One of my all time favorites.

Charming and brutal

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

why this show only has 89 votes. It's one of my favorite shows of all time along with Twin Peaks, Arrested Development and Miami Vice. And anyone who loved Vice should love this. It's also by Michael Mann who as great as he is with movies is so much better with TV. This is actually where I fell in love with Andrew Dice Clay. That's right, you heard me. He played Max Goldman on the show and was great. Along with the wonderful Anthony John Denison, Dennis Farina and Stephen Lang. And in the pilot there is a super young David Caruso and the 4400's Billy Campbell plays one of the detectives. And let's not forget the super-cool don Manny Weisbord played by the legendary Joseph Weisman. And speaking of stars this was much like Miami Vice with a long list of guest stars. I remember Kevin Spacey playing a Kennedy type in one episode. They don't make shows like this anymore. It's a shame. We're fascinated when something like LOST is almost as good as TV used to be. If you like watching TV on DVD definitely give it a watch. It's better than everything on television right now.

You just don't get this kind of show in television! How this series ever came about is a mystery. All of the stars and planets must have been in perfect alignment to result in the genesis of such a perfectly entertaining crime drama. I've never been a fan of police series, old or new. Dragnet, NYPD, Hawaii 50, CSI, Crossing Jordan, Closer, etc, etc, etc. They bore me. I guess it was pure luck that led me to "Crime Story" one day a few decades ago when I was off work with the flu. There was nothing else on and I was stuck with it. As I watched, the realization that I was seeing a unique drama hit me like a bag of anvils. The taste and feel of the show was unlike any other police series I'd ever seen. Dennis Farina looked absolutely menacing with his dark, foreboding eyes and physically intimidating approach to crimebusting, especially when interrogating the baddies. He headed up a group of hand selected detectives who handled the tough going with one hand in their pockets. They were fearless and didn't feel it was necessary to play fairly with the underworld characters they pursued with pitbull determination. The series was set in the 50s and 60s with dress and cars that gave viewers a nostaligic look the dangerous side of the "Happy Days" era. Each episode opened with background music by Del Shannon (Runaway), a musical icon of the period. When I first started watching the series, I was unaware that Dennis Farina, the star of the series and a virtual unknown, was a former Chicago Police Detective. That certainly explains the realistic feel of the series. I've looked everywhere for reruns, but have never been able to find a channel that carries the series in syndication. I also have no idea why the series ended. Did Dennis Farina decide that Television was not where he wanted to be? He eventually began making feature films ( I recall his terrific performances in "Get Shorty" and in a movie that he made with Bette Middler.) and decide to walk away from the series. I can't believe that the series wasn't popular enough to avoid cancellation because of low ratings, so what happened?

I only wish I could rate it higher on the scale than just ten stars.Talk about a lot of work that went into this one. I actually felt as if I was back in the early sixties when I was watching it. This was masterfully done. The scripting, to me was flawless. The development of the characters, was straight up, right. The scenery, well...brought to you by Good Ole Michael Mann. Largely some of the coolest style and presentation in Television and Cinema that I have seen yet. Mr. Mann brings deep emotional content and sustaining context to what he makes. I was traveling on a short vacation, I stopped into Tower Records in L.A. probably about (1995) and found the complete 'Crime Story' series on VHS for I believe it was merely $60.00 then. Needless to say I bought it. Then later on laser disk, but only found a couple. Now it has been put out on DVD!! Thankyou everyone in charge of production and ownership of the rights and especially WalMart for selling it on-line! Cheaper than when I bought it on VHS even. Every character together makes the 'tapestry' of the story complete. From the lawyer, David Abrams(Stephen Lang), the ever 'Bad', Ray Luca, to Johnny O'Donnell (David Caruso, now C.S.I.:Miami's Lt. Caine) Pauli Taglia the roly-poly happy go lucky, sometimes fearful,(when running into Turello) sidekick to head man 'Luca'. But, you can't forget (or even try) the king of the street Lt. Mike Turello! Now He's the man!!! His crew, including Big Walter Clemmons, Nate, Joey and of course Danny. All excellent detectives battling highly organized crime (or evil) in their fair city. The town and all the back ground in the story just rings true to form of that city in that era. The job putting this all together to make it that real, takes incredible work, time, effort, research. Even down to using real 'Morgue footage' actual film stock from 1963 for the real 1960s Chicago look. It was compiled and layered just right. But then the network that let this epic show, just go, I believe is really stupid. Just like other shows that have had total-life left and yet the network 'lunk-heads' pulled the plug instead of giving some better, (uh hmmm) P.R. than they had done, back then. This show inspired me and my creative mind. I didn't quite know in what way, then, but I know now. I recommend this awesome police-mafia drama, with some comical over tones to those who enjoy wheel made television. (***)P.S: I just bought the DVD set, and it is still a beauty to behold, now digitally remastered!!!!

Michael Mann is a first class director. He is laser focused and always delivers in spades. He is the genius who directed the tv film The Jericho Mile and the film noir classic with Jimmy Caan Thief. I think he needs to be given credit for this HE DIRECTED THE FILM THAT IS BETTER THEN SILENCE OF THE LAMBS!!!!He directed Manhunter which was so unjustly overlooked when it was released, but has now on DVD been given the credit it deserves. Mann also directed Heat, The Insider and Ali. Before he did that however, he created the classic tv shows Miami Vice and Crime Story. These are the series that made tv crime shows "grow up" in a sense. It made them more gritty and realistic the way that The Untouchables and Dragnet did. Mike Torello on this show was just as tough and bad ass as Elliot Ness or Joe Friday! I loved the look of this series, it made you feel like you were back in that time where cars had finns, where rock and roll was king and where the good guys wore black! I loved the theme music for the show, it was Del Shannon's "Runaway" I always remember that song. Mike Torello against Ray Luca was almost like a morality play of good versus evil. The scripts were first class, and the actors never gave a performance that didn't rule. Dennis Farina had actually been a cop with Chicago Police Department and it amazes me that a man who never had an acting lesson could give such a fine performance in every show that he has been in! Crime Story wasn't a show for sissies, but it always delivered and kicked ass!