Network: FOX
Episodes: 13 (hour)
Seasons: One
TV show dates: January 22, 2015 — April 30, 2015
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Rainn Wilson, Genevieve Angelson, Dennis Haysbert, Kristoffer Polaha, Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen, and Thomas Dekker.
TV show description:
This offbeat crime procedural is based on the Swedish book series by Leif G. W. Persson. The series follows Detective Everett Backstrom (Rainn Wilson). He’s an unhealthy, offensive, irascible (also brilliant) detective who is brought back from exile to run the Portland Police Bureau’s Special Crimes Unit (SCU).
Tasked with navigating the city’s most sensitive and serious cases, Backstrom must solve each crime as he tries, and fails, to change his own self-destructive behavior.
Backstrom’s second in command is Detective Nicole Gravely (Genevieve Angelson). Detective John Almond (Dennis Haysbert) is a kind and devoutly religious man who’s been married for 30 years and serves as a pastor on weekends.
Sergent Peter Niedermayer (Kristoffer Polaha) is the unit’s Forensics Liaison and Officer Frank Moto (Page Kennedy) is one of the members of the Special Crimes Unit. Foreign-born civilian Nadia Paquet (Beatrice Rosen) supports the detectives.
Meanwhile, Gregory Valentine (Thomas Dekker) is Backstrom’s decorator and “underworld connection”.
Episode #13 — Rock Bottom
When a Native American is found dead under a bridge on the Wabacooche Indian reservation, Amy’s (guest Sarah Chalke) new boyfriend and Indian Reserve Police Captain, Jesse Rocha (guest Adam Beach), wants in on the case. Backstrom then learns that Indian meth-king Norwest (guest Gregory Cruz), of Cooch County, is a suspect in the case, and he is convinced his father, Cooch County Sheriff Blue Backstrom (guest Robert Forster), knows about Norwest’s drug dealings, leaving Backstrom to make a difficult decision. Meanwhile, in order to keep his job with the S.C.U., Backstrom must impress Dr. Deb (guest Rizwan Manji).
First aired: April 30, 2015.
What do you think? Do you like the Backstrom TV show? Do you think it should have been cancelled or renewed for a second season?
My husband and really enjoyed this show. It is very disappointing that it has been canceled.
Backstrom is the only series I watch. The ensemble cast is wonderful. Please consider
extending the series.
I LOVED THIS SHOW!!!!! It was deeply intelligent and human. Rainn Wilson and Thomas Dekker are superb subtle actors. I don’t get hooked on shows often, and even less often tell everyone I know to watch. It breaks my heart that shows with real humanity get cancelled because you cannot watch just one episode and “get it.” Even so, it was good one episode at a time, but as a series it was brilliant! So sad! Fox – wake up! You don’t yank plants from your garden if they don’t reach full maturity in a couple of months! The best… Read more »
Sad to see this show go, Please reconsider.
All comments so right…creative show truly unique cast that are all exceptional especially Raiin.. the crap gets saved season after season..but a show with smart humor and thank God political incorrectness was xany intelligent and a breath of fresh air….please rethink this mistake.m.
“Backstrom” gets cancelled, but we can continue to be brutalized by lowest common denominator “Housewives” shows that make the small-minded feel superior.
“Backstrom” was smart and a bit twisted. Characters were well formed and interesting.
“Men of a Certain Age” was also a victim of the impatience and lack of imagination that seems to run rampant in that world inhabited by TV executives and bean-counters.
This was a great show. Typical that schlock like Dancing With the Stars is still on, and shows like this, with great writing, interesting characters, and excellent acting get cancelled. idiots are running the networks.
I think I am about done with public tv! It seems the last few years, they are getting rid of the good shows and keeping the crap. This show was not really given a chance. The time slot SUCKED!
The program is a hoot! Why cancel? It is funny with quirky characters and one of the few innovative programs on TV.
FOX: “I’m you . . . I cancel one of the best shows to come on television in a long time, BUT WHY?”
Heather . . . Very, very smart (and witty) comment.
The big question is why does crap like Modern Family get to be on the air?
Why is it shows like Bones, 4 different versions of CSI, Two Broke Girls, and other garbage shows stay on for years yet this unique show is not even given a full season?
FOX you are pathetic and I will not be watching anything you put on TV.
Backstrom either needs to be put on another network or time slot and let more people view it.
Bring Back Backstrom for another shot!
Raiin Wilson deserves this show to get him out of the dump guy roles.
Excellent show. It just needs advertising!’
It is funny and raw and the acting is incredible
Backstrom should NOT be cancelled. Given the current programing that either recycles the same stale plots or is meant to appeal to the average 5th grader, something fresh and fun — Backstrom — is a real treat. Too bad that not enough of the public is watching TV in real ‘program’ time, rather than bingeing on mulitple episodes. Networks need to start to modify the way that their ratings are affecting programing. Most people I know don’t watch TV in real time, but on their own schedule based on their availability. This means that good inventive programing is removed from… Read more »
Save Backstrom. One of the better shows on TV.