High Incident

By TODD EVERETT

ABC, Mon. March 4, 9 p.m.
 
Cast: Matthew Beck, Dylan A. Bruno, Matt Craven, Aunjanue Ellis, Cole Hauser, David Keith, Catherine Kellner, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Louis Mustillo, Lucinda Jenney, Titus Welliver, Rocky Carroll, Mike Starr, Wendy Davis, Bert Rosario, Kevin West, Stacey Pickren, Ping Wu, Rachel Duncan, Michelle Bonilla, Reed Rudy, Mary Pat Green, Susan Slome, Phillip Abrams, Jameson Baltes, Stuart Nisbet, Bill Shick, Hoke Howell.
 

Filmed in Chatsworth, Calif., by DreamWorks Television L.C.C. Executive producers, Michael Pavone, Dave Alan Johnson, Eric Bogosian; co-executive producer/director, Charles Haid; producer, Ralph Winter; associate producer, Walton Dornisch; script, Bogosian, Pavone, Johnson; Sharp new series "High Incident" follows uniform cops at work in suburban Southern California town of El Camino; first drama from DreamWorks has a familiar air, but -- pitted against CBS comedy block and NBC movies -- could be a winner.

First episode (to be repeated March 5 in "NYPD Blue" slot) starts in the middle of some action, as officer Russell Topps (Louis Mustillo) breaks up a fight among adults at a children's party. Several other stories filling the first hour range in tone from a sexual harassment complaint filed against brash Sgt. Jim Marsh (David Keith) to the arrest of a comic street entertainer (Kevin West) to a fatal assault during a seemingly routine traffic stop.

And there are others, including the rather tired stereotype of a woman cop (Catherine Kellner) who pushes extra hard -- maybe dangerously so -- to be treated as an equal among the men. And speaking of tired stereotypes, Cole Hauser plays Randy Willitz, rookie son of a supercop, whose first assignment pairs him with acerbic Marsh.

Steven Spielberg gets story credit along with producer-scripters Eric Bogosian, Michael Pavone and Dave Alan Johnson; whether or not he had anything to do with it, the most Spielbergian storyline deals with a youngster (Jameson Baltes) playing "Shane" against an adultbully (Mike Starr) when none of the parents will testify against him.

Other characters will develop as story proceeds; so far, Keith's character is shown as a potential loose cannon, and Mustillo is (relatively) warm and cuddly -- though tough when necessary, of course.

Director/co-exec producer Charles Haid (no stranger to cop shows) gets a lot out of his fine cast, and severalof the action scenes show above-average energy.

Camera, Bing Sokolsky; editor, David Holden; production designer, John T. Walker; art director, Robert Harbour; sound, Brad Sherman, Mike Gatlin; music, Hans Zimmer. 60 MIN.