The Bridge

:

Season 1
  • Network: CBS , CTV
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 5, 2010
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Buy on

Critic Reviews

  1. Deseret News
    Reviewed by: Scott D. Pierce
    80
    It looks like one of the better original offerings on any of the broadcast networks this summer.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Storm
    80
    A meaty drama in the same vein as The Shield, where some of the police are perps and there's no telling who's on the up-and-up.
  3. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    70
    People who like their stories wrapped up neatly in 44 minutes or so (yes, I'm looking at you, CBS viewers) may find this one a Bridge too far, but for anyone who likes their cops complicated and their plots twisted, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night.
  5. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    70
    The Bridge is pure melodrama, its villainous commanders and politicians practically twirling their mustaches as they plot their evil deeds. But if The Bridge won't expand your knowledge of urban-management science, it will keep you glued to the set.
  6. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    70
    People who like their stories wrapped up neatly in 44 minutes or so (yes, I'm looking at you, CBS viewers) may find this one a Bridge too far, but for anyone who likes their cops complicated and their plots twisted, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night.
  7. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    60
    By no means a great show, The Bridge is at least a little bit different from most police procedurals.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    60
    The series is in the "NYPD Blue" and "Southland" vein, trying for realism. It isn't in those shows' league, but it's a welcome change from the glossy triviality of other summer filler like "Rookie Blue" or "The Good Guys."
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    60
    Although overblown in message and action, The Bridge is well-performed and worth watching if only to see if it will stand by its thesis: that real change comes from people working together.
  10. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    60
    While the execution isn't perfect and the first episode feels a little cluttered, it has at least two ideas that create interesting drama and could even stimulate a little thought.
  11. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Randee Dawn
    60
    There are intriguing elements amid the clutter: Policeman Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) is a beefy, moral man of the people who in the process of rallying the troops becomes a target for the police brass.
  12. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    60
    The series is in the "NYPD Blue" and "Southland" vein, trying for realism. It isn't in those shows' league, but it's a welcome change from the glossy triviality of other summer filler like "Rookie Blue" or "The Good Guys."
  13. Variety
    Reviewed by: Geoffrey Berkshire
    60
    There's something intriguing about a summer show that is at once too complicated in storytelling and too simplistic in aesthetics to comfortably mesh with CBS' flashy procedural-stacked lineup.
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Darren Franich
    50
    Another Canuck cop drama imported by CBS, The Bridge is (meager-praise alert!) better than Flashpoint. There's a nifty, Wire-esque exploration of police bureaucracy.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best TV Season of 2010
87
#87 Most Discussed TV Season of 2010
64
#64 Most Shared TV Season of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 4 out of 17
  1. theasset
    Jul 15, 2013
    2
    One episode is enough. This show is terrible, The acting by the lead actress is robotic and wooden. The show seems like it could be OK but itOne episode is enough. This show is terrible, The acting by the lead actress is robotic and wooden. The show seems like it could be OK but it isn't going anywhere. The chemistry is not there either and the direction is all over the place.… Full Review »
  2. reese196
    Aug 19, 2010
    1
    This show is horrible. The writing is poor, the acting is sub par and the action scenes are a joke. I had high hopes for this show as it wasThis show is horrible. The writing is poor, the acting is sub par and the action scenes are a joke. I had high hopes for this show as it was reviewed fairly well but I disagree. I love cop shows and comparing this show to The Wire is like comparing a Ford Pinto to a BMW 5 Series.… Full Review »
  3. raefon
    Aug 17, 2010
    10
    Loving cop shows and watching virtually all that have ever been made, released as a pilot, movie, books you name it I have followed and been aLoving cop shows and watching virtually all that have ever been made, released as a pilot, movie, books you name it I have followed and been a major critique as they so often fall well short of the mark.

    Yet the bridge does so much more right, and entertains you on so many different levels, this gem should not be missed by anyone that holds any interest is a show that is willing to go balls to the wall and give you something more than a by the numbers cop show.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »