Exit 19
Encyclopedia
The Protector is an American drama
television series created by Michael Nankin
and Jeffrey Bell. The series stars Ally Walker
as Gloria Sheppard, a single mother who struggles to maintain the balance between her personal and professional life as an LAPD
homicide detective.
The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel Lifetime, and is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It premiered on June 12, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011. On September 8, 2011, Lifetime announced it will not renew the series for a second season.
detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. A recent divorcee and single mother, Gloria has to perform her duties as a LAPD homicide detective while raising her twin sons. Gloria's brother, Davey Sheppard, whose house she recently moved in to, helps to raise her two sons Nick and Leo. While at work, Gloria must solve some of Los Angeles
most high profile crimes with the assistance of her partner, Detective
Michelle Dulcett as well as Detective Ramon "Romeo" Rush, Buerge and Van Stone, while being overseen by her commanding officer, Lieutenant Felix Valdez.
placed an order for a pilot presentation for Exit 19. Bell wrote the pilot. Nankin was attached to the project as director, with Bell, Nina Wass and Gene Stein serving as executive producers. The pilot was a co-production of ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It was described as being about "a quirky homicide detective on the mean streets of Manhattan who also is a single mom to two kids in the suburbs on Long Island." Geena Davis was the first to be cast in the pilot as 'Gloria'. She also served as co-executive producer. Next to join the pilot was Matthew Lillard as Gloria's younger brother. Rosie Perez
, Ramon Rodriguez
and Amy Farrington
were the last actors to be cast, with Perez playing 'Lorna', Gloria's partner on the NYPD, Rodriguez playing 'a smart flirty cop who works with Gloria and Lorna', and Farrington playing Gloria's neighbor. On May 10, 2008, it was announced that CBS had decided not to pick up the pilot to series.
In July 2009, Lifetime announced it was redeveloping the pilot. In June 2010, the network placed a pilot order.
Casting announcements began in November 2010, with Ally Walker
first to be cast. Walker portrays Gloria Sheppard, a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who is juggling her demanding personal and professional lives while raising two children. Next to join the series was Tisha Campbell-Martin
and Chris Payne Gilbert
, with Campbell-Martin playing Michelle Dulcett, Gloria's smart and vivacious partner, and Gilbert playing Davey Sheppard, Gloria's younger brother, a recovering alcoholic, with whom she shares the house the two co-own. Last to be cast was Miguel Ferrer
playing Lieutenant Felix Valdez, Gloria's boss.
The network green lighted the series on February 7, 2011, with an order of 13 hour-long episodes. The series is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. On May 3, 2011, during the network's 2011–2012 upfronts presentation, Lifetime announced that Exit 19 had been retitled The Protector and would debut in the summer of 2011.
. The New York Daily News
said of the series: "Where "Army Wives" can get soapy at times, it also starts with a premise that sets it apart. The Protector doesn't start with that advantage." The New York Times gave a mixed review: "Ms. Walker is an appealing actress with a strong presence, but in the pilot, at least, her character isn't as well formed or well written as other tough-talking television dames." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
gave the pilot a positive review:
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series created by Michael Nankin
Michael Nankin
Michael Nankin is an American film and television writer, director and producer. He has been nominated for the Humanitas Prize for his writing.-Career:...
and Jeffrey Bell. The series stars Ally Walker
Ally Walker
Allene Damian "Ally" Walker is an American actress, producer, director and screenwriter.She is best known for her roles as Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series Profiler , as Agent June Stahl on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy and as Gloria Shepherd in the Lifetime drama...
as Gloria Sheppard, a single mother who struggles to maintain the balance between her personal and professional life as an LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
homicide detective.
The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel Lifetime, and is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It premiered on June 12, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011. On September 8, 2011, Lifetime announced it will not renew the series for a second season.
Overview
The series follows Gloria Sheppard, an LAPDLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. A recent divorcee and single mother, Gloria has to perform her duties as a LAPD homicide detective while raising her twin sons. Gloria's brother, Davey Sheppard, whose house she recently moved in to, helps to raise her two sons Nick and Leo. While at work, Gloria must solve some of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
most high profile crimes with the assistance of her partner, Detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Michelle Dulcett as well as Detective Ramon "Romeo" Rush, Buerge and Van Stone, while being overseen by her commanding officer, Lieutenant Felix Valdez.
Main cast
- Ally WalkerAlly WalkerAllene Damian "Ally" Walker is an American actress, producer, director and screenwriter.She is best known for her roles as Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series Profiler , as Agent June Stahl on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy and as Gloria Shepherd in the Lifetime drama...
as Gloria Sheppard—An LAPDLos Angeles Police DepartmentThe Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. - Tisha Campbell-MartinTisha Campbell-MartinTisha Michelle Campbell-Martin is an American actress and singer, known for her starring roles in television series Martin and My Wife and Kids and now is starring in the new television series The Protector...
as Michelle Dulcett—An LAPD Detective II. She is Gloria Sheppard's partner in the Robbery-Homicide Division. - Miguel FerrerMiguel FerrerMiguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
as Felix Valdez—An LAPD Lieutenant. He is Gloria Sheppard's superior officer in the Robbery-Homicide Division. - Chris Payne GilbertChris Payne GilbertChris Payne Gilbert is an American actor. He is best known for his television role as Todd on the TBS sitcom 10 Items or Less ....
as Davey Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's brother and uncle to Leo and Nick Sheppard. - Terrell TilfordTerrell TilfordTerrell Tilford is an African American film, stage, and television actor, best known for roles as David Grant on The Guiding Light and Greg Evans on the One Life to Live and as Ramon Rush in the Lifetime drama series The Protector .-Beginnings:A classically-trained actor, Tilford received...
as Ramon "Romeo" Rush—An LAPD police officerPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
and later Detective, attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. - Thomas RobinsonThomas RobinsonThomas Robinson may refer to:*Thomas Robinson , English composer and music teacher*Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham , English diplomatist and politician...
as Leo Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's youngest son. - Sage Ryan as Nick Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's oldest son.
