187 Detroit

On 'The Sopranos,' actor Michael Imperioli excelled at playing Christopher Moltisanti, a goodfella in every sense of the word. A made man. Definitely on the wrong side of the law. Since the HBO series has ended -- and even before that -- Imperioli has found work on the other side of the badge. He's doing it again. Michael Imperioli will star in '187 Detroit' for ABC, a new cop drama.

The premise of '187 Detroit' is kind of 'The Office' meets 'NYPD Blue' in Michigan. It's a funny take on a Detroit homicide squad if they were to have a documentary crew following them around on cases. Imperioli will be Fitch, the hot-tempered, veteran detective who boasts an impeccable record for closing cases and catching killers.

Tony's going to be getting suspicious; Cristophuh's been spending a lot of time on the other side of the law ...

'The Sopranos' star Michael Imperioli, who played a cop last season on ABC's 'Life on Mars' and, more recently, in the big-screen drama 'The Lovely Bones,' will yet again take a bite out of crime as the lead in ABC's drama pilot '187 Detroit.'

The series, the latest to follow the mockumentary format employed so successfully by comedy series like 'The Office' and 'Modern Family,' will find the former Christopher Moltisanti playing a character named Fitch, a prickly homicide detective who's very good at putting away the bad guys.

It's only five days into the new year, but ABC has wasted no time getting the production ball rolling.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network has ordered a documentary-style cop show, titled '187 Detroit.' The show is pegged to air during the 2010-11 season.