High-tech detectives
A billionaire turns a struggling police force into CUTTING-EDGE CRIME-FIGHTERS
NEW CRIME DRAMA APB Wednesday, FOX HD, 9pm
IT CAN’T BE often that Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson have inspired a US police drama, but the writers of new crime series
APB say the show’s lead character is a combination of both of the billionaire businessmen.
The 12-part series focuses on super-rich tech genius Gideon
Reeves (Justin Kirk), who witnesses his best friend being shot dead in Chicago during a botched robbery.
When Gideon discovers that the
underfunded
police force has little hope
of catching the killer, he persuades the mayor to put him in charge of the crime-ridden 13th
District, planning to turn it into the world’s most technically advanced force.
‘Gideon is a
problem-solver and
a showman like
Elon Musk, and he has the optimistic brashness of Richard Branson,’ reveals showrunner Matt Nix. ‘The series is also inspired by a true story of a very wealthy New Orleans man who suffered several burglaries and funded an upgrade to the city’s police.’
Determined to get justice for his friend, Gideon equips the cops with cutting-edge kit including electric motorbikes, long-range Tasers, and armed drones. He also introduces a new app, called APB, that citizens can use to report crimes in real time.
His new ideas are welcomed by some of the cops, including streetsmart officer Theresa Murphy (Natalie Martinez), but others are more resistant.
‘Gideon is big and brash and disruptive in the same way Iron
Man’s Tony Stark is,’ says Nix. ‘But he’s also more grounded and heartfelt.’
Gideon quickly discovers that not all his ideas translate to the real world. When he equips the precinct with the fastest, most powerful cruisers money can buy, it turns out the cars aren’t ideal for the needs of an urban police chase.
SHOW OF FORCE
‘We see how Gideon’s financial input makes things go well, and we also see the pitfalls,’ says Kirk. ‘We don’t shy away from what it would mean for a guy with a lot of money to privatise the police, even if he has the best intentions.’
When it came to getting a handle on Gideon’s tech knowledge, Kirk admits it was a steep learning curve.
‘I would say that I’m kind of like the grandmother with no children at home to help her,’ he grins. ‘It was constant work to get a very surface understanding of the technology we use in the show. I relied on the prop guys to constantly tell me why things were happening and what was going where to do what to who!’