Wanted (TV Series 2005) Poster

(2005)

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8/10
Another excellent cop show!
yossarian1001 August 2005
Another knock off produces yet another excellent cop show. I don't mind and you shouldn't either. As long as the shows are this good, they can fill the dials with cop shows for all I care. I'll worry about variety later. With "Wanted" we get Gary Cole, who did an excellent job on West Wing, to anchor yet another interesting group of crime fighters joined at the last minute by yet another strong female character. No complaints from me. The pilot reminded me of "The Shield," especially some of the photography and somewhat gritty nature of the story. If you like "The Shield, The Closer, Cold Case, Without a Trace," and "The Inside," you'll enjoy "Wanted." I give it 8 stars for getting the job done. Hey, it's all about entertainment, drama, and it's not another reality TV show. I'm in.
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8/10
"the 'shield" who?
ttfr129 December 2005
"wanted" is a unique cop show. All the comparisons to "The Shield' are getting to be a bit much. "Wanted" is a show unto it's self...it stands on it's on. So, okay, "The Shield' is an edgy cop drama. So were "Homicide: Life on the Street", "NYPD Blue", and the "Law and Order" franchise series. Most of those series came before "the Shield". So, who's copying who? "Wanted"is an edgy show that pushes the envelope and makes no excuses. It's in you face, and i love that about the show. The team is full of wonderfully eccentric, bad-ass, tainted, lovable, hateful, charming, and crude people.

All the actors in this drama are FIRST rate. My faves are Ryan Hurst, Gary Cole, Lee Tergesen, and Josey Scott. Actually, i adore them all, but, these 4 guys just make the show perfection. Ryan is an immensely talented actor. He's made Jimmy McGloin a deeply intriguing and sympathetic character. He's got an innocence about him, yet he's a ball of rage. He's a very flawed character, but he always has his heart in the right place...even if his methods may shock you. He's the heart and soul of the team. Gary Cole makes Conrad Rose a force to be reckoned with. He's the boss of the team, and his underlings damn well better tow the line. He's tough as nails, and all in your face when you screw up...but, he's loyal to a fault, especially with members like Jimmy. He knows who he can always count on and trust no matter what goes down...and, that's usually jimmy and eddie. So, even when they're wrong or make mistakes, Connie has their back. He'll chew 'em out...but, no one else had better mess with his people. He's the daddy, and he's tough...but, true. Lee Tergesen plays Eddie Drake. He's crude, off the wall, and a real ass sometimes. But, he's a lovable ass :) Lee really makes the character likable, and oh so funny. Josey Scott plays Rodney Gronbeck. He's the teams wisenhiemer computer geek. Only, he ain't geeky. He's hard-core, heavy-metal cool. He's really the more level headed of the team, and the one that usually gets the best lines. The dialog between he and Jimmy, or he Eddie is priceless. The best partners on the show are Jimmy and Eddie. The show doesn't really have regular partner pairings of the cops, but Eddie and Jimmy do work as a team a lot. And, they are awesome together. They are so different in personality, life style, and beliefs. But, somehow, they're best friends. They'e like the ying&yang of the team. They argue, rag on each other, but they both have the same cop out-look. They both employ the same methods when it comes to getting the job done. Ther're loyal to each other, and everyone on the team, even if they don't like 'em. It's difficult to put into words, except to say, they're just an entertaining pair to watch..,great chemistry there. I haven't enjoyed a cop pairing this much since "Homicide: Life on the Street's" Frank Pembleton and Tim Bayliss. That's saying a lot.

