) that stands as tall as the great cop show of the 1980s. Set to a gritty rock & roll beat--with Del Shannon's "Runaway" providing the perfect theme song--the series chronicled the early '60s rise of gangster Ray Luca (Anthony John Dennison) and his hounding by hard-boiled policeman Michael Torrello (Denis Farina, who will never have another part this good). Save for the show's eventual relocation to Las Vegas, the Chicago-based pilot, expertly helmed by cult director Abel Ferrara, lines up all the elements that made Crime Story a classic: vivid performances, slick photography, brutal violence, and a genuine sense of the moral murk cops can be sucked into when they feel that any method is justified. Indeed, it's often Torrello, given to back-alley beatings and possessive stares at his wife (Darlanne Fleugel), who seems the scarier of the two leads; Luca kills without compunction, but with an assassin's dispassionate celerity. Such complexity, combined with the exciting action scenes, makes for wonderful viewing, however much it hurt with the Nielsen ratings. --Bruce Reid
2.
Abel Ferrara (BAD LIEUTENANT) directed this feature-length TV pilot for producer Michael Mann (HEAT, MIAMI VICE). Set in 1963 Chicago, the story centers around a duel between tough cop Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and slick, ambitious young mobster Ray Luca (Anthony John Denison). As the bullets fly and Luca's lawyer makes sure nothing sticks to his client, Torello descends into a moral abyss, using any dirty tricks he can to bring about the justice that the system doesn't seem to care about. He also grows insanely jealous of his neglected wife (Darlanne Fluegel) and begins to question his own integrity. The stellar cast features David Caruso, a family friend of Torello's working for Luca; Ted Levine; and a young Julia Roberts. The score is by rocker Todd Rundgren. Realistic performances, rich attention to period detail (including lots of classic rhythm and blues blaring from jukeboxes), beautiful photography, and intense action sequences make CRIME STORY a fine addition to the credits of all concerned. The subsequent TV series lasted two years and is considered by many to be one of the best cop shows of the 1980s.
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