This WAS a top notch show. I'll state that i could not finish season 3. My wife and i rate season 1-2 as 9 out of 10, FANTASTIC! It was good acting, the cases were interesting, the actors were great, there was some good interpersonal tension, good mix of personal drama, and some really interesting long story arcs weaving through the seasons. Season three started and it was utter garbage. All the characters were hollywoodized, the interpersonal interaction was hostile and they ruined everything she worked for in the first 2 seasons. The actors were more U.S. glamorous, the focus was on personal lives, the cases not as interesting, and the characters were just felt corrupt and lame. Sad and pathetic. I was so sad the series nose-dived - the whole flavor changed. Julie Stewart was the only redeeming part of season three - and they took away her as a focus... she was still great.
16 Reviews
Canadian CSI: Vancouver Edition!
Sylviastel1 September 2007
Okay, I watched the Cold Squad a few times. Expect for the fact that we have so many CSI and Law and Order shows on the air, Cold Squad would have been a great stand out. I applaud Canadian actress, Julie Stewart, who plays the lead cop, Ali McCormick, in all 7 seasons. She is on par with Dame Helen Mirren in the Prime Suspect series in England. Of course, her hairstyle reminds me of American mystery writer, Patricia Cornwell at times. The show's strength is on the location in beautiful Vancouver as Vancouver. Of course, the show has weaknesses with trying to maintain originality and uniqueness from the American shows like CSI and Law & Order. I appreciate that it is a Canadian show and I love Canadian television but I'm tired of these crime shows trying to outdo each other. There are just too many of them and they begin to resemble each other.
Bitter Sweet
rlbdoc2 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I binged this on Hulu over several weeks off and on. The total program was fair to just ok. There were only a handful of episodes that were better than average. Less that were excellent. Most episodes were slow and boring. The development of the main characters was very limited to minor interpersonal difficulties to one with a really poor marriage. The progression was to either retiring, moving on or dying. One character loss was a ill-timed loss and a mistake in my opinion with the writing.
The main character, Sgt. McCormick was sadly an unhappy person who never really accepted grace and love offered by those she worked with or became involved with. The "finale" continued to avoid any closure. I do not know if this was by intention or simply a loss of contract, funding, etc. That often curtails TV productions.
The main character, Sgt. McCormick was sadly an unhappy person who never really accepted grace and love offered by those she worked with or became involved with. The "finale" continued to avoid any closure. I do not know if this was by intention or simply a loss of contract, funding, etc. That often curtails TV productions.
Gripping Police Drama
echo_3730 December 2000
"Cold Squad" scores with its engaging plotlines, terrific acting (especially Julie Stewart as Sgt. McCormick), and taut direction. Hats off to CTV and the show's creators for creating and airing such a terrific Canadian police drama. For all of you Canadians who are disappointed with the quality of Canadian television series, and for TV viewers all over the world who want a good drama and are capable of receiving a Canadian show, this is for you. It's now on Saturdays at 9pm EST on CTV, so watch it! It's great!
Watch this crime procedural...
dpc6918 July 2019
Find a place to binge all seven seasons. If you don't care for one season, try another. Every one builds up to a dramatic peak, a cast shake-up and a complete revamp. Main characters get killed off, injured or transfer out (just like real-life).
The only link is Sargeant Allie McCormick, head of a little hole-in-the-wall newly-formed operation in the basement of the police building. In the first season she drives a used BMW 2002, has a sick mom and a head of close-cropped florescent-dyed red hair. All of this atmosphere is gone by season three, but season 1 & 2 is full of it! These are my favorite episodes. Great jazz theme by Terry Frewer, darkly photographed, emphasis on forensics and psychology and cerebral. Personal back stories take a back seat to the investigation. This balance is tested and changed over subsequent seasons, with Allie's love life and numerous liasons weaving in and out up many episodes. As a character, Allie grows on you. She is a flawed human being trying to find her stance in life, growing, falling, always picking the wrong guy and trying new hair styles and colors. Along the way she has an termination of pregnancy, affairs with fellow officers and bosses and Russian police. What a girl!
Unlike U.S. based series (where you find a formula and stick to it like cement) Cold Squad completely changed every season, bringing in the best actors in Canada to fill slots in the ensemble. All the little nuances eventually succumb to action sequences and fashionable style.
It's turned into a guilty pleasure to watch.
