Pilot Watch: 'Detroit 1-8-7'

In our continuing effort to get you ready for the upcoming fall season, we're previewing pilots that were sent to critics earlier this summer.

Keep in mind that in each case, our opinions are based on a pilot that could be completely recast and reworked between now and the fall. Some of those changes have already been announced.

Show: 'Detroit 1-8-7'
Network: ABC
Timeslot: Tuesdays, 10PM ET (Premieres September 21)

The lowdown: It's the story of tough homicide detectives on the super-tough Detroit streets. Among the detectives is Louis Finch (Michael Imperioli), the best on the force, even though he has a tendency to get too emotionally involved in his cases; Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel), who's as experienced as they come but is facing retirement; and Ariana Sanchez (Natalie Martinez), a young detective from a checkered upbringing who's making her mark in the department. It's a large ensemble cast in a show where -- despite the cliched notion of it -- the city of Detroit is a character all by itself.

What we're saying: The original pilot of 'Detroit 1-8-7' was shot documentary style, complete with side interviews. However, the producers of the show felt "hemmed in" by that format and decided to ditch it in time for the show's premiere. They also dropped it because a real-life incident involving the shooting of a little girl while a film crew tagged along with Detroit police triggered a film crew ban from the city, and the producers felt the documentary conceit wouldn't be true to current circumstances in the Motor City. It's a good thing; the show didn't need such a gimmicky conceit for it to work.

Unlike most shows that describe the city they're in as another character, Detroit truly provides and interesting backdrop for this series. The show is being shot there, and it's an interesting time for that whole area; the collapse of the American auto industry has led to an economic crisis that extends from the city itself -- which has been suffering from population shrinkage, governmental corruption and economic problems for almost a half a century -- through its normally wealthy suburbs. And the pilot picks up on a lot of these issues. Of course, the presence of the ever-intense Imperioli and the steady James McDaniel always helps a show. But if 'Detroit 1-8-7' were 'Manhattan 1-8-7' instead, it just wouldn't be as interesting.

Here's a preview:



Let us know what you think. Are you ready for another gritty cop show?