Detroit 1-8-7 Preview: ABC's New Cop Drama

Set to premiere this Tuesday is ABC’s new cop drama. Read on for the series synopsis, and a couple of clips from the premiere episode.

Cop dramas tend to sell themselves. While the premise isn’t original, like medical dramas, there always seems to be an audience for them. As this one stars Michael Imperioli of The Sopranos and more recently, Life on Mars, there’s even more reason to tune in to check this one out.

Below is ABC’s full synopsis for the series and further down are a couple of clips from the premiere episode.

What does it take to be a detective in one of America's toughest cities? Follow one homicide unit as Detroit's finest reveal the crisis and revelation, heartbreak and heroism that characterize these inner city cops in this series shot entirely in Detroit, Michigan, which premieres Tuesday, September 21, on the ABC Television Network.There's the damaged but driven Detective Louis Fitch, a wily homicide vet who is the most respected -- and most misunderstood -- man in the division; Detective Damon Washington, Fitch's new partner, who finds the first day on the job is a trial by fire, complicated by the imminent birth of his first child; Detective Ariana Sanchez, sexy, edgy and beautiful, who has emerged from a rough background to become a rising star in the department; narcotics undercover cop John Stone, a streetwise smooth talker, clever and quick with a smile made for the movies, who is teamed with Sanchez -- a combustible pairing rife with conflict and sexual tension; Sergeant Jesse Longford, a 30-year veteran and sage of the department struggling with his impending retirement from the force and the city he loves, who, together with his partner, Detective Vikram Mahajan -- a fully Americanized son of Indian immigrants -- form an amusing mismatch of experience and enthusiasm, intellect and instinct, old school and new world, but whose combined skills have never encountered a case that couldn't be cleared; and all are headed by Lieutenant Maureen Mason, a strong-willed single mom struggling to balance home and work. The unit works with the primary medical examiner, Dr. Abbey Ward, who has an unusual hobby in her off-hours-roller derby.The men and women of Detroit Homicide are as smart and tough as they come. They have to be, as they struggle with their own inner demons, using only their sharp sense of humor to keep them grounded while working the neighborhoods of the historic Motor City.Detroit 1-8-7 stars Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, Life on Mars) as Detective Louis Fitch, James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (True Blood) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, D.J. Cotrona (Windfall) as Detective John Stone, Jon Michael Hill (Broadway's Superior Donuts) as Detective Damon Washington, Shaun Majumder (24, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) as Detective Vikram Mahajan, Natalie Martinez (Death Race) as Detective Ariana Sanchez and Erin Cummings (Mad Men) as Dr. Abbey Ward.David Zabel (ER), Jason Richman (Swing Vote), Kevin Hooks (Prison Break), David Hoberman (The Proposal) and Todd Lieberman (The Proposal) are executive producers. Detroit 1-8-7 is a production of ABC Studios.

Detroit 1-8-7 premieres on Tuesday, September 21, 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET on ABC.

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Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.