Robbery Homicide Division
Encyclopedia
Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) was an American police procedural
television series
on CBS
, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer
Michael Mann
.
's Robbery Homicide Division. Lt. Sam Cole is the driven chief detective
of a squad that is dedicated to solving some of the worst crimes the city has to offer. There were several technical advisers who worked on the show: Chic Daniel, an LAPD living legend who served more than twenty years on SWAT
; Robert Deamer, a specialist of gang enforcement who is one of the most decorated veteran of Special Enforcement Unit (ex-C.R.A.S.H.); and Lieutenant Todd Reinhold, an actual squad leader of Special Weapons And Tactics.
The series was originally titled Metro which was the division where the show was originally going to be set. Then, the title was changed to RHD/LA which was used for the fall schedule announcement. CBS ordered the final title believing that people would be confused about what RHD stood for.
In April 2002, Schindel left to focus on his duties at NBC
's Law & Order
. Frank Spotnitz
joined the show as an executive producer
in May after The X-Files
ended its nine-season run and then left in October because he decided that it "was not creatively the show that he wanted to be working on."
Thematically, the show was very reminiscent of Mann's film Heat in that it also dealt with a driven cop working the Robbery-Homicide Division leading a multi-ethnic squad. Stylistically, Mann has said that RHD was a chance to test out some of the high-definition digital cameras he would later employ to much greater effect on Collateral
and the film version of Miami Vice
.
.
It is rumored that the arrest of Tom Sizemore, due to a drug related incident, ultimately led to the cancellation of the show. Sizemore has stated during filiming of his show Shooting Sizemore that he regrets letting down all the cast members, staff, and producer Michael Mann. The actor claims that the cancellation created a rift between him and close mentor Mann which has still not been resolved.
The remaining three unaired episodes premiered on the USA Network
in April 2003. Currently, it can be seen on HDNet
. In 2008, the series began airing on Sleuth
.
, Caryn James wrote, "The executive producers, Mr. Mann and Frank Spotnitz (a producer of The X-Files
), have created a style that does not dominate substance so much as it makes a dark subject palatable." Chicago Sun-Times
gave the show three out of four stars and Phil Rosenthal felt that the show, "holds a lot of promise, but a lot of that promise remains unrealized in this opener. It's just a little confusing." The Los Angeles Daily News
gave the show three out of four star and David Kronke felt that the "storytelling may be spotty - convenient contrivances help our heroes to their resolutions - but the richly cinematic quality of the programs make them seem deeper, smarter and more resonant than they really are. The series is also adept at capturing Los Angeles' multiculturalism, though it seems to insist upon depicting it as somewhat sinister." USA Today
gave the show two out of four stars and felt that it was "all style and no story." In his review for the Washington Post, Tom Shales praised Tom Sizemore's performance: "What saves it, really, is the key performance: Tom Sizemore as Detective Sam Cole, head of one of those elite teams inside the police force that get to dress well and barge in without search warrants and so on. Sizemore veritably storms the screen in one of those can't-look-away performances that make a character instantly indelible. You feel you recognize Sam Cole and yet never saw anyone exactly like him before." In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle
, Tim Goodman wrote that the show, "plays out like a moody film."
received a 4.3 rating. On average, the show drew 7.12 million viewers an episode.
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...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
on CBS
CBS
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...
, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Michael Mann
Michael Mann (film director)
Michael Kenneth Mann is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. For his work, he has received nominations from international organizations and juries, including those at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Cannes and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
Premise
The show took an intense, no-nonsense look at the present-day Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos 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...
's Robbery Homicide Division. Lt. Sam Cole is the driven chief 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"...
of a squad that is dedicated to solving some of the worst crimes the city has to offer. There were several technical advisers who worked on the show: Chic Daniel, an LAPD living legend who served more than twenty years on SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
; Robert Deamer, a specialist of gang enforcement who is one of the most decorated veteran of Special Enforcement Unit (ex-C.R.A.S.H.); and Lieutenant Todd Reinhold, an actual squad leader of Special Weapons And Tactics.
The series was originally titled Metro which was the division where the show was originally going to be set. Then, the title was changed to RHD/LA which was used for the fall schedule announcement. CBS ordered the final title believing that people would be confused about what RHD stood for.
In April 2002, Schindel left to focus on his duties at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
joined the show as an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
in May after The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
ended its nine-season run and then left in October because he decided that it "was not creatively the show that he wanted to be working on."
