About
Show Synopsis
Written by five-time Gemini Award winner and six-time nominee Alan Di Fiore (‘Da Vinci’s Inquests,’ ‘The Life,’ ‘The Handler’), ‘The Bridge’ peels away the veneer of a big-city police force to reveal the political machinations underneath. After the rank and file unanimously vote street cop Frank Leo (‘Battlestar Galactica’s Aaron Douglas) into office as union head, he begins his quest to put street cops first and clean up the force from the ground up. But the old boys’ network running the police force and the city’s self-serving politicians are not about to sit idly by while a former street cop makes up his own rules. Frank walks a thin blue line as he battles wiretaps and a concerted campaign to bring him down, letting nothing stop him from fulfilling his unwavering vow that when cops are in trouble, he will be there.
All Frank Leo ever wanted was to be a street cop, busting bad guys and having a few beers and laughs with his fellow officers. And Leo absolutely loves his job.
But all that begins to change when Leo’s mentor on the force tragically commits suicide and is refused a police funeral. Realizing that the police union is powerless and won’t fight the brass to honour a good man, he takes on the command structure of the entire police force and wins. But now Leo has made some powerful enemies.
From the top down, the police force is politically motivated and bent on its own self-preservation. The old boys’ network isn’t about to let a street cop make his own rules. By using Internal Affairs to unjustly investigate misfit cops, the brass has always had the perfect weapon to ruin a good cop’s career. And Leo is their new target.
When a shooting involving Leo comes under fire, the brass sees its chance to nail Leo. Leo’s father has got a secret in his past and the brass is planning to use it against Leo at his trial. He realizes that the only way to rid the department of political corruption is to take over the Police Union and make it into a fierce advocate for all cops, everywhere, even if it means bringing down the entire police power structure.
After the rank and file unanimously vote Leo into office, he begins his quest to change the department. But Leo’s biggest challenge is yet to come when he’s asked to sanction the use of deadly force in the take-down of a corrupt officer who was going to kill two cops from another region. Leo knows that if he says yes, it’s a death sentence. But if he says no, he risks losing the respect of his members. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Leo’s about to learn exactly what it’s going to take to be the head of the country’s largest police union.
Informed by the insights of a veteran insider, THE BRIDGE lays bare the struggle of street cops who must not only battle the bad guys, but also sometimes their own bosses in order to protect society and ultimately themselves.
Characters
Aaron Douglas
Frank Leo, Union Head
Frank Leo is charismatic and self-confident, which makes him a natural-born leader. As a tough-as-hell-street-cop, Frank brings to his new job as President of the Police Protective Association an inborn sense of justice and loyalty with intelligence and passion. Frank can also be charming with a mischievous glint in his eye, which is why women are drawn to him.
Frank Cassini
Bernie Kantor, Staff Sergeant
Bernie is Frank and Tommy’s old sergeant at Bridge Division. He’s the uncle who let you sip his beer and was the one who taught you the facts of life. He’s also the voice of reason, a father confessor, and a moral sounding board. “Rabbi” is wise, compassionate, an inherent teacher, and is always in on the joke.
Inga Cadranel
Jill, Detective
Jill is all about attitude. She’s beautiful, a great cop, and tough as nails when she has to be. She also has a cop’s gallows sense of humor and an easy laugh. Jill refuses to be labeled or put into a box. She once was married to a cop and after that relationship soured she briefly became intimate with a woman. But Jill really likes guys too much and right now she’s got more than just a little soft spot for Frank.
Michael Murphy
Ed Wycoff, Chief of Police
As Top Police Brass, Ed is a political animal who is always angling for position. Sensing Frank’s power, Ed makes an uneasy alliance with him in order to further his own agenda. He’s shrewd, practical, and is constantly maneuvering himself to come out on top. Ed’s biggest flaw is that he thinks he’s smarter than Frank. Frank often uses this flaw to turn the tables on Ed, yet Ed keeps on trying. Above all, Ed is a survivor.
Ona Grauer
Abby St. James, Prosecutor
As a former prosecutor, Abby is all the things you’d expect her to be: professional, loving her job and smart. It also makes her the perfect choice to defend cops, which is why Frank brings her on board the Union. Like Frank, Abby has an inborn sense of justice. In many ways, however, Frank is the opposite of Abby so it’s a good thing that opposites attract. Abby is above all unpredictable. Just when you expect her to react one way, she goes the other direction, which keeps both the union’s enemies and her lover, Frank, on their toes.
Paul Popowich
Tommy Dunn, Frank’s partner and confidante
Where Frank charges ahead, Tommy takes a step back to think things out. He’s smart, loyal, funny, and like Frank, he also brings to the union his street cop insight. Tommy lost his leg to the job, but that didn’t stop his sense of humor. As Tommy would put it, “I still have a leg to stand on.”
Theresa Joy
Billy, Police Constable
Billy is a feisty, tough, and funny street cop. As a young female in the department, she is always trying to prove herself to the guys, which she really doesn’t need to do since Billy’s a great cop with great cop instincts. But being a great cop also means she draws more than her share of trouble and danger. Ultimately, Billy may be too good of a cop.