The Red Line (TV series)

The Red Line
GenreDrama
Created by
Starring
Composers
  • Blake Neely
  • Sherri Chung
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseApril 28 (2019-04-28) –
May 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)

The Red Line is an American drama limited television series created and written by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss which premiered on CBS on April 28 and concluded on May 19, 2019.[1]

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 (CTA) as part of the city's "L" system.

Premise

In "The Red Line," the storyline centers on a Chicago police officer of Caucasian descent who shoots and kills an African American doctor. The narrative explores the lives of three families intertwined with the case:

The first family consists of the victim's husband and their adopted daughter. The second family involves the birth mother of the adopted daughter, who is running for city council and is married with a young son. The third family is that of the police officer, whose brother is a former police officer with a disability, and whose father is a retired police captain.

Cast and characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"We Must All Care"Victoria MahoneyCaitlin Parrish & Erica WeissApril 28, 2019 (2019-04-28)T33.010044.80[2]
2"We Are Each Other's Harvest"Kevin HooksShernold EdwardsApril 28, 2019 (2019-04-28)T33.103024.80[2]
3"For We Meet by One or the Other"Aurora GuerreroSue ChungMay 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)T33.103033.88[3]
4"We Need Glory for a While"Matthew A. CherryAaron CarterMay 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)T33.103043.88[3]
5"One Day We May Be More Than a Body"Sheelin ChokseyFawzia MirzaMay 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)T33.103053.47[4]
6"We Turn Up This Music Louder Than a Mother's Cry"Kevin HooksBrendan KellyMay 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)T33.103063.47[4]
7"I Must Tell You What We Have Inherited"DeMane DavisSunil NayarMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)T33.103073.23[5]
8"This Victory Alone Is Not the Change We Seek"Thomas CarterCaitlin Parrish & Erica WeissMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)T33.103083.23[5]

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.[6] On March 1, 2018, it was announced that Victoria Mahoney would direct the pilot.[7] On May 11, 2018, it was announced that CBS had given the production a series order.[8] A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere in the spring of 2019 as a mid-season replacement.[9]

On June 7, 2019, CBS announced that The Red Line would not return for another season.[10]

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.[7][11][12][13]

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."[14] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Red Line
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "We Must All Care" April 28, 2019 0.4/2 4.80[2] 0.2 1.09 0.6 5.89[16]
2 "We Are Each Other's Harvest" April 28, 2019 0.4/2 4.80[2] 0.2 1.09 0.6 5.89[16]
3 "For We Meet by One or the Other" May 5, 2019 0.4/2 3.88[3] TBD TBD TBD TBD
4 "We Need Glory for a While" May 5, 2019 0.4/2 3.88[3] TBD TBD TBD TBD
5 "One Day We May Be More Than a Body" May 12, 2019 0.3/2 3.47[4] 0.2 0.91 0.5 4.38[17]
6 "We Turn Up This Music Louder Than a Mother's Cry" May 12, 2019 0.3/2 3.47[4] 0.2 0.91 0.5 4.38[17]
7 "I Must Tell You What We Have Inherited" May 19, 2019 0.3/1 3.23[5] 0.1 0.89 0.4 4.13[18]
8 "This Victory Alone Is Not the Change We Seek" May 19, 2019 0.3/1 3.23[5] 0.1 0.89 0.4 4.13[18]

References

  1. ^ "The TVLine-Up: What's Leaving, New and Returning the Week of May 19". TVLine. May 18, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Welch, Alex (April 30, 2019). "'American Idol,' 'The Simpsons' adjust up, 'The Red Line' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Welch, Alex (May 7, 2019). "'American Idol' adjusts up: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Welch, Alex (May 14, 2019). "'American Idol' adjusts up, 'The Red Line' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Welch, Alex (May 21, 2019). "'American Idol' adjusts up, 'America's Funniest Home Videos' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 2, 2018). "'L.A. Confidential', Eric Holder-Inspired 'Main Justice' Among 4 CBS Drama Pilots From Top Producers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Petski, Denise (March 1, 2018). "'Red Line': Noel Fisher & Michael Patrick Thornton Cast In CBS Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2018). "'Magnum P.I.', 'God Friended Me' & 'The Red Line' Dramas Get CBS Series Orders". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (January 15, 2019). "'The Code', 'The Red Line', 'Ransom' Drama Series Get Midseason Premiere Dates On CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (June 7, 2019). "'The Red Line' Canceled By CBS After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 6, 2018). "Noah Wyle To Topline CBS Pilot 'Red Line' From Ava DuVernay & Greg Berlanti". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (March 8, 2018). "Christine Ko Joins CW's 'Dead Inside'; Vinny Chhibber In CBS' 'Red Line'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (March 9, 2018). "'Red Line': Howard Charles & Elizabeth Laidlaw Joins CBS Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  14. ^ "The Red Line: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  15. ^ "The Red Line: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Thorne, Will (May 13, 2019). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of April 22: Canceled 'Whiskey Cavalier' Among Biggest Gainers". Variety. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Thorne, Will (May 28, 2019). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of May 6: 'Agents of SHIELD' Premiere Sees Solid Gain". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Thorne, Will (June 3, 2019). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of May 13: 'Big Bang Theory' Finale Hits 24 Million Viewers". Variety. Retrieved June 3, 2019.