Donald Logue and Michael Raymond-James, the main guys on "Terriers".
TV Vs. Film: Ten Shows Worth Skipping The Multiplex For
indieWire / May 26, 2011
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2. “Terriers”
Judging by the ratings, which never topped a million viewers after the pilot, you didn’t watch “Terriers,” a private-eye show on FX from “The Shield” creator Shawn Ryan and “Ocean’s Eleven” scribe Ted Griffin. And in a way, we don’t blame you.
The title and marketing were baffling, the biggest star was schlubby sitcom veteran Donal Logue, and the premise—an ex-cop and recovering alcoholic with ex-wife problems works as an unlicensed private detective in Ocean Beach, California, with a former burglar—couldn’t have been more generic if it tried. Unfortunately for you, “Terriers” was simply fantastic, and it’s now been canceled.
The show, which co-starred “True Blood“‘s Michael Raymond-James, Laura Allen, Kimberly Quinn and Rockmond Dunbar, started modestly, but soon rolled out a corruption-tinged plot of massive depth and complexity, one that the best neo-noirs would be proud of.
It had consistently unpredictable one-off storylines (the one that guest-starred Olivia Williams is a particular favorite), possibly the best theme tune ever, and a hugely impressive line-up of directors, including Craig Brewer (”Hustle & Flow”), John Dahl (”The Last Seduction”), Clark Johnson (”The Wire”) and even Rian Johnson (”Brick”).
But more importantly, it expertly juggled a mix of tones, and it did what the best TV does: took its flawed, rough-around-the-edges heroes, made you fall in love with them, and then put them through the ringer with a series of truly wrenching plot twists. Its 13 episodes were positively stuffed with heartbreak. It may have been sadly canceled (and, right now, it’s not even scheduled for a DVD release), but it also means that it joins the likes of “Freaks and Geeks” and “Firefly” as untouched one season-wonders.
Must-See Episode: “Asunder,” an atypical episode which sees the heroes holed up in a hotel at which the ex-wife of Hank (Logue) is about to get married, a wedding that eventually has rip-your-heart-out-of-your-chest consequences for his partner Britt (Raymond-James).
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Geez, where were all of these great articles 8 months ago when Terriers was on the endagered list but still could’ve been saved? This was such a great show and was really the only thing on TV I never missed. Almost everything about Terriers was perfect…..from the casting to the theme song to the setting. The only thing that was imperfect was that damn title. They should have called it The Dolworth Files since Hak was so much like Jim Rockford. Or maybe CSI: Ocean Beach to steal some thunder from the CSI franchise! ha!
Hey jeff_in_OB, we ran a bunch of stories about Terriers.
Check them out!
Hey from a cast member- thanks to the OB Rag for supporting our endeavor- We are still incredibly bummed not to be down there making “Terriers”- so many of the crew members on the show lived in OB and we hoped to make a show gritty, real and nuanced enough to do that great community proud. I have to echo Patty’s statement that they did show support and also, thanks to Jim for his kind words-
Donal, thanks so much for visiting. You and your fellow cast members have (still) a huge following in OB. We loved the show, the scenes of OB, the dialog, the plots and sub-plots. The OB Rag carried weekly reviews and became the repository for all things “Terriers”.
Wow, a real live celebrity! Dude, I’m still bummed to lose the first (and probably last) prime-time drama I’ll ever watch…I held out hope for a while someone would pick it up for syndication, but from what I gather that doesn’t happen much anymore. Anyways, thanks for a kick-ass few months.
We want Terriers back. My wife and I loved the show. Best show on Tv. FX give it another shot. I watched the first two episodes and almost quit, but the third episode hooked me. How can you keep Walking Dead and let go of this terriffic show? Bring it back. If they don’t Donal, see if you can get on in front of Damages or after it. Some network that wants an instant following bring Terriers back to us. Bob