The Good Policeman

Executive producer Ron Silver ought to have got himself something more substantial than this routine cop action piece which wastes a good cast on some unconvincing twaddle where he's police commissioner for Mayor Brown and does character stuff like criticising the nasties for wearing old school colours from institutions they never attended and singing along with the psychos.

Silver's Good Policeman is an imitation of Al Pacino in "And Justice for All."

Fox passed, and we all lost out on a standard police drama that, at it's worst, would've been yet another character-driven mid-90's one-season casualty, but at its best, might've left us with what television never did: A series of standard issue, character-driven 90's television movies (similar to Richard Crenna's JANEK and Brian Dennehy's successful 'Jack Reed' series of TVM's) helmed by a Ron Silver character. Silver was one of the finest, most entertaining and dynamic actors of his generation who's charisma would've easily carried the right series, and who deserves praise for this try-out. This uneven adaptation of a popular novel emerged in an era of television which saw many of our finest actors helm one-season wonders that lacked the gravitas of their star. As the saying so aptly applies: Many are called, few are chosen (to be optioned for the coveted two-season order). Silver's quirky commish never even had the opportunity to see one season. As it is, Ron Silver left us with many memorable performances that often elevated the project he was in. 'The Good Policeman', while no cracking, ground-breaking telefilm, leaves us with something worth cherishing: a one-off TVM helmed by a great actor and supported by a who's-who of the strongest television and film actors of the age. And that's worth celebrating. - @thejeffgram.