COPPER isn’t just GANGS OF NEW YORK for TV
from TeamTVWriter Press Service
In a time when disorder and mayhem were the law of the land, Kevin Corcoran was New York City’s finest. Welcome to BBC AMERICA’s first original scripted series, COPPER, premiering with 10 episodes Sunday, August 19, 10:00pm ET/PT. From the brilliant minds of Academy Award®-winner Barry Levinson, Emmy®-winner Tom Fontana and Academy Award®-nominee Will Rokos, this gripping drama, filled with intrigue, corruption, mystery and murder follows Detective Kevin Corcoran – a rugged Irish immigrant cop – as he seeks justice for the powerless in the notorious immigrant neighbourhood of Five Points. Bonded by battle to two Civil War compatriots – the wayward son of a wealthy industrialist and an African-American physician who secretly assists the forensic investigations – Corcoran is thrust into the contrasting worlds of elegant and corrupt Fifth Avenue, and the emerging African- American community in Northern Manhattan. The three men share a secret from the battlefield that inextricably links their lives forever.
“It was especially important for all of us to make a show that nobody’s seen before,” said Co-creator and Executive Producer, Tom Fontana. “This isn’t going to be a re-tread of some Western or a pale imitation of Scorsese’s movie.COPPER is going to look different, smell different, sound different.”
Executive Producer, Barry Levinson adds: “One of the fascinating things about working on COPPER is realizing that the issues our characters faced in America at that time are very much the same today. The friction between the haves, who live Uptown with all this wealth and privilege, and the have-nots, living in extreme poverty, was staggering.”
“COPPER captures the New York City immigrant experience in groundbreaking dramatic fashion, providing the perfect subject matter for BBC AMERICA’s first original scripted drama”, says Perry Simon, General Manager, BBC AMERICA. “This is the fifth series I have had the privilege to work on with Levinson and Fontana, and with COPPER, Barry and Tom are at the top of their game.”
Set in 1864 New York City, Corcoran returns home from the Civil War to find his daughter has been murdered and his wife has disappeared. Distraught and searching for answers, Corcoran’s relentless quest to find justice for his family fuels his pursuit to help the unfortunate residents of Five Points. Assisted by Sixth Precinct partner and friend, Detective Francis Maguire and Detective Andrew O’Brien, Corcoran goes the extra mile when investigating a crime, much to the dismay of his superiors.
In a fascinating twist, Corcoran’s scientific methods of deduction when solving a case are really the work of an African-American comrade, Doctor Matthew Freeman. But Freeman’s work must be kept secret as it’s sure to be invalidated because of his race.
Will Copper live up to its creators’ intentions? We’ll know next month.