''Copper'' is a

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

television series created by Tom Fontana and Will Rokos for

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary seri ...

. It is set in 1860s New York City, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, and stars

Tom Weston-Jones Tom Weston-Jones (born 29 June 1987) is an English actor, known for his role in '' Copper'' and for playing Richard Lee in ''Warrior'' (2019). Early life and education Weston-Jones was born in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, and was brought ...

as an Irish immigrant policeman, or "copper", who patrols and resides in the Five Points neighborhood. Other cast members include Kyle Schmid, Ato Essandoh, Anastasia Griffith,

Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempes ...

and

Franka Potente Franka Potente (; born 22 July 1974) is a German actress. She first appeared in the comedy film '' After Five in the Forest Primeval'' (1995), for which she won a Bavarian Film Award for Best Young Actress. Her breakthrough came in 1998, when sh ...

. The series was BBC America's first original scripted program after previously only airing co-productions and shows from the United Kingdom. Fontana, Rokos,

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...

, and Christina Wayne were executive producers of the series. The first season of 10 episodes premiered on August 19, 2012. The series was renewed for a second season of 13 episodes, which premiered on June 23, 2013. On September 19, 2013, ''Copper''s cancellation was announced, three days before its second-season finale aired.

Premise

The series centers on Kevin "Corky" Corcoran, an Irish immigrant police detective trying to keep the peace in the historical Five Points neighborhood, in 1860s New York City. Initially, he is simultaneously searching for information on his wife, who disappeared, and daughter, who was killed, while he was fighting down south for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. The show explores the effects of the

as well as the

social stratification Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and politi ...

involving New York's

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

and

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

population.

Episodes

Cast and characters

as Kevin "Corky" Corcoran, a rugged Irish immigrant cop in New York City * Kyle Schmid as Robert Morehouse, the son of a wealthy

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping ...

industrialist, formerly Corcoran and Freeman's major in the Union Army * Ato Essandoh as Matthew Freeman, an African-American physician and runaway slave, who serves as an informal pathologist for Corcoran * Anastasia Griffith as Elizabeth Haverford, the English wife of a wealthy Fifth Avenue friend of Morehouse's *

as Eva Heissen, a shrewd

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

n businesswoman and madam of a brothel * Kevin Ryan as Francis Maguire, an Irish cop working alongside Corcoran * Dylan Taylor as Andrew O'Brien, a detective who works with Corcoran and Maguire * Kiara Glasco as Annie Reilly, a 12-year-old orphaned prostitute *

as Sara Freeman, Matthew's wife, a runaway slave whose brothers were

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

by a group of Irishmen *

Alex Paxton-Beesley Alex Paxton-Beesley (born September 24, 1986) is a Canadian actress. She is noted for her acting roles in several TV series, including ''Copper'', '' The Strain'', '' Wynonna Earp'', ''Cardinal'' and '' Pure''. Early life Paxton-Beesley was b ...

as Ellen Corcoran, Corky's wife, who disappeared while he served in the Union army * Ron White as Ciaran Joseph Sullivan, the captain of the sixth precinct and Corcoran's boss *

Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...

as Brendan Donovan, a Civil War Brigadier General who is the Sixth Ward

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

boss *

Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...

as Hattie Lemaster, Sara's mother, a newly freed slave

Production

announced the series during the

Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canada, Canadian television television criticism, critics, journalists and columnists who cover television television programme, programming for newspapers, ...

(TCA) summer press tour, on July 28, 2011. General Manager Perry Simon said the series is a "great fit" for the network, as it " apturesthe early American multicultural experience in provocative, ground-breaking fashion". Series creators Tom Fontana and Will Rokos are joined as executive producers by

and Cineflix Studios president Christina Wayne. Additional members of the production team include Steven Cosens as director of photography, Delphine White as costume designer, and John Blackie as production designer. In January 2012, the main cast of the series—comprising Weston-Jones, Schmid, Griffith, and Potente—was unveiled. The actors hail from a variety of backgrounds: Weston-Jones and Griffith are British; Potente is German; and Schmid is Canadian. Irish actor Kevin Ryan and American actress

also joined as series regulars. Filming began in January 2012, in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. After naming it their "highest-rated drama series ever", BBC America ordered a second season of 13 episodes, which began airing in June 2013.

Broadcast

''Copper'' premiered August 19, 2012 on BBC America in the United States, and August 26, 2012 on Showcase in Canada.Shaw Media (2012). Copper on Showcase. Retrieved from http://www.showcase.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?Root_Title_Id=278563 . It is also broadcast on

FX Australia FX was an Australian subscription television channel which focused on male-skewed television shows. The channel is owned and operated by Fox Networks Group and launched on 26 February 2012 on both Foxtel and Austar platforms. On 12 June 2012 ...

in Australia and on HBO in the Netherlands. On September 19, 2013, BBC America announced that ''Copper'' would end its run after the Season 2 finale, stating that the series had reached "a fitting moment to conclude". A feature film was considered, but so far nothing has happened.

Soundtrack

On May 28, 2013,

Valley Entertainment Valley Entertainment is an American independent record label and music distributor based in New York City, United States. The company was founded in 1994 by Barney Cohen and Jon Birge. In 2001, it acquired the prestigious back catalogue of space, ...

released ''Copper: Original Soundtrack'', with music composed by Brian Keane, worldwide on CD and in digital formats.

References

External links

* , the program's official website * * * {{TV Guide, 327284 2010s Canadian drama television series 2012 Canadian television series debuts 2013 Canadian television series endings 2010s American drama television series 2012 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings BBC America original programming English-language television shows Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department Television series set in the 1860s Television shows filmed in Toronto Television shows set in New York City Television series by Cineflix Television series about the American Civil War Television series by Corus Entertainment Television series created by Tom Fontana