Tonight, CBS unveils yet another cop series — Golden Boy. The network certainly has a lot of them so, will this one also be a ratings success or will it be quickly cancelled instead? Is it worth watching?
Golden Boy follows the story of a young ambitious New York cop (Theo James) who, in the span of seven years, rises through the ranks to become the youngest Police Commissioner in the Big Apple’s history. The cast also includes Chi McBride, Kevin Alejandro, Bonnie Somerville, Holt McCallany, and Stella Maeve.
Sound interesting? Here’s what some of the critics think:
SF Chronicle: “The problems with Golden Boy are readily apparent, and actually fixable. If Wootten and Berlanti want an idea of how to do that, they need only look to McBride, who delivers a consistently credible, complexly multilayered performance in the four episodes sent to critics for review. McBride is actually so good that we completely believe his character’s otherwise unlikely quick U-turn from dismissing Clark as an ambitious brat to deciding to mentor him. In characterization, look and feel, “Golden Boy” would do well to gain a little more tarnish in future episodes.”
LA Times: “Unfortunately, McBride is the only one able, or allowed, to do more than strike one-dimensional character poses. Which is a shame. CBS does have its fair share of highly successful, fairly workmanlike procedurals, but it also has The Good Wife, which created the template for stories that balance rich character and compelling plot. Golden Boy could have done that as well. But it doesn’t.”
Boston Herald: “Writer Nicholas Wootton wore out his first keyboards on such shows as Law & Order and Chuck, and he’s aiming for darker, richer characters here. There hasn’t been a detective squad so screwed up since NYPD Blue. In its best moments, the drama has the grit of something more likely to be found on cable channel TNT. Golden Boy should keep reaching for the brass ring.
Boston Globe: “What doesn’t work at all in the first two episodes of Golden Boy is the more familiar procedural material. The crimes of the week are just bland, late Law & Order-level stories. It must be hard to write procedurals these days, since it seems as though every possible twist on the homicide case has already been done. But a show such as The Closer managed to keep the crimes vital by hiring strong actors-of-the-week and making their characters more than types. Perhaps, with time, the writers will be able to devote more attention to that critical component. The cops on Golden Boy have too much dimension to set them against such a flat background.”
USA Today: “The flashback structure gives the show a distinctive approach while adding a layer of depth to the weekly stories. The scripts offer a well-balanced mix of office politics, underlying mystery and weekly cop procedural. And the first-rate cast ties it all together with abundant skill. No, that still isn’t enough to win the Boy a TV gold medal. But silver is nothing to sniff at.”
What do you think? Do you like the sound of Golden Boy? Will you watch the show? If you’ve already seen it, will you watch again?
I like it very much. I hope TNT will pick it up. I have 400 channels with my direct Tv and
it is so sad that 90 percent are the worst. If you start at channel and work your way up during the day there is nothing. At night we have so many of the 2 and a half men type shows how bad are those type shows. It seems that everyone has a reality show.
So far after watching all the new shows drama only, don’t really care for comedy. So to answer the question about Golden Boy, The answer is a flat NO I will not watch it again. Very slow moving and unbelievable. One other show that I will not watch again was on TNT Weds. (Reality) Boston’s Finest never cared for reality shows but thought I’d give it a chance. I shut it off after 7 minutes. As for the good shows (again in my opinion) The Americans, very good, Monday Morning just good, (not sure if this is a new show)… Read more »
I’ll give it a chance. Hopefully the personal stories of the characters will unfold and it will be more interesting.
Omg, never again. The guys just a punk.
I liked it alot and this show was intresting and I am going to look foward to watch the show again and I liked it alot and its a good show! I love it!! Next week, I am going to watch the 2nd Episode and it turns out to be good.
I liked Chi McBride (also great on Pushing Daisies), but that’s the only thing I liked about the show. Golden Boy is more tarnished and the seven year rise unlikely and not believeable. Won’t be watching this again.
I hated it!!!
Run it, then judge it. It better have that real world feel, it better be intelligent, it better not be chopped if it turns out to be good.
As the name indicates, this show depicts a main character with serious Mary Sue issues. The rapid promotion to detective was ridiculous compared to the heroism/reward correlation more believably depicted in Blue Bloods. Chi McBride gave the only performance not blatantly two-dimensional, and he was poorly used – relegated to mostly scowling in the background, and providing a deus ex machina for a partner who blatantly and unapologetically committed a criminal act himself, potentially compromising an important case in a display of wanton immaturity. I won’t be watching again.
SF Chronicle! Really? McBride is multi-demensional, because his character is multi-demensional, and not a cocky young thing or older a hole! What a moronic review!
The beginning was corny as Golden Boy took out the bad guys, freed the frightened woman, saved the passing pedestrians and crashed his partner’s chest in to save him.
How could he get to be police commissioner in NYC after seven years without the professional credentials and vetted for the job with a junkie sister?
This doesn’t look too compelling and no one other than the Chi McBride character makes me want to take another look.
No, CBS will probably decide to cancel it right after people get into it.
Seriously. Just like Fox does. Terra Nova, Alcatraz, The River…not all Fox…but in just enough to be interested and then poof! Gone. Hanging forever. Damn tv.
It’s pretty bad. Won’t watch it again. There’s GOT to be something better.
Well, it’s closer to, ‘Will this show be a hit?’ Just like Made in Jersey, Trauma, Back to you and a million others I could name, they got axed. So really, then you’ll if it’s worth watching because you’ll know if you’ll be disappointed because of the show being bad or because it was abruptly canceled.