Cop Rock
Encyclopedia
Cop Rock is an American musical
police drama series
that aired on ABC
in 1990
. The show, a police drama
presented as a musical
, was co-created by Steven Bochco
, who also served as executive producer. TV Guide
ranked it #8 on TV Guide's List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list in 2002.
, the latter a genre in which Bochco had already been very successful with Hill Street Blues
. The series featured an ensemble cast
that mixed musical numbers and choreography throughout storylines. For example, one scene in a courtroom had the jury
break into song, proclaiming "He's Guilty" in Gospel
style. Another episode had a lineup of Hispanic suspects proclaim in song "We're the local color with the coppertone skin / And you treat us like we're guilty of some terrible sin." Its theme, "Under the Gun", was sung by Randy Newman
, who opened each episode performing it in a music video
-style credit sequence. The show also featured crossover
appearances from other Bochco series. In one episode, James B. Sikking
reprises the role of Lt. Howard Hunter from Hill Street Blues, while another episode featured cameos by L.A. Law
stars Jimmy Smits
and Michele Greene
. Sheryl Crow
appears as a back-up singer in the final episode.
The show was a critical and commercial failure and was canceled by ABC after 11 episodes. Owing to the combination of its bizarre nature and its high-powered production talent, it became infamous as one of the biggest television failures of the 1990s. The final episode concludes with the cast breaking character and joining crew members in performing a closing song.
Despite its overwhelmingly negative reception and short run, the series still has been rebroadcast three times, in the 1990s on VH1
, on A&E Network
, and in the 2000s on Trio
.
Mike Post
was the music supervisor on Cop Rock. Post appeared in the Cop Rock opening sequence as the musician in the dark glasses sitting next to Randy Newman and playing the keyboard.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
police drama series
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in 1990
1990 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. The show, a police drama
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
presented as a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, was co-created by Steven Bochco
Steven Bochco
Steven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
, who also served as executive producer. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked it #8 on TV Guide's List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list in 2002.
Synopsis
Cop Rock attempted to combine musical theater with the police dramaPolice procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
, the latter a genre in which Bochco had already been very successful with Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
. The series featured an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
that mixed musical numbers and choreography throughout storylines. For example, one scene in a courtroom had the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
break into song, proclaiming "He's Guilty" in Gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
style. Another episode had a lineup of Hispanic suspects proclaim in song "We're the local color with the coppertone skin / And you treat us like we're guilty of some terrible sin." Its theme, "Under the Gun", was sung by Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
, who opened each episode performing it in a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
-style credit sequence. The show also featured crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
appearances from other Bochco series. In one episode, James B. Sikking
James Sikking
James Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
reprises the role of Lt. Howard Hunter from Hill Street Blues, while another episode featured cameos by L.A. Law
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
stars Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing...
and Michele Greene
Michele Greene
Michele Dominguez Greene is an American actress, singer, and songwriter, perhaps most well-known for her role as attorney Abigail "Abby" Perkins in L.A. Law from 1986 - 1991. She returned to that role in 2002 for the TV "reunion" film L.A...
. Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
appears as a back-up singer in the final episode.
The show was a critical and commercial failure and was canceled by ABC after 11 episodes. Owing to the combination of its bizarre nature and its high-powered production talent, it became infamous as one of the biggest television failures of the 1990s. The final episode concludes with the cast breaking character and joining crew members in performing a closing song.
Despite its overwhelmingly negative reception and short run, the series still has been rebroadcast three times, in the 1990s on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, on A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, and in the 2000s on Trio
Trio (TV network)
Trio was an American cable and satellite television network.Trio went on the air in 1997, then originally owned and operated jointly by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Power Broadcasting Inc. as a venue for airing the CBC's arts, culture and entertainment programming in the U.S...
.
Mike Post
Mike Post
Mike Post is an American multi-Grammy and Emmy Award winning composer best known for scoring some of the most popular TV theme songs in the United States, for primetime series such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, LA Law, Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues, among numerous...
was the music supervisor on Cop Rock. Post appeared in the Cop Rock opening sequence as the musician in the dark glasses sitting next to Randy Newman and playing the keyboard.
Cast
- Teri AustinTeri AustinTeresa "Teri" Austin is a Canadian-born film and television actress, with an extensive career in the United States.She is probably best-known for her performance as Jill Bennett on Knots Landing and season 9 of the crime drama, Matlock.- External links :...
- Trish Vaughn - Anne Bobby - Off. Vicki Quinn
- Barbara BossonBarbara BossonBarbara Bosson is an American actress who has starred on television and in film.-Biography:Bosson was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania to a tennis coach father. During her childhood, she lived in an American Craftsman Style house on Price Avenue in the borough of North Belle Vernon...
