Plan B Forum

A gritty 1960s cop drama about a cop who goes undercover to track Charles Manson and the Manson Family before their infamous murder spree.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3768572/

The previews looked pretty good, but don't know if it will make my limited list any time soon.

This is an excellent show...

Especially for a broadcast network like NBC ( which has put the whole series in "on demand"; we've watched the first two hour premiere and two more episodes; we'll watch 3 or 4 more tonight...)...

It's not just another documentary or docudrama of the often told Charlie Manson Story...

It's far more complicated with more story arcs than that...and the writing, the casting, and the direction is first rate....

In a way, it's like Boardwalk Empire or Deadwood; where they blended real historical figures with fictitious ones to create a narrative...

And it's also not a love note to the 1960s and the "hippie generation"...it doesn't "glorify" the "60's Generation"...

(I'm not a big fan of that.... )

It's a gritty, well written, well acted portrayal of 1967 Los Angeles, and the US in that year...

With all the attendant generational, political, and racial conflicts, of the period... (and it doesn't make one side look like heroes and the other look like villains; as so many of these sort of historical dramas do....)

What this show reminds me most of is the BBC copper series Inspector George Gently...

With the older/younger cop team being moved from 1964 Britain to 1967 Los Angeles...

Where they solve crimes against the backdrop of a changing society...while remaining a superb action crime drama...

There's also some Streets Of San Francisco in it...

(If Karl Malden had been an ass kicking former WW II vet and Michael Douglas had been an undercover Vietnam Vet street narc...)

(And there are a lot of really unexpected plot twists...)

I see that the Youtube trailer I posted is now listed as "private"...

Fascists... ....

Let's try again:

Jim--I watched the premiere and, while I plan to give it another chance, I fear it's going to degenerate into another soap opera against the backdrop of the Mason killings and other events of the time. As you have seen other episodes, do you think it goes that way with the multiple story arcs? Your comparison with Boardwalk Empire concerns me because I gave up on it midway through the first season for that very reason.

Clue: the word "gritty"

I thought that was a description of the hippies

We only watched two more episodes last night...

I fear it's going to degenerate into another soap opera against the backdrop of the Mason killings and other events of the time. As you have seen other episodes, do you think it goes that way with the multiple story arcs?

Every crime drama for the past 30 years or so probably has soap opera elements; even NCIS has its soap opera moments. (This certainly wasn't true crime drama shows back in the 60's; you never knew anything about any of the characters' personal lives in the original Hawaii Five-0 for example.)

To me the question becomes is there an acceptable balance between the "soap opera" and the action and suspense. I believe this series has that. What I meant by multiple story arcs wasn't that they have an ever expanding cast of characters who's "backstory" and personal relationships they take up screen time exploring. What I meant is that the episodes have different crimes, unrelated to Manson, that they have to solve.

It's not just 12 episodes of nothing but chasing Manson...

Jim--I agree the recent crime dramas do have the soap opera elements, but it's the balance that's important to me as well. I just think I shift the balance more toward the old procedurals like the original Five-O (or even Dragnet) or Mission Impossible (OK, not a crime show per se, but one involving similar situations), than things like NYPD Blue. I'm not certain where this is going on that scale, but I do plan to give it another watch.

I watched about 5 minutes of Helter Skelter when I was about 10. that was enough for me. my cousin tommy and I soon went back to trading baseball cards....

That movie had its own problems; and let's not forget the book was written by the prosecutor Bugliosi, so guess who comes off as the hero?

This appears to be a bit more like the movie Zodiac expanded to a much greater length.

This show was highlighted in my Hulu homepage the other day so I tried watching the pilot - but fell asleep. I might try it again but usually if something puts me to sleep it's not so compelling.

My wife, usually much more of a fan of crime dramas (even the soap opera like ones ) had the same reaction.

I have to say that one of the story lines is getting kind of ridiculous....

Jim--I watched the recorded episode over the weekend and have to agree with you; it may eventually drive me away from the show.