Thematically, the show was very reminiscent of Mann's film Heat in that it also dealt with a driven cop working the Robbery-Homicide Division leading a multi-ethnic squad. Stylistically, Mann has said that RHD was a chance to test out some of the high-definition digital cameras he would later employ to much greater effect on Collateral
Collateral (film)
Collateral is a 2004 crime thriller film starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. It was directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie. It was Mann's first feature film to be shot mostly with high-definition cameras. Mann had previously used the format for portions of Ali and for his CBS drama...
and the film version of Miami Vice
Miami Vice (film)
Miami Vice is a 2006 American crime drama film about two Miami police detectives, Crockett and Tubbs, who go undercover to fight drug trafficking operations. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, written, produced, and directed by Michael Mann...
.
Cancellation
Although RHD was critically acclaimed, Law & Order: SVU had better ratings in the same time slot. CBS placed the show on hiatus after the December 7th episode. The series was cancelled after ten episodes. Mann told Variety magazine, "I guess maybe the show never found its audience." There was possible interest by HBO or CBS sister network Showtime to pick up the series, but it never went further than speculation. Because of its NBC Universal ownership, reruns of the series have since aired on the high definition network Universal HDUniversal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
.
It is rumored that the arrest of Tom Sizemore, due to a drug related incident, ultimately led to the cancellation of the show. Sizemore has stated during filiming of his show Shooting Sizemore that he regrets letting down all the cast members, staff, and producer Michael Mann. The actor claims that the cancellation created a rift between him and close mentor Mann which has still not been resolved.
Cast and characters
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tom Sizemore Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down.... |
Lt. Sam Cole |
| David Cubitt David Cubitt David Cubitt is a Canadian television actor.Born in England in 1965 to a Dutch mother and a British father, he moved with his parents to Vancouver, British Columbia when he was six months old. He studied at Studio 58 there. He has starred in the Canadian series Traders and the American series... |
Det. Richard Barstow |
| Michael Paul Chan Michael Paul Chan Michael Paul Chan is an American television and film actor. Some of his recent television work includes Judge Lionel Ping on Arrested Development, Robbery Homicide Division, Dr. Lee in the Joel Schumacher directed "Batman & Robin," the voice of Jimmy Ho on The PJ's, and Lieutenant Michael Tao on... |
Det. Ron Lu |
| Klea Scott Klea Scott Klea Scott is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Emma Hollis on the Fox television series Millennium. Her most notable films are Minority Report and Collateral.-Career:... |
Det. Sonia Robbins |
| Barry Shabaka Henley Barry Shabaka Henley Barry Shabaka Henley is an American character actor. Henley is a fixture in many films, most often the films of director Michael Mann, having worked with the director four times.... |
Sgt. Albert Simms |
Episodes
| Code Production code number A production code number, also known as the production code or episode code is an alphanumeric designation used to uniquely identify episodes within a television series... | Name | Writer(s) | Director | | Premiere | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E3801/101 | A Life of Its Own | Barry Schindel | Stephen Gyllenhaal Stephen Gyllenhaal -Personal life:Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Virginia Lowrie and Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal. The Gyllenhaal family is a descendant of the cavalry officer Nils Gunnesson Haal, who was ennobled in 1652 when Queen Christina of Sweden conferred upon him the crest and family name,... |
September 27, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 2 | E3802/102 | Mini-Mall | Todd A. Kessler Todd A. Kessler Todd A. Kessler is an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer and director. He is the co-creator and head writer of the FX drama series Damages... |
Fred Keller | October 4, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 3 | E3803/103 | 2028 (a.k.a. Internet Sex) | Jan Oxenberg, Philippe Browning, Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:... , Todd A. Kessler |
D. J. Caruso D. J. Caruso Daniel John "D.J." Caruso is an American director and producer. Caruso has directed the films Disturbia, Two for the Money, Taking Lives, The Salton Sea, Eagle Eye and I Am Number Four. He has also directed television episodes for shows such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel... |
October 11, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 4 | E3807/105 | Free and Clear | Vince Gilligan Vince Gilligan Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University... |
D. J. Caruso D. J. Caruso Daniel John "D.J." Caruso is an American director and producer. Caruso has directed the films Disturbia, Two for the Money, Taking Lives, The Salton Sea, Eagle Eye and I Am Number Four. He has also directed television episodes for shows such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel... |
October 18, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 5 | E3805/106 | Alton Davis Redux | Carter Harris Carter Harris Carter Harris is a television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights... |
Rod Hardy Rod Hardy Rod Hardy is an Australian television and film director.His interest in film began before the age of 12, when he shot several short films on his brother’s 8 mm film camera... |
October 25, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 6 | E3806/107 | In/Famous | Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:... , Jan Oxenberg |
Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three... |
