EZ Streets
EZ Streets is an American crime drama television series created by Paul Haggis was premiered on CBS on October 27, 1996, with a two-hour pilot television film and ended on April 2, 1997. The series stars Ken Olin, Joe Pantoliano, and Jason Gedrick.
| EZ Streets | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Paul Haggis |
| Starring | Ken Olin Joe Pantoliano Jason Gedrick Sarah Trigger Richard Portnow |
| Composer(s) | Mark Isham |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 (1 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Paul Haggis |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Paul Haggis Productions Universal Television |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | October 27, 1996 – April 2, 1997 |
Synopsis
The series is set in a decaying American city located near the Canada–US border, and deals with the interconnected lives of the city's criminals, politicians, and police officers.
Characters
- Ken Olin as Detective Cameron Quinn
- Joe Pantoliano as Jimmy Murtha
- Jason Gedrick as Danny Rooney
- R. D. Call as Michael "Fivers" Dugan
- John Finn as Captain Geary
- Debrah Farentino as Theresa Conners
- Richard Portnow as Detective Frank Collero
- Carl Lumbly as Mayor Christian Davidson
- Sarah Trigger as Elli Rooney (Danny's estranged wife)
- Andrew Divoff as Andre "Frenchie" Desormeaux
- Mike Starr as Mickey Kinnear
- Robert Spillane as Bobby
Reception and cancellation
After its first episode in its regular timeslot on Wednesday, October 30, 1996, it was canceled with CBS president Leslie Moonves promising that the show would be "relaunched" at a later date. The series was relaunched that spring from March 1, 1997, to April 2, 1997, but failed to garner a substantial audience. CBS canceled EZ Streets in April 1997 due to low ratings.[1] The last episode, "Neither Have I Wings to Fly", never aired on CBS, although it was broadcast once in Canada. Critics criticized Moonves for not reairing the pilot and first series episode before the relaunch.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Paul Haggis | Paul Haggis | October 27, 1996 |
| 2 | "Every Picture Tells a Story" | Ken Olin | Teleplay by: Paul Haggis Story by: Paul Haggis & David Black | October 30, 1996 |
| 3 | "A Terrible Beauty" | George Bloomfield | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | March 3, 1997 |
| 4 | "St. Jude Took a Bullet" | James Quinn | Teleplay by: Paul Haggis Story by: Paul Haggis & David Black | March 5, 1997 |
| 5 | "Every Dog Has Its Day" | Donna Deitch | Teleplay by: Paul Haggis Story By: Paul Haggis & David Black | March 12, 1997 |
| 6 | "One Acquainted with the Night" | Antina W. Addison | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | March 19, 1997 |
| 7 | "On the Left Side of the Angel" | Peter Markle | Paul Haggis & Patrick Harbinson | March 26, 1997 |
| 8 | "A Ceremony of Innocence" | Michael Fields | Paul Haggis & Mark Saraceni | April 2, 1997 |
| 9 | "Neither Have I Wings to Fly" | Randall Zisk | Teleplay by: Kimberly Hill & Jeff King Story by: Paul Haggis & Kimberly Hill | 2006 |
Syndication
In 2006, repeats of the series began airing on the new U.S. cable channel, Sleuth. All episodes, including the one not shown on CBS, were aired.
Home media
On May 23, 2006, Universal Studios released the two part pilot and the episodes "Every Dog Has Its Day" and "One Acquainted with the Night" on a single DVD as part of its Brilliant But Cancelled series.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Casting Society of America's Artios Award | Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Pilot | Nan Dutton and Jane Alderman | Won |
| Online Film & Television Association Award[2] | Best New Drama Series | Won | ||
| Best New Theme Song in a Series | Mark Isham | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Won | ||
| Television Critics Association Award | Program of the Year | Won | ||
| Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Nominated | |||
| Individual Achievement in Drama | Joe Pantoliano | Nominated | ||
| Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| Jason Gedrick | Nominated | |||
| Founder's Award | Paul Haggis | Won | ||
| 1998 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actress | Courtney Jacquin | Nominated |
References
- Lowry, Brian (1997-04-07). "CBS Cancels 'EZ Streets' Series After Ratings Continue to Slide". articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- "1996-97: The Season of The Shining". Online Film & Television Association. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2013.