- Network: UPN
- Series Premiere Date: Mar 21, 2000
Critic Reviews
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
The Beat happens to be one of the best shows on any network. [21 March 2000]
-
Swift and engrossing. [20 March 2000, p.E1]
-
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.
-
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.
-
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]
-
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]
-
The Beat is certainly a leap up from most of what UPN airs. [20 March 2000]
-
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]
-
Manhattan locations and taut editing lend plenty to a solid overall production.
-
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.”
-
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.
-
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.
-
The Beat may not be anything new, but it’s certainly the best drama UPN has ever aired — for what that’s worth.
-
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]
-
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]
-
The Beat resonates with a quirky, dark pulse. [21 March 2000]
-
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]
-
Slickly produced, compellingly written and expertly directed. [19 March 2000, p.TV-6]
-
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]
-
The dialogue is snappy, the camera work inventive (moving from video to film and back again), and it shows signs of improving with age.
Awards & Rankings
There are no user reviews yet.