Pretty Hard Cases

A fun and honest portrayal of two radically different female detectives in their early 40s following Guns and Gangs detective Sam and Narcotics detective Kelly, who by day are true action heroes in their own particular way: skilled, tough, determined, and ruthless. But by night, they’re both grappling with loneliness, dysfunctional families, screwed-up love lives, and a sense that their professional ambitions may not be totally in line with their personal needs.

Pretty Hard Cases (2021-2023) is a Canadian action comedy crime series created by Sherry White and Tassie Cameron for CBC Television. Meredith MacNeill plays Sam Wazowski, a Guns and Gangs detective, and Adrienne C. Moore plays Kelly Duff, a Narcotics detective, two radically different women in their early forties who are skilled, tough and ruthless on the job. Their engine is the tension between chasing professional ambition and the loneliness, strained family ties and disastrous romances waiting for them at home. Each episode pairs a street level case with the personal fallout that follows the detectives back to their apartments. Over three seasons and thirty two episodes, the show moves through a sequence of cases and personal storylines that keep the two leads' lives entangled. Al Mukadam, Daren A. Herbert and Karen Robinson co-star in the wider cast. Its tone is breezy and wry, with action set pieces, cheerful sarcasm and candid moments about middle age. Fans of The Heat, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Rookie Blue will find resonance in its mix of police work and comedy.

• The Heatshared buddy cop comedy-action tone, female detective duo, lighthearted police procedural
• Brooklyn Nine-Nineshared workplace police comedy with ensemble detective squad and light tone
• Rookie Blueshared crime comedy with lighthearted tone and professional life mixed with personal messiness

Created by

Sherry White, Tassie Cameron

Release Date

2021-02-03

Episode runtime

44 min

Rating

6.9 / 10 (38)

What is Pretty Hard Cases about?

Two tough female detectives in their forties, one in guns and gangs and one in narcotics, juggle dangerous cases with lonely nights and messy personal lives.

What is Pretty Hard Cases like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pretty Hard Cases as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Pretty Hard Cases violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Pretty Hard Cases as mild.

Which shows are like Pretty Hard Cases?

Shows with a similar feel include The Heat, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Rookie Blue.

How long is Pretty Hard Cases?

Pretty Hard Cases: 3 seasons, 32 episodes.

Is Pretty Hard Cases still running?

No, Pretty Hard Cases has ended.