TVSquad

(S01E01) "Most cops would kill to get into homicide" - John Amsterdam

I like the way this show begins. A brief voice over, a few establishing scenes and some hints as to what makes this series special. In the first five minutes, we learn that John Amsterdam is a homicide detective living in New York who owns a dog, has an active sex life is a recovering alcoholic and was once fatally stabbed in the chest. Makes sense.

Once the show gets rolling, we meet his new partner and his seasoned co-worker. This is where it becomes evident that New Amsterdam is your basic cop show with an added twist.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Viva Laughlin, Cold Case, and Shark.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• NBC has a new Football Night In America at 7, then the Steelers/Broncos game.
• There's a new epiosode of The CW Now on The CW at 7.
• At 8, FOX has the Red Sox/Indians game.
• Nick has a new Zoey 101 at 8, followed by a new Nick News.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Theatre.
• Food Network has a new Next Iron Chef at 9, then a new Iron Chef America.
• HBO has a new Tell Me You Love Me at 9, then a new Curb Your Enthusiasm.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Dexter, followed by a new Brotherhood.
• At 10, VH-1 has a new Hogan Knows Best.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Kathryn Morris, who plays Detective Lilly Rush on CBS' Cold Case, doesn't sound like she's particularly enjoying her time on the show right now and wants a change.

The show is coming up on its 100th episode, and Morris doesn't like the fact that what's happening on the show is top secret and under the radar, which she says leads to the show not being nominated for Emmys (I have no idea what she's talking about here). Lilly was in the hospital, the victim of a gunshot, on the season ender last year. She wants the show to be sexier and edgier, like The Wire or The Sopranos.

Of course, The Wire and The Sopranos are on cable, and Cold Case is on CBS.

• At 7, ABC has a repeat America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by a new Extreme Makeover, a repeat Desperate Housewives, and a repeat Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without A Trace.
• NBC has Football Night In America at 7, followed by the Seahawks vs. the Broncos.
• Hallmark has the movie A Carol Christmas at 7, then Jack Frost.
• The CW has a new Reba at 7:30.
• At 8, FOX has repeats of The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• There's a new 7th Heaven on The CW at 8, then a repeat America's Next Top Model.
• Lifetime has the movie A Different Kind of Christmas at 8, followed by A Dad For Christmas.
• Disney has a holiday movie at 8 too: The Ultimate Christmas Present.
• At 8:30, PBS has Tony Bennett Duets: The Making of an American Classic.
• Food Network has a new Iron Chef America at 9, Batali vs. Blais.
• At 9, Discovery has more of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Dog Show.
• TNT has Noah Wyle and Bob Newhart in the sequel The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines. It's on at 9 as well.
• Also at 9: AMC has Miracle on 34th Street.
• At 10, HBO has a new ep of The Wire, while Showtime has a new ep of Dexter.

So I'm watching TV late Saturday night, making one last channel surf before hitting the sack, and I come across a show called Cold Squad. It's about a team of police investigators who solve tricky crimes. The main character is a spunky woman with short blond hair, and the theme song features slight moans. Hmmm...where have I seen all this before?

That's right, Cold Case! I sat there amazed that a show could rip off such a really popular show. What, they didn't think anyone would notice that some low-budget syndicated show wasn't a replica of a hit CBS program?

Then, of course, I did some detective work of my own on the internets, and I discover that Cold Squad debuted in Canada in 1997! And it lasted for seven seasons! Which means it came on the air many, many years before Cold Case! A company finally got the rights to syndicate the show here in the U.S. this year, and the run started this past week. It starred Julie Stewart as Ali McCormick, and cast members during the show's run (several cast members were replaced) included Stephen McHattie, Michael Hogan, Joy Tanner, Linda Ko, and Peter Wingfield and Jim Byrnes from Highlander.

The makers of Cold Squad actually sued the makers of Cold Case a few years ago, but I can't find any information on the outcome of the lawsuit. Readers?