Directed by William Graham (Return to the Blue Lagoon) and written by George Kirgo, this is the pilot movie for the eventual series that starred Teresa Graves as Christie Love. Graves was the second African-American woman to star in her own television series after Diahann Carroll in Julia.
Based on the novel The Ledger by Dorothy Uhnak, this movie has the book's lead Christie Opara - a white NYPD detective - become black detective Christie Love. Obviously finding some inspiration from Coffy, Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, Love even had her own catchphrase: "You're under arrest, sugah!"
Between the pilot and series, Graves became a Jehovah's Witness and demanded that the show not be as sexual as the movie, which had Christie having an affair with her captain. She's on the case of an informant, Helena Varga (Louise Sorel), who is about to testify against her boyfriend. There's also a serial killer that Christie goes undercover to catch.
It's nowhere near as exciting as the movies it wants to be. Graves is pretty good, however. The series lasted 22 episodes, which was a full first season. She would retire from acting and become really involved in her religion. Sadly, she died in 2002 after an accident in her apartment with a space heater.
The same year this was made, Graves also played Countess Vampira in Old Dracula.
Based on the novel The Ledger by Dorothy Uhnak, this movie has the book's lead Christie Opara - a white NYPD detective - become black detective Christie Love. Obviously finding some inspiration from Coffy, Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, Love even had her own catchphrase: "You're under arrest, sugah!"
Between the pilot and series, Graves became a Jehovah's Witness and demanded that the show not be as sexual as the movie, which had Christie having an affair with her captain. She's on the case of an informant, Helena Varga (Louise Sorel), who is about to testify against her boyfriend. There's also a serial killer that Christie goes undercover to catch.
It's nowhere near as exciting as the movies it wants to be. Graves is pretty good, however. The series lasted 22 episodes, which was a full first season. She would retire from acting and become really involved in her religion. Sadly, she died in 2002 after an accident in her apartment with a space heater.
The same year this was made, Graves also played Countess Vampira in Old Dracula.