Copper

I am a lover of television from 'across the pond.' Some of my favorite 'programmes' includes Sherlock, Doctor Who, Skins, Misfits, Torchwood, Downton Abbey, Merlin, and much more. The newest show that I have decided to watch is BBC America's first original scripted series called Copper. Copper is a period drama that follows an Irish-immigrant detective in New York City during the American Civil War in 1864.

Detective Kevin Corcoran, the lead actor played by Tom Weston-Jones, tries to bring peace to the 'Five Points,' a neighborhood notorious for being plagued with disease and crime. He is skilled in the science of deduction (much like Sherlock) and carries swift justice to those who have wronged the city or someone he loves. In the first episode of the show, which is unfortunately the only one I've been able to see since I only started the series last night, Detective Corcoran displays a father-like affection for a girl from the streets named Annie. She is one of the young girls that has been corrupted by the Five Points and has had to resort to pleasuring men for a living although she does not look more than twelve years old. The detective uses his skills of deduction, and the help of his friends, to find out who has murdered and raped Annie's twin sister post-mortem. Although he tracks down the killer, the man responsible for her death was a wealthy and powerful man in society so he was not punished in the slightest and another man, who learned that he was going to die very soon anyway, volunteered to take his place at the gallows. Detective Corcoran is frustrated with this outcome and the murderer's wife has even asked for Annie's sister to be avenged. I am curious as to how this will play out.
Besides having an intriguing story, Copper has great cinematography and art direction. I throughly enjoyed that the show was mostly shot with a shallow depth of field. I actually commend the focus puller for a job well done. This person clearly knew the blocking of the scenes and could predict movement, took the emotional tones of the scene into account, and excelled in difficult rack focusing situations. This element definitely helped advance the story. And of course the costumes, set decoration, and props were also spot on for that time period. It was beautiful to watch.
I am excited to continue watching this series. I am thrilled that it has been renewed for a second season. Although BBC America isn't available to most viewers unless they have a subscription, the series premiere brought in 1.8 million viewers, the highest-rated series premiere and highest-rated drama series for the channel. I can't wait to watch more!