# Crime Story (1986)

> A hair-trigger cop becomes obsessed with pursuing a ruthless gangster through a hard-boiled 1960s underworld.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2820

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 43
- Episode runtime: 44 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Gustave Reininger, Chuck Adamson
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Dennis Farina, Tony Denison, Steve Ryan, Paul Butler, Billy Campbell, Bill Smitrovich, Stephen Lang, John Santucci
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090410/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: hard boiled, brooding, propulsive, gritty, tense

## What critics say

Critics and audiences regard the show as a stylish, hard-boiled crime saga whose atmosphere and cast outweigh its uneven plotting.

## Synopsis

Crime Story (1986-1988) is an American network crime drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson for NBC, a two-season serialized series produced by New World Television and Michael Mann Productions. Dennis Farina stars as Lieutenant Mike Torello, a hair-trigger cop whose obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca, played by Tony Denison, drives the story. Detectives Nate Grossman (Steve Ryan) and Walter Clemmons (Paul Butler) work the streets alongside him, while Stephen Lang plays attorney David Abrams and John Santucci plays Pauli Taglia within the criminal orbit. The engine of the show is a long cat-and-mouse war fought through stakeouts, informants, interrogation rooms, and the violent collisions between cops and mob soldiers. Each season carries one continuing storyline rather than a case of the week, so the investigation builds across its forty-three episodes. The series is set in a 1960s urban underworld rendered with hard boiled grit, smoky nightclub atmosphere, and a brooding, propulsive tension. Its stylized crime tone will appeal to viewers who enjoy gritty police dramas and mob stories in the vein of Miami Vice, The Untouchables, and Hill Street Blues.

## Shows like Crime Story

- [Cagney & Lacey (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/4013)
- [The Commish (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/3654)
- [The Untouchables (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/2637)
- [Mob City (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/40735)
- [The Chicago Code (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30146)
- [Law & Order (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/518)
- [The Job (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/58)
- [The Shield (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1330)
- [Hack (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/9718)
- [New York Undercover (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/3841)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt