Titus Welliver’s ’90s Cop Show With Famous Writers That Still Flopped

Frequently, police-themed television dramas are among the highest-rated shows season after season. Shows like “Law & Order” have achieved great success over the years, lasting for decades and spawning multiple spinoffs. Other popular series such as “Criminal Minds,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “The Wire,” and “The Shield” have captivated audiences with their portrayal of the challenging day-to-day life of a police officer. The allure of these shows lies in providing viewers with an unprecedented look into cases that they may never encounter in reality.

One of the popular cop series that gained significant attention lately is the one headed by Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in “Bosch” and “Bosch: Legacy.” These shows were major hits for Amazon Prime Video, offering a glimpse into the Los Angeles Police Department and Hollywood homicide departments as they tackled complex cases weekly. With a long-standing career in television and film, Welliver is no stranger to playing police officers; Harry Bosch isn’t his first one, by any means. Interestingly enough, Welliver previously had a leading role in a police series written by some of the most renowned showrunners of the 1990s. However, despite its potential, “Brooklyn South” failed to take off and was unfortunately canceled after just one season.

‘Brooklyn South’ premiered in 1997 on CBS

The series was created by Stephen Bochco, David Milch, Bill Clark, and William Finkelstein

Brooklyn South, much like NYPD Blue, centered around a New York police department, but instead of following detective characters, it spotlighted the uniformed officers within the precinct. Key cast members included Welliver, Jon Tenney, Michael DeLuise, Dylan Walsh, James B. Sikking, Yancy Butler, Gary Basaraba, Klea Scott, Richard T. Jones, Adam Rodriguez, and Patrick McGaw.

The program was brought into existence by Stephen Bochco, a renowned creator known for producing successful series such as NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, and Doogie Howser, M.D. During his time, he was one of the most productive showrunners, earning 10 Emmy Awards. Milch collaborated with him on NYPD Blue and later created numerous shows himself.

These individuals worked on shows like “Hill Street Blues”, “Bay City Blues”, “Total Security”, and various productions by Bochco, while Finkelstein contributed in the writers’ rooms for “Murder One”, “L.A. Law”, and “NYPD Blue”. Clark, a retired NYPD detective and former U.S. Army Major, was a technical advisor on “NYPD Blue”. With extensive experience in police procedures and writing effectiveness, they could write these shows flawlessly. However, even their combined expertise couldn’t prevent the show from failing.

Weak Initial Scripts Hurt the Initial Run of Episodes

Bochco was dealing with personal issues at the time as well

In the first episode of Brooklyn South, a gunman on a violent spree outside the police station was captured but ultimately perished from his wounds while in custody. The shooter’s sister claimed that he was unjustly killed because of his race, igniting a heated debate about racial relations. Meanwhile, the pilot episode also presented key characters: Butler’s boyfriend was fatally shot by the gunman, Walsh made the arrest, Tanney attempted to prevent the precinct from assaulting the suspect, and Welliver grappled with personal issues as his troubled wife added stress to his life at home.

Initially, the series delved further into the Internal Affairs probe concerning the gunman’s demise and emphasized numerous episodes centered on race issues and discourse about sexual identity. Scenes involving Hasidic Jews being robbed and gay men getting attacked were included in this exploration. The show often painted a grim picture of New York City and its inhabitants, as they all grappled with challenges linked to their professions.

As the season progressed, the episodes became less substantial. This was due to an abundance of police characters and because Bochco had personal commitments that took him away from work, as mentioned in his autobiography. However, when he returned towards the end of the season to contribute to the writing, it didn’t improve the outcome for the series.

Its Monday Night Time Slot Didn’t Help

It went up against two huge series

CBS broadcast “Brooklyn South” on Monday nights from the fall of 1997 through the winter and spring of 1998. Unfortunately, this placement put it against “Monday Night Football” on ABC during the fall and “Dateline: Monday” on NBC throughout its entire run. Despite averaging 10.5 million viewers, it only ranked 74th among all TV series airing at that time, which would make it one of the most-watched shows today.

During winter, Bochco and Milch revamped the show by incorporating John Finn’s character as a senior detective and emphasizing the personal aspects of the main cast, who formed the emotional heart of the series. This led to more in-depth stories for Welliver, Butler, DeLuise, and Rodriguez. At that time, Bochco and Milch were optimistic about their improvements, and viewership improved as well. However, the show was still canceled, causing frustration for Bochco due to its premature end.

The Series Helped Lead to Greater Projects for Everyone Involved

David Milch created his own beloved series, casting Welliver in major roles

Despite running for just 22 episodes, Brooklyn South allowed everyone involved to explore new opportunities. Milch subsequently created Deadwood, a series that spanned three seasons and a television movie, earning a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys. Milch also cast Welliver in his shows Big Apple and Deadwood as Silas Adams. Later, Welliver landed a significant role on Sons of Anarchy before moving to Bosch.

Tenney excelled on shows like The Closer and Major Crimes, while Walsh took on the co-lead role in Nip/Tuck. Jones made a name for themselves on Judging Amy and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Rodriguez was a long-term cast member on CSI: Miami and has since moved to Criminal Minds. After Brooklyn South, Bochco only saw two more of his series run for multiple seasons before his passing in 2018.

2025-07-06 03:02