You just don't get this kind of show in television! How this series ever came about is a mystery. All of the stars and planets must have been in perfect alignment to result in the genesis of such a perfectly entertaining crime drama. I've never been a fan of police series, old or new. Dragnet, NYPD, Hawaii 50, CSI, Crossing Jordan, Closer, etc, etc, etc. They bore me. I guess it was pure luck that led me to "Crime Story" one day a few decades ago when I was off work with the flu. There was nothing else on and I was stuck with it. As I watched, the realization that I was seeing a unique drama hit me like a bag of anvils. The taste and feel of the show was unlike any other police series I'd ever seen. Dennis Farina looked absolutely menacing with his dark, foreboding eyes and physically intimidating approach to crimebusting, especially when interrogating the baddies. He headed up a group of hand selected detectives who handled the tough going with one hand in their pockets. They were fearless and didn't feel it was necessary to play fairly with the underworld characters they pursued with pitbull determination. The series was set in the 50s and 60s with dress and cars that gave viewers a nostaligic look the dangerous side of the "Happy Days" era. Each episode opened with background music by Del Shannon (Runaway), a musical icon of the period. When I first started watching the series, I was unaware that Dennis Farina, the star of the series and a virtual unknown, was a former Chicago Police Detective. That certainly explains the realistic feel of the series. I've looked everywhere for reruns, but have never been able to find a channel that carries the series in syndication. I also have no idea why the series ended. Did Dennis Farina decide that Television was not where he wanted to be? He eventually began making feature films ( I recall his terrific performances in "Get Shorty" and in a movie that he made with Bette Middler.) and decide to walk away from the series. I can't believe that the series wasn't popular enough to avoid cancellation because of low ratings, so what happened?
Review of Crime Story
