Cheers & Jeers: Dark Blue Lightens Up

Jeers to Dark Bluefor blowing it in Season 2.

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When it debuted last year, TNT's LAPD drama felt like a poor man's Shield, with Dylan McDermott leading a team of gonzo undercover cops who weren't afraid to cross the line to nail the bad guys. In an attempt to boost ratings—and fit better with TNT dramedies like Leverage and Memphis Beat—executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer & Co. tinkered with the show's tone, and now it's an oxymoron: Dark Blue Lite.

Part of the problem is the cast simply isn't suited to softer material. McDermott brooded brilliantly as Bobby Donnell on The Practice, but there's a reason he left the show when it morphed into the superquirky Boston Legal: Whimsy is not his forte. BSG andBurn Notice vet Tricia Helfer has been brought in to loosen him up as a sexy FBI liaison, but their chemistry quickly flames out. Ironically, the show's more depressing than ever.

Do you like Dark Blue's new tone?

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