61st Street (TV series) explained
Genre: | |
Creator: | Peter Moffat |
Music: | Laura Karpman |
Country: | United States |
Language: | English |
Num Seasons: | 2 |
Num Episodes: | 13 |
Channel: | AMC |
Last Aired2: | present |
61st Street is an American legal drama television series created by Peter Moffat that premiered on AMC on April 10, 2022. A second season was produced;[1] however, in January 2023, AMC decided against airing it.[2] In May 2023, The CW acquired the series,[3] airing season one again in the US on July 22, 2023, on The CW app exclusively and then airing it on linear TV in October 2023. Season 2 premiered on July 22, 2024.[4]
Premise
Moses Johnson, a promising, black high school athlete, is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system. Taken by the police as a supposed gang member, Johnson finds himself and his lawyer Franklin Roberts in the eye of the storm as police and prosecutors seek revenge for the death of an officer during a drug bust gone wrong.
Cast and characters
Main
Recurring
- Patrick Mulvey as Michael Rossi (Season 1)
- Rebecca Spence as Jessica Rossi
- Jarell Maximillian Sullivan as David Roberts
- Matthew Elam as TJ (Recurring Season 1, Guest Season 2)
- Jon Michael Hill as Pastor Richards
- Ben Barten as James Frater
- Kamal Angelo Bolden as Young
- Emily Althaus as Nicole Carter
- James Vincent Meredith as Dr. Algren (Recurring Season 1, Guest Season 2)
- Erik Hellman as Peter
- Julian Parker as Dante Blake
- David Parkes as Rick Leonard (Recurring Season 2, Guest Season 1)
- Jerod Haynes as Big Phil
- Malkia Stampley as Marisol
- Rashada Dawan as Janet Porter (Season 1)
- Madison Dirks as Marty Gallagher
- Morocco Omari as Speak (Season 1)
- Sammy A. Publes as Coach Angelo (Season 1)
- Michael Patrick Thornton as Michael Patrick Thornton (Season 1)
- Jayson Lee as Calvin Harris (Season 1)
- Al'Jaleel McGhee as Lotty
- Antonie Pierre as Deputy Moss (Season 1)
- Manuk Aret as Alex (Recurring Season 2, Guest Season 1)
- Karen Aldridge as Naimah Watts (Season 2)
- Paul Turner as Wayne Morris (Season 2)
- Brenda Strong as Kim Pearson (Season 2)
Episodes
Season 2 (2023)
Production
Development
In February 2019, AMC began development on 61st Street which was created by Peter Moffat who is executive producing alongside Michael B. Jordan and Alana Mayo.[5] In October 2019, AMC greenlighted the series and gave it a two-season order,[6] with each season consisting of eight episodes.[7] Series star Courtney B. Vance serves as an executive producer.[8]
Casting
In January 2020, Courtney B. Vance, Tosin Cole and Bentley Green were cast in the series.[9] In May 2020, Eric Lange was cast in the series.[10] In February 2021, Holt McCallany replaced Lange; and Aunjanue Ellis, Killian Scott, and Andrene Ward-Hammond were cast in the series.[11] In March 2021, Jerod Haynes was cast in the series.[12] In May 2021, Mark O'Brien replaced Killian Scott as Officer Logan in the series.[13]
Release
The series was originally set to premiere in 2021.[7] The premiere was delayed and it premiered on April 10, 2022.[14] The second season of the series had already been filmed, but was dropped by AMC as part of cost-cutting measures announced in December 2022. In May 2023, The CW acquired the series.[15] The second season premiered on July 4, 2023 on Australian streaming service Stan.[16]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 69% approval rating with an average rating of 6.2/10, based on 16 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "61st Street is situated smack dab in a clichéd zip code of television drama, but terrific performances by Courtney B. Vance and a strong supporting cast provide some local attraction."[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]
Notes and References
- Web site: '61st Street': AMC Reveals Exciting First Look at Season 2 . Collider . Matt . Villei . May 31, 2022 . June 26, 2022.
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . AMC Scraps '61st Street' Season 2, 'Invitation to a Bonfire' Series (Exclusive) . Variety . January 5, 2023 . January 5, 2023.
- Web site: Cordero . Rosy . 2023-05-12 . Courtney B. Vance-Starrer '61st Street' Picked Up By The CW After AMC Cancellation . 2023-05-12 . Deadline . en-US.
- Web site: Courtney B. Vance & Aunjanue Ellis-Led Drama ’61st Street’ Sets Season 2 Premiere Date. March 11, 2024. May 2, 2024. Deadline. Cordero. Rosy.
- Web site: Nellie. Andreeva. AMC Opens Writers Room For '61st Street' Drama From Peter Moffat & Michael B. Jordan. February 9, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Nellie. Andreeva. AMC Orders Series '61st Street' & 'Kevin Can F**k Himself'. October 1, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Dino-Ray. Ramos. Courtney B. Vance To Topline AMC Courtroom Drama '61st Street' From Peter Moffat – TCA. January 16, 2020. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Matt. Grobar. '61st Street' Creatives Examine "Systemic Issues" Faced In U.S. Through "Microcosm" Of One City – TCA. August 17, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Denise. Petski. Tosin Cole To Star Opposite Courtney B. Vance In AMC's '61st Street'; Bentley Green Also Cast. January 23, 2020. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Nellie Andreeva. Denise Petski. Eric Lange Joins AMC's Courtroom Drama '61st Street'. May 8, 2020. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Nellie. Andreeva. Holt McCallany, Aunjanue Ellis & Killian Scott Join '61st Street' AMC Series. February 17, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Nellie. Andreeva. '61st Street': Jerod Haynes Joins AMC Series As Recurring. March 23, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Justin. Kroll. 'City On A Hill's Mark O'Brien Joins AMC Series '61st Street'. May 21, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2021.
- Web site: Villei . Matt . '61st Street' Series Starring Tosin Cole and Courtney B. Vance Reveals Release Date on AMC . . February 15, 2022 . February 5, 2022.
- Web site: Bell . BreAnna . 2023-05-12 . The CW Acquires Courtney B. Vance's '61st Street' . 2023-05-12 . Variety . en-US.
- Web site: Abdullah . Immy . A closer look at every show and movie that's coming to Stan in July 2023 . Nine.com.au . July 15, 2023 . June 28, 2023.
- 61st_street. 61st Street. tv. 1. May 9, 2022.
- 61st-street. 61st Street. tv. 1. May 9, 2022.