Bursting onto ABC this season, is "Rookie Blue," a show that follows a group of Canadian rookie cops. A fan of TNT's "Southland," I was hesitant to check out "Rookie Blue" because experience has taught me that cop show rarely put the cops first, preferring instead to involve intricate plots that end up becoming formulaic. "Rookie Blue" was refreshing. The episodes are not about the crimes, they are about the rookies.
Andy McNally (Missy Peregrym), is a rookie whose father was a cop that left the force under difficult circumstances. Her character is, and I use the word again, refreshingly real. She is accident-prone, occasionally awkward, lacks flawless courage, and is someone that most people can relate to. Her fellow rookies are no different. No one is perfect. They all have flaws that are suggested, and, I expect, will be dealt with in greater detail as the show moves forward.We follow these rookies through their police career's School of Hard Knocks. They come out bruised and sore, but also wiser. I rarely find a crime drama where I can connect that well to the characters.
Despite being based on Hollywood police ensemble archetypes, these characters manage to come off human, rather than players in a game. The actors fit their roles remarkably well and as this show is set in Canada, there are different customs and procedures than audiences are used to seeing, resulting in occasional surprise as they act differently than anticipated.
"Rookie Blue" breathes new life into the dramatic crime show and has the potential to become a successful show, particularly among character-drama audiences.
Channel: ABC
Genre: Crime- Drama
TV-Rating: TV-14
Recommendation: HIGHLY RECOMMEND
