The former murder capital of the nation finally has its own cop show.
The new TV show follows two New Orleans police officers after Hurricane Katrina. “K-Ville” premieres tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Post-Katrina New Orleans provides the setting for the drama, both onscreen and off. Not only is the city an integral part of the plotline, but the show was also filmed there, according to the show’s Web site.
“The backdrop of New Orleans is a character on its own,” said Cole Hauser, one of the show’s two main characters, in a video interview on the Web site.
University sociology professor Wesley Shrum, who is working on his own film about Katrina, affirms the city as an ideal setting.
“A good cop show will always do well, especially if it has good visuals, and Lord knows New Orleans has good visuals,” he said.
Filming on-site also presents possible economic benefits for the city. A TV show filmed in New Orleans before the hurricane, USA Network’s “The Big Easy,” brought an estimated $39 million to the city with 35 episodes, according to The Times-Picayune.
But first the show will have to make it past its first season to make an economic impact.
“Orleans,” a 1997 show about the Crescent City, lasted only eight episodes.
Jessica Tate, business junior, said she was not impressed by the previews.
“I don’t think it’s going to last for long. I don’t think they could have multiple seasons of it,” she said.
Tate said she didn’t think the true essence of New Orleans would be portrayed on screen.
Lauren Frederick, psychology junior, agreed.
“I don’t think there will be any real, heartfelt moments,” Frederick said.
The executive producer, Jonathan Lisco, (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”) has the difficult task of balancing truth with audience appeal, Shrum said.
“Shows that highlight crime in New Orleans are not doing anything to help the recovery,” Shrum said. “[It is] not going to be a magnet for people to come.”
He mentioned a quote from Ray Nagin from this past month, in which the mayor referred to the sky-rocketing murder rate in the city as a “two-edged sword.”
“It’s not good for us, but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back,” Nagin said.
Shrum said this “any publicity is good publicity” theory is absurd.
He also said the impact of the TV show probably would not be significant because, “very few people stay in New Orleans that didn’t live there to begin with.”
The show does, however, have the cooperation of the New Orleans Police Department. Marlon Defillo of the Public Integrity Bureau told The Times-Picayune that he allowed Lisco to do ride-alongs and approved the show’s use of official icons and badges. The department was also able to give input on the script for the pilot.
Defillo said the most important concept to get across is the good work that the NOPD performed, an aspect he said was not portrayed by much of the media.
“And that’s one of the things this production emphasizes,” Defillo said.
During a ride-along with the NOPD, Lisco saw “K-Ville” in graffiti on the side of a building, which sparked the idea for the show’s title, according to The Times-Picayune.
—-Contact Lauren Walck at [email protected]