The Chicago Code

Among the large number of existing crime drama series, this one stood out because of its premise and the setting.  The city of Chicago is well known for being the backdrop for such films as Home Alone, Wayne's World, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and more.  Originally titled "Ride-Along", The Chicago Code series featured "the intersection of politics and its citizenry" according to the show's creator Shawn Ryan who had grown up nearby and was very familiar with the city.

Jarek Wysocki, a veteran homicide detective played by Jason Clarke, is assigned to an anti-corruption task force by the first female Police Superintendent, Teresa Colvin, played by Jennifer Beals.  Both are tough and ambitious, deriving their motivation from the fact that family members have been killed by corrupt elements in the city.  Matt Lauria plays Caleb Evers, the latest in a long string of Wysocki's partners who had been unable to keep up with him on the streets.

All the characters in the show are well fleshed out, having their own agendas and goals.  Even the corrupt alderman Ronin Gibbons, portrayed by Delroy Lindo, is quickly established as one of the most influential people in the city's political circles and he wastes no time in attempting to discredit Colvin and her efforts to clean up the streets.  A poignant moment in the series involves an undercover officer who comments that when one has been undercover as long as he has, it gets more and more difficult to separate the job from the role.

The show aired on Fox from February 7th to May 23rd 2011, and was lauded by critics as being well crafted, and effective in making use of the city itself as a character.  However it didn't draw the ratings that Fox expected and officials were concerned about the age demographics. Despite Shawn Ryan's submission of a Season 2 outline to the President of Entertainment at Fox, he received the news that the series had been cancelled before the final two episodes had been broadcast.

The Chicago Code was released on DVD in late 2011 but is out of print.  All 13 episodes are currently viewable on Amazon Prime.