Time Frame : 23JAN1998 (1997 filming) - PRE CSI!!!!
cantrelayne20 April 2024
The bad reviews are due to the fact that the reviewers are not factoring in the time frame. The show is 26 years old people. This series PRE DATES CSI (2000); and Cold Case (2003) was a direct rip off of this series, right down to Lily Rush's hair style. On top of that this is set in Vancouver BC for Vancouver BC audiences and based on real cases from Van. US audiences would not be familiar with the authenticity. The fact that there were many character changes through out gave it a more realistic vibe. The only character that should have stayed besides McCormick was Logozzo, however, Michael Hogan left when he was offered the role of Colonel Saul Tigh. The other reason for bad reviews is that when the series went into syndication/ streaming for the US market 11 minutes were shaved off each episode, so there are key parts of every episode missing every time it runs/ streams in the US. Julie Stewart is Brilliant portraying a Sergeant that, as with real life detectives, devolves with the wear and tear of homicides on the soul. She also does a Brilliant job of portraying what it's like to be a top female homicide detective in a misogynist system. It also showcases Van at the time and the very real issues of the day. Much like NYPD Blue and Cagney and Lacey in the US, this was a groundbreaking show and most people watching the show now did not see it when it originally aired. Michael Hogan was absolutely stellar as Logozzo; much like Dennis Franz as Sipowicz; a veteran cop that has to learn to adapt to technological advances as well as changing police procedures. The on screen chemistry between him and Julie is palpable and all with proper BC English, which sadly, you don't hear in Van anymore. I was lucky enough to watch it when it first aired, in its entirety, rather than the cut up US syndicate version that airs nowadays.
My review of Canada's series Cold Catch
suzzy5003 August 2013
I was disappointed after watching 3 episodes of this series on Hula....I'm a huge fan of crime shows and would consider myself a connoisseur of such. Our American Cold Case was a superior series, as is our CSI's and La Law's and the majority of our crime oriented well known series, are mostly quality.... I am also very familiar with several European crime series's such as Wallander , MI5,and what i consider the cream of the crop Euro crime shows...having watched many episodes of several European crime series, there is little to compare with their excellence. The Canadian production of Cold Catch i found to be mediocre at best. Poor plot construction..lots of no-brainer twists that lack substance and oh so cliché. The relationship between the redhead what's her name and her co-workers is hostile and not cohesive and has no real depth..plus as much as i hate to say it, she's not a good actress at all, and could learn much from some of our diva crime scene actresses.... I feel bad that my review is not a good one, having lived in Canada for 4 yrs..a lovely country with great people. So come on Canada you can do much better than this!
Passes time well enough but "main character" Julie Stewart is HORRIBLE.
hollylynne-655269 January 2023
Okay so for starters; I'm an insomniac. I read a lot but sometimes I just want to binge on streaming as the night seems to pass quicker. That being said I've run out of all the "modern" popular crime dramas. I was hesitant about this one but it was well filmed and well choreographed. It was even mostly well written and the acting was also above par.
However.. I don't know what they were thinking with "main character" Allie McCormick (Julie Stewart). They really went bottom of the barrel with her. She's like nails on a chalkboard and just a consistently frustrating person. She's always crying, screaming, flipping out or lying. She does whatever she wants with zero consequences, including once stabbing a cuffed suspect because he teased her, and is always going rogue.. yet is the first one to lecture someone else for going overboard or doing something wrong. Plus she's beyond immature. Her snarky "HEH HEH" laugh whenever she has no rhetort is super obnoxious.. combined with how she grins, with her small pointy yellow teeth, it makes her look like a raging psychopath. Her actual laugh is this gnarly cackle. Her voice, especially the yelling, goes right through you. As a whole she is just seriously unhinged.
All of the other characters have been mostly great but this would be so much better without her; the out of control, miserable, overemotional, overcompensating female cop personified. But if you can manage to tune her out this is a pretty well rounded show. I found it interesting, as an American, to get a glimpse at the Canadian legal system and court system.
I also enjoyed that they brought the behavioral aspects of crime in right away in the first episode by introducing things like forensic psychology and profiling techniques.
If you are into crime dramas but not so much on the gore this may be a solid fit. It's not exactly Murder She Wrote but it's also not Bones or Criminal Minds as far as gore and violence go. It does cover some sensitive topics but really what doesn't? Nothing really over the top.
However.. I don't know what they were thinking with "main character" Allie McCormick (Julie Stewart). They really went bottom of the barrel with her. She's like nails on a chalkboard and just a consistently frustrating person. She's always crying, screaming, flipping out or lying. She does whatever she wants with zero consequences, including once stabbing a cuffed suspect because he teased her, and is always going rogue.. yet is the first one to lecture someone else for going overboard or doing something wrong. Plus she's beyond immature. Her snarky "HEH HEH" laugh whenever she has no rhetort is super obnoxious.. combined with how she grins, with her small pointy yellow teeth, it makes her look like a raging psychopath. Her actual laugh is this gnarly cackle. Her voice, especially the yelling, goes right through you. As a whole she is just seriously unhinged.
