Public Morals: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 50 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

TNT | Season Premiere Date: August 25, 2015

Starring: Michael Rapaport, Katrina Bowden, Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Summary: The Ed Burns crime drama set in 1967 where Public Morals Division officer Terry Muldoon (Ed Burns) tries to keep his family safe from his work investigating vice crimes.

Creator: Edward Burns

Genre(s): Drama

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. A Thought and a Soul
Air Date: October 20, 2015
tbd
S1:E9. Starts With a Snowflake
Air Date: October 20, 2015
tbd
S1:E8. No Crazies on the Street
Air Date: October 13, 2015

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

IndieWire Ben Travers

Aug 25, 2015

It strides the line between comfortable and bold with enough confidence to become charismatic. Read full review

Glenn Garvin

Aug 23, 2015

It's the seamy, violent and enticing world of TNT's utterly riveting new 1960s cop drama Public Morals, a world so different than the one Hollywood usually shows you...that you almost expect Rod Serling to step out from behind a bush, warning that "you're traveling through another dimension..." Read full review

Jeff Korbelik

Aug 24, 2015

Burns gives us a good old-fashioned crime tale, just the kind of thing we need to end our summer. Read full review

Keith Uhlich

Aug 18, 2015

[Ed Burns is] not trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to tell a good, gripping yarn in ten episodes. Based on the first four installments (all of which he helmed and authored), Burns has done pretty well. Read full review

Heidi Patalano

Aug 25, 2015

Even if subtlety isn’t going to be part of the equation, Burns makes up for it with his wiseguy humor, rapid-fire dialogue and a high volume of plot. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Aug 24, 2015

Heavy on atmosphere and light on content, Edward Burns’ Public Morals is an intriguing new TNT series about vice cops in the 1960s.... Nevertheless, if you make it past the rather pro forma pilot that spends the hour introducing characters, there’s an enjoyable crime saga being developed in Public Morals that suggests patience will be rewarded. Read full review

Mike Hale

Aug 24, 2015

Public Morals is a mess.... [Working with Amblin Television and producers including Steven Spielberg] probably accounts for the show’s technical polish, but the thin and repetitive writing and the clumsy one-note direction--every scene plays at the same pace and volume, so that family dinners, squad-room arguments and murders seem indistinguishable--can’t be finessed. Read full review

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User Reviews

KansasKid

Aug 28, 2015

I was a HUGE fan of Southland on TNT (should never have been canceled) so when I saw the promos for Public Morals I thought um, I might check this out. Glad I did! I love a good cop series, but this was so much more and so well written and shot I thought I was watching HBO. TNT you finallyI was a HUGE fan of Southland on TNT (should never have been canceled) so when I saw the promos for Public Morals I thought um, I might check this out. Glad I did! I love a good cop series, but this was so much more and so well written and shot I thought I was watching HBO. TNT you finally up'd your game again - thank you. I can not wait for more episodes - EXCELLENT!… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

NYCZX

Aug 29, 2015

Amazing new show! Intriguing characters, played by a remarkably talented cast, in a visually stunning throwback to 1960s New York. The story is great too, but it's the acting and aesthetics that really set it apart from other shows. I can't wait for the rest of season one!

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

msladyship

Oct 21, 2015

Fantastic show!!! I absolutely loved it, right from the beginning. Congratulations to Edward Burns! Job well done! Incredible cast! Love the way they portrayed the 60's with dress, cars, music, actions. My favorite show of the season. Please return with a Season 2,3,4 etc. Always lookFantastic show!!! I absolutely loved it, right from the beginning. Congratulations to Edward Burns! Job well done! Incredible cast! Love the way they portrayed the 60's with dress, cars, music, actions. My favorite show of the season. Please return with a Season 2,3,4 etc. Always look forward to watching it. Please disregard what James Wolcott of VF wrote on Oct 20. He was totally wrong. This is the kind of show we'd like to see more of. Hats off to Edward Burns for all his hard work in producing, writing, directing and acting in a successful TV show on TNT. Congrats!!!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

nygirl

Aug 26, 2015

I watched this show last night and loved it! I saw all the billboards all over the city and wanted to check the show out even though I don't watch many shows on TNT. I thought the cast was great! It was fun to go back to that old NYC. It felt like a cop version of Mad Men. I will be tellingI watched this show last night and loved it! I saw all the billboards all over the city and wanted to check the show out even though I don't watch many shows on TNT. I thought the cast was great! It was fun to go back to that old NYC. It felt like a cop version of Mad Men. I will be telling everyone to tune in.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

ConstantReader

Aug 30, 2015

Locations, clothes, music, profanity and smoking in bars - authentic for 1965. Facial hair on men, not so much. Beards and long hair really didn't start until about 1968; I was there back then. Why does Joe Patton roll up in a 10 year old Caddy? Not doing too well as a mobster? And theLocations, clothes, music, profanity and smoking in bars - authentic for 1965. Facial hair on men, not so much. Beards and long hair really didn't start until about 1968; I was there back then. Why does Joe Patton roll up in a 10 year old Caddy? Not doing too well as a mobster? And the hearse for O'Bannon needs polishing. Is Brian Dennehy supposed to have an Irish brogue? Barely gets there. Otherwise, it's a good start. Better than that POS that Spielberg is producing - "Falling Skies". But then that had a good start too.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

manwe7

Oct 22, 2015

The writer for Vanity Fair said that this show was horrible. What an IDIOT! He needs to hang his Fedora up and stop writing because he's a **** idiot! I thought this show was awesome. Really worth checking out.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

moviebuffers

Oct 22, 2015

OK the first and perhaps only season just wrapped and what started with a lot of promise has me giving a final grade right up the middle. Certainly has great atmosphere and well appointed sets but the script and acting is quite rote. Every scene has the sameness no mater if climactic orOK the first and perhaps only season just wrapped and what started with a lot of promise has me giving a final grade right up the middle. Certainly has great atmosphere and well appointed sets but the script and acting is quite rote. Every scene has the sameness no mater if climactic or set-up, and the dialogue is delivered almost on a satiric level. And I must ask - does anyone agree with me that the ending of the first season was extremely abrupt? I thought we were going to another commercial break but then the final credits started to roll. Very odd!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

69

Series Overview
Season 1

69
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 25, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E10. A Thought and a Soul
  Air Date: October 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E9. Starts With a Snowflake
  Air Date: October 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E8. No Crazies on the Street
  Air Date: October 13, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E7. Collection Day
  Air Date: October 6, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E6. A Good Shooting
  Air Date: September 29, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E5. A Token of Our Appreciation
  Air Date: September 22, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E4. Ladies Night
  Air Date: September 15, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E3. O'Bannon's Wake
  Air Date: September 8, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E2. Family Is Family
  Air Date: September 1, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot - A Fine Line
  Air Date: August 25, 2015