On Call looks to be another great Dick Wolf cop series and the first trailer points to the excitement!
Dick Wolf may be the most successful crime series producer of modern times. It began with Law & Order, the now iconic series that’s become a franchise at NBC with six spinoffs. Wolf also produced Chicago Fire, which created the One Chicago franchise and then the FBI shows for CBS. That’s without mentioning various series like the underrated New York Undercover.
Now, Wolf is spreading his reach to streaming with the new Prime Video series On Call. He executive produces it with creators Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, Dick’s son.
The series is billed as “an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, Calif. Incorporating a mixture of body-cam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.”
The trailer does showcase the great action and drama fans expect from a Dick Wolf show with a few familiar faces in the mix.
What is On Call about?
The show is unique in that the episodes are just half an hour long rather than the standard 45-60 minutes one would expect. This indicates the creators aren’t as focused on padding an episode out and the shorter run times amp up the action. In a world where folks complain on shows being too long, this can be a benefit.
The main plotline stars Troian Bellisario (best known as Spencer on Pretty Little Liars) as Traci Harmon, a veteran patrol officer who trains rookies. That includes new cop Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente), who finds his optimistic outlook and desire to help others challenged by the realities of life as a cop.
The trailer highlights the action in On Call as well as some different takes on filming with Bellisario’s sardonic cop clashing with Diaz’s more eager rookie. There’s also Lori Loughlin as Lieutenant Bishop with the standard “rigors of the job” speech. Also in the cast are Eriq La Salle as Sergeant Lasman and Rich Ting as Sergeant Koyama.
Most intriguing is a shot of former Chicago Fire/Hightown star Monica Raymund as a cop, although her role hasn't been revealed yet. One may worry she's a classic case of a known actor brought into a show only to die in the first episode as a big twist.
All 8 episodes are set to drop on Thursday, January 9 for a nice quick binge and show how Dick Wolf is ready to work his cop show magic on streaming as well as the networks.
On Call premieres Thursday, January 9 on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for coverage. Follow us on X for more content!