All of the other characters have been mostly great but this would be so much better without her; the out of control, miserable, overemotional, overcompensating female cop personified. But if you can manage to tune her out this is a pretty well rounded show. I found it interesting, as an American, to get a glimpse at the Canadian legal system and court system.
I also enjoyed that they brought the behavioral aspects of crime in right away in the first episode by introducing things like forensic psychology and profiling techniques.
If you are into crime dramas but not so much on the gore this may be a solid fit. It's not exactly Murder She Wrote but it's also not Bones or Criminal Minds as far as gore and violence go. It does cover some sensitive topics but really what doesn't? Nothing really over the top.
The West Coast Edge
dlhunt5 July 2002
Miami Vice, move over. Way over! Cold Squad encompasses the drug trade, prostitution, murder, child sex abuse and political corruption. All this is investigated with cold leads that are years, sometimes decades, old.
Ali McCormick (Julie Stewart) is among toughest of cops portrayed on North American TV screens and she leads a team of cops who investigate the grittiest of crimes in the Greater Vancouver area. As a cop with an erratic schedule, Ali decides to become a Big Sister to a pre-teen girl and then develops feelings for the father of the girl. This makes her work/home life more complicated.
The complexities of being a cop on Cold Squad are further complicated by the personalities and talents of other members of the team. There is the ambitious office assistant, Christine Wren, (Joely Collins) who embarrasses superiors with her correctness and knowledge, a former undercover RCMP officer Nicco Sevallis, (Gregory Calpakis), who mixes up his alliances, the hardworking, but not very careful Mickey Kollander (Tamara Craig Thomas) and the right-wing Christian fundamentalist, Len Harper, (Matthew Bennett) who listens genuinely well before making his thoughts known to Ali.
Stewart, who has played motherly and romantic roles in the past, can glory in her success as one of the most watched hard-edged lead roles on TV today as she enters another "seasoned" season.
If her performance and scope continue, in few short years she will take her place alongside actors like Helen Mirren. Go for it, Julie!
Ali McCormick (Julie Stewart) is among toughest of cops portrayed on North American TV screens and she leads a team of cops who investigate the grittiest of crimes in the Greater Vancouver area. As a cop with an erratic schedule, Ali decides to become a Big Sister to a pre-teen girl and then develops feelings for the father of the girl. This makes her work/home life more complicated.
The complexities of being a cop on Cold Squad are further complicated by the personalities and talents of other members of the team. There is the ambitious office assistant, Christine Wren, (Joely Collins) who embarrasses superiors with her correctness and knowledge, a former undercover RCMP officer Nicco Sevallis, (Gregory Calpakis), who mixes up his alliances, the hardworking, but not very careful Mickey Kollander (Tamara Craig Thomas) and the right-wing Christian fundamentalist, Len Harper, (Matthew Bennett) who listens genuinely well before making his thoughts known to Ali.
Stewart, who has played motherly and romantic roles in the past, can glory in her success as one of the most watched hard-edged lead roles on TV today as she enters another "seasoned" season.
If her performance and scope continue, in few short years she will take her place alongside actors like Helen Mirren. Go for it, Julie!
Good show RUINED by totally unlikeable lead actress
phil-9105915 September 2023
This was very good show, interesting cases, well produced..... I really wanted to like this. Watched all of season 1, I have to tell you, it was a struggle. Season two, more of the same. The utterly sexless AND sexist character, Sgt. McCormick, self-righteous to the point of being, as I indicated, totally unlikeable.... enough. It git to the point where I could not get through an episode in one sitting early in season two.
The other characters were alright, they were all canned after season two. The Universe would have been better served if they had let the lead actress, Julie Stewart, go and kept the supporting players.
This show could have been great. It is not.
The other characters were alright, they were all canned after season two. The Universe would have been better served if they had let the lead actress, Julie Stewart, go and kept the supporting players.
This show could have been great. It is not.