November 1, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 7 | E3804/104 | City of Strivers (a.k.a. Defense Lawyer) | Jan Oxenberg | Rod Hardy Rod Hardy Rod Hardy is an Australian television and film director.His interest in film began before the age of 12, when he shot several short films on his brother’s 8 mm film camera... |
November 8, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 8 | E3808/108 | Wild Ride (a.k.a. Zero Disrespect) | Todd A. Kessler | Nick Gomez Nick Gomez Nick Gomez is an American film director and actor. He has directed for a number of television and film studios. He has also acted in a few minor films... |
November 15, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 9 | E3810/109 | Life Is Dust | Todd A. Kessler, Sean Jablonski | Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:... |
November 30, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 10 | E3811/110 | Had | Todd A. Kessler, Gustave Reininger Gustave Reininger Gustave Reininger is the co-creator of the NBC TV drama, Crime Story. It was executive produced by Michael Mann. Crime Story was based on the Mafia in Chicago,"The Outfit," and how it got off the streets and into the boardrooms of Las Vegas casinos. The show premiered with a two hour pilot - movie,... , Glenn Kessler Glenn Kessler (screenwriter) Glenn Kessler is an American screenwriter and television producer. Kessler grew up in suburban Detroit suburb and graduated from the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills in 1988. He is the co-creator and executive producer of the Golden Globe award-winning FX drama series Damages along... |
Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three... |
December 7, 2002 | CBS CBS 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... |
| 11 | E3812/111 | Hellbound Train | Jan Oxenberg | Ami Canaan Mann Ami Canaan Mann Ami Canaan Mann is an American film, television director, producer and screenwriter. She has worked as a television and film writer since writing the NYPD Blue episode 'Tea and Sympathy' in 2000. She has won three awards, all in 2001 for her first film as a director, Morning... |
CBS CBS 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... |
|
| 12 | E3809/112 | Vamonos, Chica | Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, Sean Whitesell Sean Whitesell Sean Whitesell is an American film and television actor, who is also a television writer and producer. He studied acting at the University of California in San Diego, where he received an MFA in acting... |
Bill Duke Bill Duke William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the... |
CBS CBS 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... |
|
| 13 | E3814/113 | Absolute Perfection | David O. Sosna | Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three... |
CBS CBS 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... |
|
The remaining three unaired episodes premiered on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
in April 2003. Currently, it can be seen on HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
. In 2008, the series began airing on Sleuth
Sleuth (TV channel)
Cloo is a digital cable television channel with programming dedicated to the crime and mystery genres. It is owned and operated by NBCUniversal. It launched on January 1, 2006, replacing Trio...
.
Response
In her review for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Caryn James wrote, "The executive producers, Mr. Mann and Frank Spotnitz (a producer of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
), have created a style that does not dominate substance so much as it makes a dark subject palatable." Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the show three out of four stars and Phil Rosenthal felt that the show, "holds a lot of promise, but a lot of that promise remains unrealized in this opener. It's just a little confusing." The Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
gave the show three out of four star and David Kronke felt that the "storytelling may be spotty - convenient contrivances help our heroes to their resolutions - but the richly cinematic quality of the programs make them seem deeper, smarter and more resonant than they really are. The series is also adept at capturing Los Angeles' multiculturalism, though it seems to insist upon depicting it as somewhat sinister." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the show two out of four stars and felt that it was "all style and no story." In his review for the Washington Post, Tom Shales praised Tom Sizemore's performance: "What saves it, really, is the key performance: Tom Sizemore as Detective Sam Cole, head of one of those elite teams inside the police force that get to dress well and barge in without search warrants and so on. Sizemore veritably storms the screen in one of those can't-look-away performances that make a character instantly indelible. You feel you recognize Sam Cole and yet never saw anyone exactly like him before." In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, Tim Goodman wrote that the show, "plays out like a moody film."
Ratings
The show debuted on Friday at 10pm ET/9c to an anemic 8.41 million viewers. CBS gave RHD two chances to capture a wider audience by airing two episodes on Saturday night. The first tryout was unsuccessful, but the second Saturday airing on December 7, 2002 did capture a larger audience; garnering a 6.0 household rating, while its lead-in The DistrictThe District
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
received a 4.3 rating. On average, the show drew 7.12 million viewers an episode.
- Episode 1 (9/27/02) - Viewers: 8.41 million
- Episode 2 (10/04/02) - Viewers: 8.0 million
- Episode 3 (10/11/02) - Viewers: 8.0 million
- Episode 4 (10/18/02) - Viewers: 5.8 million
- Episode 5 (10/25/02) - Viewers: 6.8 million
- Episode 6 (11/01/02) - Viewers: 7.1 million
- Episode 7 (11/08/02) - Viewers: 6.8 million
- Episode 8 (11/15/02) - Viewers: 6.5 million
- Episode 9 (11/30/02) - Viewers: 7.8 million (Sat 10:40/9:40c)
- Episode 10 (12/07/02) - Viewers: 9.1 million (Sat 10/9c)