Where Can I Can Stream It? - 'Crime Story'

"Miami Vice" was one of the hottest shows on television when executive producer Michael Mann left the show to launch a new crime series for NBC: this one set in post-Capone era Chicago. "Crime Story" was a pop culture phenomenon during its first season and much of that buzz is due to the stripped down nature of the episodes. Dennis Farina plays Chicago Major Crimes Unit Lieutenant Mike Torello as he traded blows with rising mobster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison). Set in 1963, the battle between these two rising stars stretched across the entire 22-episode season one and in its own way, "Crime Story" was as unique a world view as "Miami Vice." It had an energy and bluster that was unlike anything else on television.

The problem with "Crime Story" is that it stripped away most of what worked in season one when it moved to Las Vegas for season two. The sometimes clunky scripts that threatened to derail the show in its first season were on full display in season two. And the season also included a plot which sent Luca scurrying to some nameless South American country, with Torello and his squad in hot pursuit. By then, "Crime Story" hadn't just jumped the shark, it had killed the shark with boredom.

But for all of the flaws of season two, season one of "Crime Story" is well worth watching. It's an early indication of where mobster shows like "The Sopranos" would eventually end up: as TV series that are as much about the complex moral quandaries of the characters as they are about crime and punishment.



For viewers watching in 2018, one of the fun things about "Crime Story" are the numerous guest star appearances by actors who went on to become household names. Julia Roberts (see above) makes her first television appearance as a juvenile rape victim in the Season one episode "The Survivor". David Caruso makes several appearances in season one and singer Deborah Harry shows up in one episode playing one of Ray Lucas' girlfriends. You'll also spot Kevin Spacey, Ving Rhames, Christian Slater, jazz musician Miles Davis, Stanley Tucci. David Hyde Pierce, Michael Rooker, Michael Jeter, Steven Weber and many others.

Where Can I Stream It?:
The advertiser-supported video streaming service Pluto TV is probably best known for it cable television-like channel offerings ranging from CNBC and Shout TV to a number of movie and music networks. But it also boasts a small, rotating library of movies and television shows you can access directly (although that option doesn't seem to be available on the web). Pluto has both seasons of "Crime Story" available for on-demand streaming and the episodes are also included on its "Crime Network" channel. Click here to see the various ways you can watch Pluto TV.