Recurring cast
- Larry Joe CampbellLarry Joe CampbellLarry Joseph Campbell is an American actor and comedian best known for his role as "Andy" on the ABC sitcom According to Jim.-Early life:...
as Detective Buerge—An LAPD Detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. - James HanlonJames HanlonJames Hanlon is a former New York City firefighter, an actor and director. He co-directed the CBS documentary film 9/11 with Jules and Gedeon Naudet.-Career:...
as Detective Van Stone—An LAPD Detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division.
Development and production
Originally known as Exit 19, The Protector was initially developed by Jeffrey Bell, based on a script written by Michael Nankin, in late 2007. In early 2008, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
placed an order for a pilot presentation for Exit 19. Bell wrote the pilot. Nankin was attached to the project as director, with Bell, Nina Wass and Gene Stein serving as executive producers. The pilot was a co-production of ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It was described as being about "a quirky homicide detective on the mean streets of Manhattan who also is a single mom to two kids in the suburbs on Long Island." Geena Davis was the first to be cast in the pilot as 'Gloria'. She also served as co-executive producer. Next to join the pilot was Matthew Lillard as Gloria's younger brother. Rosie Perez
Rosie Perez
Rosa María "Rosie" Pérez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director and community activist.- Early life :...
, Ramon Rodriguez
Ramon Rodriguez
Ramón Rodríguez is an American actor of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles in the television series The Wire and Day Break. He appeared with John Turturro in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Taking of Pelham 123...
and Amy Farrington
Amy Farrington
Amy Farrington is an American actress and model that is best known for her role as Stacey Devers on The Michael Richards Show. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts but raised in Garland, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. After attending a musical theatre conservatory program, she worked in local and...
were the last actors to be cast, with Perez playing 'Lorna', Gloria's partner on the NYPD, Rodriguez playing 'a smart flirty cop who works with Gloria and Lorna', and Farrington playing Gloria's neighbor. On May 10, 2008, it was announced that CBS had decided not to pick up the pilot to series.
In July 2009, Lifetime announced it was redeveloping the pilot. In June 2010, the network placed a pilot order.
Casting announcements began in November 2010, with Ally Walker
Ally Walker
Allene Damian "Ally" Walker is an American actress, producer, director and screenwriter.She is best known for her roles as Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series Profiler , as Agent June Stahl on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy and as Gloria Shepherd in the Lifetime drama...
first to be cast. Walker portrays Gloria Sheppard, a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who is juggling her demanding personal and professional lives while raising two children. Next to join the series was Tisha Campbell-Martin
Tisha Campbell-Martin
Tisha Michelle Campbell-Martin is an American actress and singer, known for her starring roles in television series Martin and My Wife and Kids and now is starring in the new television series The Protector...
and Chris Payne Gilbert
Chris Payne Gilbert
Chris Payne Gilbert is an American actor. He is best known for his television role as Todd on the TBS sitcom 10 Items or Less ....
, with Campbell-Martin playing Michelle Dulcett, Gloria's smart and vivacious partner, and Gilbert playing Davey Sheppard, Gloria's younger brother, a recovering alcoholic, with whom she shares the house the two co-own. Last to be cast was Miguel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer
Miguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
playing Lieutenant Felix Valdez, Gloria's boss.
The network green lighted the series on February 7, 2011, with an order of 13 hour-long episodes. The series is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. On May 3, 2011, during the network's 2011–2012 upfronts presentation, Lifetime announced that Exit 19 had been retitled The Protector and would debut in the summer of 2011.
Critical reception
The Protector has received mixed to average reviews, earning a score of 53 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
said of the series: "Where "Army Wives" can get soapy at times, it also starts with a premise that sets it apart. The Protector doesn't start with that advantage." The New York Times gave a mixed review: "Ms. Walker is an appealing actress with a strong presence, but in the pilot, at least, her character isn't as well formed or well written as other tough-talking television dames." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
gave the pilot a positive review:
The Protector is fairly routine plot-wise but the breezy tone--conveyed through upbeat music and snappy dialogue--and strong, collegial performances make this series a welcome summer diversion.
Ratings
The pilot episode premiered with 1.90 million total viewers, scoring 0.9 million viewers in the 18–49 demographic.| Season | Season Premiere | Season Finale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers Total (in millions) |
Viewers 18–49 |
Date | Viewers Total (in millions) |
Viewers 18–49 |
|
| 1 | July 11, 2011 | 1.90 | 0.85 | September 19, 2011 | style="text-align:center;font-weight:normal" | style="text-align:center;font-weight:normal" |
International broadcasting
| Country | Network | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|
 Canada |
CTV Two | TBA |