Deadline (2000 TV series)
| Deadline | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Dick Wolf |
| Developed by | Robert Palm |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Mike Post |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 (+8 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Dick Wolf |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | October 2 – October 30, 2000 |
Deadline is an American drama television series created by Dick Wolf, that aired on NBC from October 2, 2000, to October 30, 2000. It stars Oliver Platt as Wallace Benton, star columnist for the fictional New York Ledger, a daily tabloid newspaper seen in many episodes of Law & Order and modeled after the real-life New York Post.
Cast and characters
- Oliver Platt as Wallace Benton
- Bebe Neuwirth as Nikki Masucci
- Tom Conti as Si Beekman
- Lili Taylor as Hildy Baker
- Hope Davis as Brooke Benton
- Damon Gupton as Charles Foster
- Christina Chang as Beth Khambu
Production
Series creator
Platt had been approached numerous times to do a television show but it was Wolf's reputation and the chance to do it in his hometown so that he could be close to his family that persuaded him.[2] Wallace Benton was modeled on veteran New York journalist Jimmy Breslin, Mike McAlary and other New York tabloid columnists.[1] To research for the role, Platt spent time with crime reporters Phil Messing of the New York Post, Lenny Levitt of Newsday, and Juan Gonzalez and Jim Dwyer of the New York Daily News.[1] The actor went out on stories with them, watched them interview and listened to them work the phones. During lunches, he remembers that he "got them to tell me their trade secrets."[1]
The New York Ledger's offices were constructed at the old New York Post building on South Street in
Episodes
 | This section needs a plot summary. (October 2015) |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Don Scardino | Story by : Dick Wolf Teleplay by : Dick Wolf & Robert Palm | October 2, 2000 | 14.30[4] |
| 2 | "Lovers and Madmen" | Constantine Makris | Yahlin Chang | October 9, 2000 | 10.90[4] |
| 3 | "Perception" | Bob Balaban | Chris Mundy | October 16, 2000 | 10.00[4] |
| 4 | "Daniel in the Lion's Den" | Don Scardino | Willie Reale | October 23, 2000 | 7.00[4] |
| 5 | "Howl" | James Quinn | Martin Weiss | October 30, 2000 | 6.80[4] |
| 6 | "The Old Ball Game" | David Platt | Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene | March 17, 2001 | TBA |
| 7 | "Don't I Know You?" | Richard Dobbs | Story by : Dick Wolf & Robert Palm Teleplay by : Willie Reale | March 17, 2001 | TBA |
| 8 | "The Undesirables" | Matthew Penn | Yahlin Chang | March 24, 2001 | TBA |
| 9 | "Somebody's Fool" | Michael Fields | Story by : Dick Wolf & Robert Palm & Willie Reale Teleplay by : Willie Reale | March 24, 2001 | TBA |
| 10 | "The First Commandment" | James Quinn | Matt Prudence & Michael Berns | March 31, 2001 | TBA |
| 11 | "Just Lie Back" | Constantine Makris | Story by : Liz Friedman & Vanessa Place Teleplay by : Robert Palm & Liz Friedman & Vanessa Place | March 31, 2001 | TBA |
| 12 | "Shock" | Robert Berlinger | Story by : Dick Wolf Teleplay by : Eva Nagorski | April 7, 2001 | TBA |
| 13 | "Red Herring" | Alexander Cassini | Story by : Robert Palm Teleplay by : Martin Weiss & Robert Palm | April 7, 2001 | TBA |
Reception
Variety magazine praised Platt's work on the show in their review: "Platt, best-known for his work on the big screen, is a colorful choice for Benton, and, judging from the first episode, he can carry the bulk of the action."[5] USA Today criticized the show's authenticity in their review: "The only thing accurate about Deadline is the sense of urgency implied by the title. Someone had better fix this show fast, before it becomes yesterday's news."[6] The Boston Globe found fault with some of the characters on the show: "Benton's merry band of journalism students are silly, and the show should replace them with an expanded cast of Ledger co-workers."[7]
The pilot episode was seen by 14.3 million viewers but the show's ratings declined steadily afterwards with 6.8 million viewers watching the last episode. NBC cancelled the show after five episodes.[8] NBC showed the remaining episodes during the spring of 2001, in at least one part of the United States; they followed the network's broadcasts of Saturday night XFL football games in the western time zones.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liebeskind, Ken (July 17, 2000). "On Deadline". Mediaweek.
- ^ a b G.G. (October 6, 2000). "In Wolf's New Deadline, the Detective is a Reporter". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^ Grego, Melissa (July 17–23, 2000). "Auteurs Join Wolf Gang". Variety.
- ^ a b c d e "Deadline - Series - Episode List - TV Tango".
- ^ Fries, Laura (October 2–8, 2000). "Deadline". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (October 2, 2000). "Deadline". USA Today.
- ^ Gilbert, Matthew (October 2, 2000). "Deadline Misses, and That's a Crime". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 1, 2000). "NBC Reports Deadlines Demise". The Hollywood Reporter.
External links
- Official website on Wolf Entertainment
- Deadline at IMDb
- Deadline at epguides.com
- Dick Wolf and Oliver Platt talk about Deadline at the New York Press Club