- Mayor Louise Plank - Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
- Chief Roger Kendrick - Vondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
- Cmdr. Warren Osborne - David Gianopoulos - Off. Andy Campo
- Larry JoshuaLarry JoshuaLarry Joshua is an American actor who has appeared in over 50 productions since 1981.Some of his more famous films include The Burning , Sea of Love , Quick Change , A Midnight Clear , Romeo is Bleeding , The X Files , For Love of the Game and Spider-Man...
- Capt. John Hollander - Dennis LipscombDennis LipscombDennis Lipscomb is an American actor.Lipscomb's first feature film was Union City . From the early 1980s to the 1990s, Lipscomb appeared in key roles in various motion pictures including Eyes of Fire , WarGames , The Day After , A Soldier's Story , Amazing Grace and Chuck , Sister, Sister , The...
- Sidney Weitz - Paul McCranePaul McCranePaul David McCrane is an American film, television and theatre actor, as well as an occasional television director. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Montgomery MacNeil in the 1980 film Fame and Dr. Robert Romano on the NBC medical drama television series ER.-Early life:McCrane was...
- Det. Bob McIntire - James McDanielJames McDanielJames McDaniel is an American stage, film and television actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Arthur Fancy on the television show NYPD Blue. He also played a police officer in the ill-fated 1990 series Cop Rock, and a close advisor to activist Malcolm X in the 1992 film Malcolm X. He also...
- Off. Franklin Rose - Ron McLartyRon McLartyRon McLarty is an American actor, playwright and author. He began his career in theatre during the early 1970s with one his earliest professional performances being the role of Lucky in Michael Weller's Moonchildren for the play's American premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in November...
- Ralph Ruskin - Mick Murray - Det. Joseph Gaines
- Peter OnoratiPeter Onorati-Biography:He was born and raised in Boonton, New Jersey and attended Boonton High School. He attended Lycoming College, where he received his B.A. degree in Business Administration. He was an NCAA all-conference wide receiver, and signed up to play in the World Football League...
- Det. Vincent LaRusso - William Thomas, Jr.William Thomas, Jr.William Thomas, Jr. is an African American actor. He is known for his recurring role as Vanessa Huxtable's fiancé Dabnis Brickey on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show...
- Det. William Donald Potts - Kathleen WilhoiteKathleen WilhoiteKathleen Wilhoite is an American film and television actress, as well as a singer-songwriter. She also voiced the title character in the animated series Pepper Ann...
- Patricia Spence
Episode list
| Ep. # | Prod. Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2101 | Pilot | September 26, 1990 |
| 2 | 0X02 | "Ill-Gotten Gaines" | October 3, 1990 |
| 3 | 0X03 | "Happy Mudder's Day" | October 10, 1990 |
| 4 | 0X04 | "A Three-Corpse Meal" | October 17, 1990 |
| 5 | 0X05 | "The Cocaine Mutiny" | October 24, 1990 |
| 6 | 0X06 | "Oil of Ol' Lay" | October 31, 1990 |
| 7 | 0X07 | "Cop-a-Feeliac" | November 7, 1990 |
| 8 | 2108 | "Potts Don't Fail Me Now" | November 21, 1990 |
| 9 | 2109 | "Marital Blitz" | December 5, 1990 |
| 10 | 0X10 | "No Noose Is Good Noose" | December 12, 1990 |
| 11 | 0X11 | "Bang the Potts Slowly" | December 26, 1990 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Nominated | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series | Robert Appere, Gary D. Rogers, Ron Estes, and Mark Server | "Oil Of Ol'Lay" |
| Nominated | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Gregory Hoblit | Pilot | ||
| Nominated | Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics | Ron Boustead and Greg Edmonson | "Oil Of Ol'Lay" | ||
| Won | Outstanding Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production | Joe Ann Fogle | Pilot | ||
| Won | Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics | Randy Newman | Pilot |
See also
- Hull HighHull HighHull High is an American musical teen drama series which aired on the NBC television network in 1990. The series was created and executive produced by Gil Grant.-Synopsis:...
- Another television series with musical segments that debuted (and was canceled) in 1990. - Viva LaughlinViva LaughlinViva Laughlin is an American musical–dramedy series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker from the popular BBC British serial, Blackpool. They also served as executive producers alongside Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Paul Telegdy and Gabriele Muccino. The latter also directed the pilot...
- A 2007 television drama with musical segments. The show was canceled after just two airings due to poor ratings.