Good, but not amazing
nassty_hobbitses918 June 2005
While I enjoyed this series in that it was Canadian, well acted, fairly well scripted and with a good plot, it is my personal opinion that it fails to reach the standards set by such series as CSI and Law and Order. The over-involvement of the squad's personal lives is what I think galled me the most. Don't get me wrong, I like a little personal spice thrown in here and there, but it often seemed to be more about the investigators than the investigation. But hey, if that's what you're going for, then this is certainly the show for you. I'm certainly not a expert, having only seen one season, but I did see the entire first season, and what I saw there mostly pleased me. There was a good, solid plot; a script that is much more high-brow and MUCH less painfully corny than the twenty million other hack cop shows being aired; More than decent actors who are decently but not unrealistically beautiful and who wear clothes detectives would actually WEAR; and for the fellow science nuts out there, forensics is added JUST enough to make it interesting from that aspect. All in all, I'd say, for a Canadian thing, its pretty darn amazing- but out of the whole world, I've seen better.
They're Back With A Vengeance
flatfootcdb5 September 2004
After a fifteen months hiatus most of the gang is back with a few new faces - new office - same problems. A hurting Ali is back to hopefully complete a task she left unfinished before this last season closes for a final wrap. A great cop show that displays a true view into the lives of real policing in a real city setting of Vancouver, British Columbia. This series is actually shot in a location were many US TV series are shot for Hollywood North productions. The issues promoted throughout the production are about everyday subjects and one specific area of endeavor - cold cases - which haunt most big city police forces. Cold cases are matters of investigation that had roadblocks caused by insufficient evidence to closing a matter of a death by misadventure (or unexplained outcome). Persistence pays off with dogging investigators who have to play by the rules with "clientale" who committed the crime who don't play by the rules. Justice is not always swift and solved in 59 minutes and 59 seconds time frame. A strong showing by a cast that works together - not perfect but displays the quirks that naturally arise from normal people living under some unrealistic stress to please the brass, politicians and public who want the answers. Keep the faith and the job will get done. Good luck in your final season. (Thanks from an ex flatfoot) CDB
Not just another cop show...
Lucky-4427 January 1999
It's not just another cop show, it's much more than that. Very rarely have I seen a truly Canadian show that is this amazing. Filmed and set in Vancouver, BC, makes it more appealing to Canadians. Check it out, Fridays at 10pm EST on CTV.
COLD SQUAD, about his seventh season
amaliacontursi2 March 2004
I'm a huge fan of this canadian series, which is running in our country through cable channel AXN. I consider it as outstanding as Prime suspect or Homicide,life on the streets. On august l3, 2003, their producers Keatley, MacLeod and Alliance Atlantis announced the starting of their seventh season, which first episode would be titled Mr.Bad Example. Now, since we have no further information about it, I would be very grateful if somebody would answer me if it's going on or what's happening in Toronto. We would be very sorry to loose it. I thank you in advance and send you my best wishes.
Worth the watch...kinda
everyhoureveryday4 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I used to catch this late night on an off channel in the USA. I loved it, but never got to watch it as a whole series. I noticed it was on HULU and decided it would be a good binge after CSI. I was wrong!
The first two seasons are charming. You have all the usual characters and good cold case files they solve. While not every character was great they made a few of them really unlikable towards the end of season 2. They even had to do the whole lead character who is tough as nails falls for her superior bs.
Season three came around and it was utter crap. They got rid of most of the characters, glammed up or shall I say Hollywooded the set and characters, and it all revolved around their personal lives and IA investigations. Seriously 6 episodes into season three and you can't recall if they've actually worked a cold case.
I don't even know how to rate it because I really enjoyed the first two seasons, but the rest blah.
The first two seasons are charming. You have all the usual characters and good cold case files they solve. While not every character was great they made a few of them really unlikable towards the end of season 2. They even had to do the whole lead character who is tough as nails falls for her superior bs.
Season three came around and it was utter crap. They got rid of most of the characters, glammed up or shall I say Hollywooded the set and characters, and it all revolved around their personal lives and IA investigations. Seriously 6 episodes into season three and you can't recall if they've actually worked a cold case.
I don't even know how to rate it because I really enjoyed the first two seasons, but the rest blah.
Great show, bad guest actor
Shadowgirl7827 June 2005
I like Cold Squad, I used to watch it all the time when I got satellite TV, back when CBC was a freebie. Julie and Matthew are top notch actors, I cannot say enough good things about them. The premise of this show keeps us guessing, and I hope that it continues on for a long time. The only problem I can see was a guest actor named Shayne Wyler. He was absolutely terrible in one episode. His movements were clumsy, awkward, and in general, he looked like he didn't know where he was going half the time. I found Shayne very annoying, he constantly mumbled what he said, didn't they teach him to enounciate at school? Really, I hope they don't hire him back. Shayne is better suited for theater, and theater only.
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