The District first premiered in October of 2000 and is getting ready to open its 4th season later this month. It stars Craig T. Nelson as Jack Mannion, the Chief of Police in Washington D.C. It is based loosely on former deputy police commissioner of New York, Jack Maple, who was known for his oversized ego, and brilliant policing techniques (www.tvguide.com). Maple, along with Terry George created the show, and Denise Di Novi and Pamela Veasey are the executive producers. .
The District has many qualities of typical cop shows in that it portrays the life of fighting crime and putting bad guys behind bars. Also there is some semblance of very early police programming where the police were very militaristic. The main character, Jack Mannion, runs his department like a general and the street cops are his soldiers. He is a very demanding chief that expects everyone to either obey his orders or get out. Sometimes his no-nonsense ways ruffles the feathers of both the cops under him and the mayor above him, but he also has a soft side that enables his men to give him the respect that he asks for. The interesting aspect of this show that was different from all the other shows we watched in class, is that there is a lot political bureaucracy involved and Mannion has to do more than just help to keep the city safe, he also has to fight the press and his superiors, mainly the mayor, to keep his job. The show also delves into the personal lives of not just the main character, but also the members of his supporting cast. In a few of the episodes, there were story lines that did not have to do with policing at all, but with relationships outside of the job. This was somewhat similar to ChIps, but in much greater detail. .
Perhaps what stands out most about this show was the ethnic makeup of it. Mannion is white, but the mayor, the Chief of Patrol, Mannion's most trusted cop, and his headquarters confidant are all African-American.
