New-ish Show to Catch Up On: BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

We’ve got well over a month before network shows return from their summer hiatus, but we’re just about reaching the point where decisions need to be made about catching up on shows that may have been missed (or initially passed over) last season in order to be current when things return.

And hey, there’s a lot of great TV on these days. Sometimes it’s hard to commit to a show until you’ve heard from enough people that it’s actually good/you know it will return for a second season. So, on that note, I do have a few suggestions for shows you should bump to the top of your list.

Let’s start with BROOKLYN NINE-NINE…

The show’s original pitch: “From Emmy Award-winning writer/producers Dan Goor and Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”), and starring Emmy Award winners Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) and Andre Braugher (“Men of a Certain Age,” “Homicide: Life on the Street”), BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is a new single-camera ensemble comedy about what happens when a talented, but carefree, detective gets a new captain with a lot to prove. Detective JAKE PERALTA (Samberg) is a good enough cop that he’s never had to work that hard or follow the rules too closely. Perhaps because he has the best arrest record among his colleagues, he’s been enabled – if not indulged – throughout his entire career. That is, until the precinct gets a new commanding officer, Captain RAY HOLT (Braugher), who reminds this hotshot cop to respect the badge. Jake may have collared more criminals, but Detective AMY SANTIAGO (Melissa Fumero, “One Life to Live,” “Gossip Girl”) is close behind, and she’s keenly aware of how many arrests she needs to close the gap. Amy grew up with seven brothers who were all cops. She’s the first girl in the family to put on a police uniform, and suffice it to say: she’s extremely competitive…about everything. Also working cases in Brooklyn’s 99th precinct is Sergeant TERRY JEFFORDS (Terry Crews, “Bridesmaids,” “Everybody Hates Chris”), a linebacker of a man who’s lost his nerve, not because he’s a wimp, but because a year ago, his wife had twin baby girls – Cagney and Lacey – and he can’t imagine not seeing them grow up. Detective CHARLES BOYLE (Joe Lo Truglio, “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Superbad”), who idolizes Jake, is the precinct’s workhorse; he’s not that brilliant, he’s not physically gifted, but he tries harder than anyone else. Charles pines for Detective ROSA DIAZ (Stephanie Beatriz, “Modern Family,” “The Closer”), with whom he stands no chance at all. Rosa is simultaneously tough, sexy and scary as hell. She’s vocally opinionated about everything. Cleaning up everyone’s mess is GINA LINETTI (Chelsea Peretti, “Parks and Recreation,” “Kroll Show”), the eccentric, civilian office manager who somehow gets involved in everyone’s business. Together, these tightly knit – or is it tightly wound? – cops interrogate suspects, arrest perps and solve murders. But, ultimately, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is a workplace comedy that’s not really about the job. It’s about the men and women behind the badge – singing karaoke, grabbing a beer and hitting on each other – all while protecting the fine people of Brooklyn.”

What the log line doesn’t tell you about season 1: In many ways, the BROOKLYN NINE-NINE pilot came fully cooked: the episode didn’t feel like a first installment, it felt like we were dropping in on a show that had been around for a while but just happened to check in on; the writers knew who the characters were from the start, and it showed. The beauty of the first season was often watching what new character combos the show would throw together, and watching how every pairing worked in its own (often bizarre) way.

The “cop series as a comedy” concept may have been off-putting for some, but the show was always respectful of how it went about things: Jake and the rest of the cops were never bad at their jobs. The funny moments came from the cases they dealt with, the suspects they encountered, and their interactions with each other. (And they had an insane roster of guest stars in season 1, which just added to the fun.) All of that combined made it not only one of the funniest new shows last season, but one of the funniest shows on television, period.

Why BROOKLYN NINE-NINE showrunner Dan Goor thinks you should catch up: “I think it’s a good show…I would watch the first season, because I think the second season will be much richer if you know the character’s backgrounds and how they got to where they are. That being said, I think if you start watching it [with the season two premiere], you’ll enjoy it just as much as if you had seen the first season.”

How you can catch up: Fox is re-airing select episodes of the show every Tuesday night at 8:30 PM. Five episodes are available for free on Fox.com and Hulu, plus the entire first season is available to stream now on HuluPlus. (And if you don’t have a HuluPlus account, you can try it for free for two weeks.) Or you can purchase the episodes digitally via iTunes or Amazon Instant Video. (The DVD comes out on September 23rd, less than a week before the second season premiere.)

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BROOKLYN NINE-NINE returns on Sunday, September 28th at 8:30 PM on Fox.

Related:

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio, and Stephanie Beatriz on the Boyle and Gina Twist
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, and Dan Goor on the Move to Sundays
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE Boss Dan Goor Teases Season 2
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: Melissa Fumero on the ‘Surreal’ First Year, the Season Finale, and More

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