PM ENTERTAINMENT’S EXTREMELY UNDERRATED TV COP SHOW
Tagline: “They’ll do whatever it takes to keep L.A safe. . . even if it means blowing half of it up.” (That is not an exaggeration – this literally happens almost every episode).
I found this show on Amazon Prime by complete fluke, I don’t even know how I did, but by God am I glad for that fateful day. It was my first introduction to PM entertainment, the 90s B-movie maestros that flipped more cars and caused more chaos than anyone else. It was on that day about 2 years ago that my love for B-movie action was cemented.
I’m a sucker for cop shows and L.A Heat was PM’s attempt at TV, and boy is it different than your average cop show.
Joseph Merhi and Richard Pepin worked their magic again in creating a action stunt thrill ride with this one. In the first episode alone: there are car flips, rocket launchers, a bomb disposal truck get’s blown up, a guy falls off a skyscraper! I have never seen so many insane stunts on a TV show, I thought I was watching some big budget TV action, but this was PM entertainment and no one else was able to do this crazy stuff.
So I asked myself many times: HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS?
And it was some time after I watched the first season, that I discovered that the majority of these stunts were actually stock footage, used from previous PM movies. I mean, it made sense, but it blew my mind! It sort of ruined the illusion for me, but it’s still amazing stuff.
But beyond that, the police/detective style stories were largely well done and compelling in their own right.
Steve Williams and Wolf Larson star as the highly underrated buddy cop duo that run the show. What further separated this from many PM movies is that Steve Williams is a great actor, with Wolf Larson being great too. Steve’s character – August Brooks, is the serious cop whose comedy comes from getting so pissed off with Wolf’s character – Chase McDonald, the care-free wild cop. They work so well together that it’s a crime this series didn’t continue past a second season (since PM sold in 2000). Though, this show was a huge hit in Germany and many other parts of the world. It should be repeated on TV today, and the 2 seasons haven’t even seen a PAL DVD release.
If you haven’t seen it, you can currently watch it on IMDB TV in the UK (with ads). I highly recommend you do.
Pros –
- Amazing stunts for a TV show
- A great 90s feeling cop drama set in L.A
- Great characters and supporting cast
- A good mix of comedy
Cons –
- That it didn’t run on for longer 😦
SCORE –
9/10
Action Paradise 