The Red Line (TV series)


The Red Line is an eight-episode American drama limited television series created and written by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss premiered on CBS on April 28 and concluded on May 19, 2019.
It stars Noah Wyle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Aliyah Royale, Noel Fisher, Michael Patrick Thornton, Vinny Chhibber, Howard Charles and Elizabeth Laidlaw. The title refers to a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the city's "L" system.

Premise

The Red Lines plot involves a white cop in Chicago who mistakenly shoots and kills a black doctor. It follows three different families with connections to the case: the victim's husband and their adopted daughter; the daughter's birth mother, who is running for city council, who is married with a young son; and the policeman, whose brother is a paraplegic ex-cop and whose father is a retired police captain.

Cast and characters

Production

Development

On February 5, 2018, it was announced that CBS had given the production a put pilot commitment after multiple networks had shown interest. The pilot was written by both Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss who was expected to executive produce alongside Ava DuVernay and Greg Berlanti. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of Berlanti Productions, Array Filmworks, CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. On March 1, 2018, it was announced that Victoria Mahoney would direct the pilot. On May 11, 2018, it was announced that CBS had given the production a series order. A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere in the spring of 2019 as a mid-season replacement.
On June 7, 2019, The Red Line will not return for another season following its limited run and due to the cancellation.

Casting

In February 2018, it was announced that Noel Fisher, Michael Patrick Thornton, Noah Wyle, Vinny Chhibber, Howard Charles and Elizabeth Laidlaw had joined the pilot's main cast.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 72% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "If not always graceful, The Red Line is never less than empathetic, effectively applying tried and true storytelling techniques in its attempts to untangle complicated cultural issues." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Ratings