The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 13, 2012 2 coverstory By Kyla Brewer TV Media days. But what about the men and women on the front lines of crime fighting? F orensics experts and de- tectives get all of the prime-time glory these A new CBS police drama shines a light on the cops who walk the beat to protect and serve. Get a glimpse at the lives of these Big Apple rook- ies in "NYC 22," premiering Sunday, April 15, on CBS. Originally titled "Rookies" and later "The 2-2," the show is set at the city's 22nd Pre- cinct in Upper Manhattan. The series premiere follows six rookies as they prepare to take to the streets for the very first time, guided by a veteran field-training officer and a no- nonsense gang expert. "NYC 22" takes over the coveted 10 p.m. slot left by mega-hit "CSI: Miami." CBS execs must have high hopes for the new series to have ended "Miami's" season a lit- tle early -- after just 19 epi- sodes. It may come as a sur- prise considering the popular- ity of the "CSI" franchise, but prime time has become satu- rated with forensics investi- gators thanks to the ac- claimed series and its spinoffs, as well as Fox's "Bones." And homicide de- tectives have seemingly al- ways been popular TV sub- jects, as evidenced today in ABC's "Castle" and NBC's "Law & Order" franchise, among others. Competing for those po- lice-savvy viewers, "NYC 22" boasts an impressive cast. Terry Kinney takes charge as Daniel "Yoda" Dean, the offi- cer responsible for showing the newbies the ropes. Best known as Tim McManus in the HBO prison drama "Oz," the actor co-founded the Patrolling prime time Rookies hit the streets in 'NYC 22' Leelee Sobieski stars in "NYC 22" famed Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago with Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry in 1976. Adam Goldberg stars as former police news reporter Ray "Lazarus" Harper, who happens to be the oldest of the rookies. Filmmaker, musi- cian and actor Goldberg has one of those faces just about everyone knows. He's had roles in such high-profile se- ries as NBC's "Friends" (and its spinoff "Joey," though they were different roles) and "My Name Is Earl," as well as HBO's "Entourage." His role on "NYC 22" should feel fa- miliar -- he also played an NYC cop in ABC's short-lived series "The Unusuals" in 2009, which Kinney also starred in. earned another Golden Globe nod for her work in "Upris- ing," another TV movie, in 2001. Tony nominee Stark Sands portrays fourth-generation cop Kenny McLaren, who has reservations about joining the force. Youth advocate and ac- tor Harold "House" Moore joins the "NYC 22" force as Jayson "Jackpot" Toney, a dis- graced basketball player. In- die darling Judy Marte plays Tonya Sanchez, a rookie from a family with a troubled past. Finally, British actor Tom Reed rounds out the rookies as Af- ghani native Ahmad Kahn. Fans of "The Good Wife" may recognize Felix Solis from his role as Det. Rodriguez. He'll do double duty for CBS as gang expert Sgt. Terry Howard in "NYC 22." "NYC 22" isn't the first po- lice drama on the block, but it's created buzz as much for the faces behind the scenes as those in front of the camer- as. Leelee Sobieski joins the growing list of film actors transitioning to television (Ashley Judd recently joined the prime-time fray in ABC's "Missing"). Sobieski makes the jump to series TV as Jenni- fer "White House" Perry, a former Marine MP and one- time college volleyball star. The actress has appeared in big-screen movies "Deep Im- pact" (1998), "Never Been Kissed" (1999) and Stanley Kubrick's controversial "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999). Her title role in the TV movie "Joan of Arc" (1999) earned her nomi- nations for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy. She Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro has signed on as an executive producer. One of Hollywood's most respected actors, De Niro is best known for his roles in "The Godfa- ther: Part II" (1974), "Taxi Driver" (1976) and "Raging Bull" (1980). He and fellow "NYC 22" executive producer Jane Rosenthal co-founded Tribeca Productions in 1988, and the pair later partnered with Craig Hatkoff to create the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001. Rosenthal is a force in and of herself. With both critically and commercially successful films to her credit, she's es- tablished herself as a major player in the entertainment industry. Rosenthal has pro- duced such hits as "Meet the Parents" (2000) and its se- quels, "Analyze This" (1999) and "Wag the Dog" (1997) -- all of which starred De Niro. Creator and executive pro- ducer Richard Price is no stranger to police procedurals. In 2007, he won a Writer's Guild of America Award for his work on the critically ac- claimed HBO series "The Wire." A novelist and screen- writer, he also penned screen- plays for "Clockers" (1995), which was based on his novel, "Mad Dog and Glory" (1993) and "The Color of Money" (1986), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. However, fellow executive producer Ken Sanzel has an even closer connection to the "NYC 22" material. Sanzel worked for the New York City Transit Police Department for a decade, patrolling a drug- infested Times Square in the '80s. He was a member of the city's famous Decoy Squad and earned the department's Combat Cross. Sanzel made the jump to screenwriting thanks to a deal with Savoy Pictures in 1995 and later created the TV series "Lawless." He's also worked on other CBS dramas, including "Blue Bloods" and "Numb3rs." Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: When I was a kid, I loved a movie about a girl who dove off towers while riding a horse, but then she went blind and had to train herself to ride again. What movie was it? A: The film you're thinking of is the 1991 live-action Dis- "A Girl and Five Brave Horses." However, Arnette French, Carver's sister, who was also part of the act, said Carver complained that it took a lot of liberties. "My sister was so disappointed in it," French told "The ney film "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken." A very young Gabrielle Anwar (better known now for her starring role in the hit series "Burn Notice") starred in the true-life tale of Sonora Carver, the star of a carnival-type act in which she leaped on horseback from a tower into a pool of water. It was a popular act in Atlantic City, at a time when such sideshow performances were big draws. In the film, she works her way from being a stablehand to being the star of the act, only to go blind when a jump goes wrong. She then retrains herself to ride blind and continue the act. The film is billed as true-to-life, based on Carver's memoir, New York Times" in a 1997 interview. "I remember her turn- ing to me in the theater after we saw it, and her saying, 'The only thing true in it was that I rode diving horses, I went blind and I continued to ride for another 11 years.'" Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3