The Beat

UPN | Release Date: March 21, 2000

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

73	METASCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

John LevesqueNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: The Beat happens to be one of the best shows on any network. [21 March 2000]

Caryn JamesNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Swift and engrossing. [20 March 2000, p.E1]

Allan JohnsonNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: This is a vibrant, involving, visually imaginative series that does contain some nice action, and has among its interesting characters one of the most disturbing TV co-stars in quite a while. Read full review

Tom ShalesNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: The Beat is bold, raw and explosive. If its characters could be a little more human and a little less hip, it would be even better. Read full review

Ann HodgesNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: What sells this TV cop shop is its heavy emphasis on the personal and the personalities of two young men in a high stress job. [19 March 2000]

Matt Zoller SeitzNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Odd as The Beat may seem on first glance, it's of a piece with the rest of Fontana's work, which aims to shake up TV storytelling by any means necessary. [21 March 2000, p.37]

Scott D. PierceNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: The Beat is certainly a leap up from most of what UPN airs. [20 March 2000]

Terry JacksonNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Fortunately, there's still a lot of substance. With help from some of the Homicide crew - Detective John Munch has a cameo - Fontana and Levinson give The Beat depth through interesting and often quirky subplots. [20 March 2000, p.1C]

Michael SpeierNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Manhattan locations and taut editing lend plenty to a solid overall production. Read full review

Linda StasiNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: It’s got the grit, grime and even potential greatness of the old “NYPD Blue,” but for reasons I hope never to understand, it’s also got stupid, tricky camera work — a surveillance camera, for one, and a hand-held videocam a la “The Blair Witch Project.” Read full review

Rob OwenNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Although The Beat rises above much of what's on TV - and everything else on UPN - it is nowhere near as complex and layered as "Homicide." But it may be just as off-putting to some viewers. Read full review

Howard RosenbergNov 21, 2019

Season 1 Review: It’s this unsparing vision of a city whose human-relations problems may be insoluble that lifts “The Beat” well above the ordinary and raises hopes for its future as a cop show destined to be as important as it is entertaining. Read full review

Kristen BaldwinNov 21, 2019

Season 1 Review: The Beat may not be anything new, but it’s certainly the best drama UPN has ever aired — for what that’s worth. Read full review

David ZurawikNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Brace yourself for a visual look from Levinson that was designed for viewers who grew up with MTV. But, before you dismiss it as too radical, try to remember the jumpy, herky-jerky, hand-held look of the first "Homicide." [21 March 2000]

San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times

Charlie McCollumNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: With all this going for it, the real question about The Beat may be whether a smart audience will ever find it buried on the testosterone-driven UPN schedule. The series has some kinks to work out but it's definitely worth tracking down. [21 March 2000, p.1E]

Monica CollinsNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: The Beat resonates with a quirky, dark pulse. [21 March 2000]

Ed BarkNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: It will take an uncommon effort for most viewers to get entirely through even the first episode. Those who return for more will be rewarded in due time. [19 March 2000]

Robert P. LaurenceNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: Slickly produced, compellingly written and expertly directed. [19 March 2000, p.TV-6]

Matthew GilbertNov 26, 2019

Season 1 Review: While they're both from the talented team of Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, "The Beat" is like a quick paperback read while "Homicide," which was canceled last year, was more like an enduring classic. [21 March 2000]