I found Detroit 1-8-7 trying to be gritty and fresh, but was left wanting. Since this is just the pilot, I'll hold off before deciding whether or not I like it. Pilots tend to be just a flavor of what to expect. I found the characters to be intriguing, but with just a hint of depth. Again, it's a pilot and the characters will, hopefully, find their voice in the show. There were some glaring regional problems in the dialogue, of which you get a hint of with the title of the show.
The biggest problem I had with the pilot was the docu-style shooting. At times, I couldn't tell if the producers were trying to give the audience that "fly on the wall" perspective or if they were shooting a straight cop drama. I say cut the docu-style shooting and go with the straight shoot. The last thing we need is a twist on The Office style, which every new show seems to try and emulate some way or another.
The writers need to engross themselves in the Detroit culture and feeling to get it right. It has the feeling of being written by outsiders; however, that feeling is most assuredly only felt by Detroiters. The rest of the world has no idea what it's like here. My two cents: hire some local Detroit writers to work on the show. I'm game if they are.
The biggest problem I had with the pilot was the docu-style shooting. At times, I couldn't tell if the producers were trying to give the audience that "fly on the wall" perspective or if they were shooting a straight cop drama. I say cut the docu-style shooting and go with the straight shoot. The last thing we need is a twist on The Office style, which every new show seems to try and emulate some way or another.
The writers need to engross themselves in the Detroit culture and feeling to get it right. It has the feeling of being written by outsiders; however, that feeling is most assuredly only felt by Detroiters. The rest of the world has no idea what it's like here. My two cents: hire some local Detroit writers to work on the show. I'm game if they are.