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TV Media Weekly | April 8 - 14, 2017 By Kyla Brewer TV Media S hows about police offi- cers have been a staple of the prime-time landscape for many years, and they seem to be back with a ven- geance lately. While cop dramas are once again in vogue, one hit series takes a look at the lighter side of police work. Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live") returns as Det. Jake Peralta in the midseason pre- miere of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," airing Tuesday, April 11, on Fox. Peralta and his colleagues at the NYPD's fictional 99th precinct solve crimes with a healthy dose of humor in the Golden Globe- winning sitcom, which has been on hiatus since Jan. 1, an epi- sode that ended with a cliff- hanger and left fans anxious for more. The fate of series regular Chelsea Peretti's ("Kroll Show") character Gina Linetti hangs in the balance since (spoiler alert!) she was hit by a bus in the most recent episode, and fans are concerned that the show may lose one of its beloved regulars. In an interview with the Holly- wood Reporter shortly after the episode aired, co-creator and showrunner Daniel Goor ("Parks and Recreation") weighed in on whether Gina will survive. "I think another valid ques- tion is: did the bus survive? Ei- ther way, audiences will see Chelsea again — she is a force of nature and one of the greatest comic minds out there." In a real-life plot twist, Peretti revealed earlier this year (though well after the bus epi- sode aired) that she's pregnant, and many fans speculate that her pending maternity leave is the driving force behind her character's bus-related trauma. Getting ready to step into first- time parenthood is no small thing, and Peretti and her hus- band, comedian and filmmaker Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele"), have been receiving a lot of good will from "Brooklyn Nine- Nine" fans. We're all hoping that Gina will recuperate and return to the Nine-Nine in all her fabu- lous glory, but even if she doesn't, the rich tapestry of characters that make the come- dy one of the highest-rated shows on broadcast television is reason enough to tune in. Samberg won a Golden Globe in 2014 for his role as Peralta, who is endearing, despite the fact that he doesn't always take his job seriously. His antics often frustrate other members of the team, especially his uber-serious boss, Capt. Ray Holt, played by fan favorite Andre Braugher. Be- fore "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," Braugher was best known for his work in another cop show, the much more serious "Homicide: Life on the Street," which earned him an Emmy in 1998. So far, his role as Holt has netted him three consecutive Emmy nominations. Former NFLer-turned-actor Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") portrays Holt's second in command, Sgt. Terry Jeffords, the yogurt-loving father of three girls. Peralta's new girlfriend is none other than his by-the-book colleague Amy Santiago (Melis- sa Fumero, "Gossip Girl"), who, until relatively recently, was an- noyed by Peralta's on-duty she- nanigans. Joe Lo Truglio ("The State") plays Det. Charles Boyle, Peralta's BFF, and mysterious, no-nonsense cop Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz, "Modern Family") serves as Peralta's part- ner. Joel McKinnon Miller ("Big Love") and Dirk Blocker ("Baa Baa Black Sheep") round out the cast as veteran detectives Scully and Hitchcock, respectively. Described as "Police Acade- my" (1984) meets "The Office," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has broad appeal for anyone looking to lighten up the work week. It also helps that the series has an im- pressive history of rounding up high-profile guest stars, and the remainder of season 4 is no ex- ception. Viewers can expect to see film actress Gina Gershon ("Show- girls," 1995) as the leader of an elite NYPD unit who inspires a competition between Peralta and Diaz. Other season 4 guest stars include NFL player Mar- shawn Lynch, Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train," 1985), Jim O'Heir ("Parks and Recreation"), Nathan Fillion ("Castle") and Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal"). Past "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" guests have included TV legend Rhea Perlman ("Cheers"), Zooey Deschanel ("New Girl"), Bill Ha- der ("Saturday Night Live"), Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anar- chy"), Nick Cannon ("America's Got Talent") and even famed as- trophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The show has been popular since its very first season, gar- nering an 88 percent approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which ranked the second season even higher than the first, with an impressive 100 percent. While last season clocked in at 90 percent, season 4 was back up to 100 percent as of press time. It's been so popular with TV viewers, the show has even ex- panded into other areas. "Brook- lyn Nine-Nine" left its mark on the world of apps when, in 2015, production company Universal teamed up with RED Games to launch a puzzle game called Kwazy Cupcakes, inspired by a game featured in the series. For superfans not satisfied with the addictive app and re- runs on Netflix, the midseason premiere continues the fun that began in September. Discover what happens to Gina and find out how the gang at the NYPD's 99th precinct is faring when "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" returns Tuesday, April 11, on Fox. Andre Braugher as seen in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Fans anxiously await return of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4"

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