It's rumored the show has been cancelled. i really hope not. I've grown to love it, and will miss it like crazy if they take it away forever. I love these guys. I love this team or angsty, imperfect characters. They're so real, so vibrant. I don't want to have to say good-bye to them or this edgy, full throttle show. Live 'Wanted"...LIVE,
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8/10
No sissies wanted . . .
simpsjd26 December 2005
If dialog and character development are your thing then this is a program for you. This is a program that stays true to its characters and makes zero excuses for whom they are. For that matter how they got that way. More than anything else, it is great to see a program that will push the envelope; and when you think, it is all-OK the hits just keep on coming. This is a program where no one is safe. Make no mistake this program tears at the hearts of cast and watcher. This is not a program for the faint of heart as it pushes towards primal vengeance at times. The great thing is that it still holds true to core values just hiding in the gray area. This is a program that will hopefully get to go the full 100, and then some; so when you sit down to watch this program turn your P.C. meter way down or off and enjoy a great program.
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A new raw look at the hunt for the fugitives...
freddy_at_home21 August 2005
TNT has got a lot of new good shows this summer. Like The Closer and Wanted. I know we already got a lot of cops series on TV these days and we should not get any more but Wanted is just great. I have seen the first three episodes in season 1. As I understand they are planing on airing all 6 episodes in season one. I really hope this show isn't taken of the air as a lot of other good shows has been the last year.

If you like shows like The Shield and NYPD Blue my guess is that you will also enjoy this one. I know I am. So please don't kill this show too... Looking forward to the next episode. Just saw a trailer of it on TNT and it really looks good.
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10/10
One of The Best Shows On TV Canceled
myria-45 January 2007
This was a 10+ show. The network "powers that be" are a bunch of blithering idiots. Has anyone taken note of the fact that 90% of TV programming is now "realty TV." I don't need to watch "realty" on TV. I live it every single day!!! When I watch TV I want to be transported out of my every day "realty." Head Cases, starring Chris O'Donnell and Adam Goldberg, yet another 10+ show, was canceled after 5 episodes. Does anyone remember the show Vengeance Unlimited (1998-1999) starring Michael Madsen as Mr. Chapel? The 10+ shows that have been canceled by the network idiots are too numerous to name, but I'm sure there are thousands out there that remember them just as I do.
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10/10
One of the best crime dramas ever to hit TV in a long time
deeanna-martin22 September 2006
I LOVED this show! I loved the in-your-face I'm-not-going-to-put-up-with-your-crap dialog between the characters. Despite their differences, they always had each other's back yet made mistakes along the way and actually took RESPONSIBILITY for their errors...something many people need to learn how to do. Gary Cole was fantastic as the leader. He loved his team and he loved his family.

I cannot BELIEVE TNT canceled this show. I watched every episode. I wish they would consider bringing it back. If they have time slots to show four hours of "Without a Trace" then surely then can fit in one hour of "Wanted".
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7/10
A good show, but no "Shield"
Keylimepie5 September 2005
This is a decent cop show with fairly good characters. But I will have to say that it cannot be put into the same category as the premiere cop show in America, The Shield. The differences are quickly apparent. The Shield has an immediacy and grip to it that makes it almost impossible to turn away from for even a moment. The scripts for The Shield are better, the dialogue is more powerful and more real, the directing is superior, the camera work is better. The anti-gang task force in The Shield is more realistic as it is much more likely to exist than is the "super team" multi-agency concept for Wanted. Rent any past season of The Shield and watch it again. I would wager that the comparison will not favor Wanted. This show tries, self-consciously and awkwardly at times, to ape The Shield. It has not yet found its own style, and if ratings do not improve it won't get the chance. None of this is to denigrate Wanted but merely to point out that there are good shows and there are great shows. Wanted is a good show. The Shield is in another universe entirely.
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9/10
Wanted
sydsaunt27 September 2005
Great Plot! I enjoy the "cop & lawyer shows" and this is one I will continue to watch. Gary Cole and his crew are realistic. They don't sugar coat the work done by under cover agents. Unfortunately, there are times when their conscience wars with the circumstances to catch the criminal. They do a good job showing they are humans and not machines. Their characters truly seem grateful when they catch the criminal and no one else got hurt. They are very believable. You see them hurt with the different scenarios. It isn't hard to take the next step and wonder if they didn't suffer somehow when they were growing up. The next season will hopefully show more of their personal lives outside the team. Watching the show is great entertainment. It is nice to see how they catch the bad guy before he or she goes to trial. I watch all the Law and Orders and even though they show everything without it is sugar coated. I for one feel it is nice to have more reality but none of the gore that sometimes comes with the "reality" cop shows.
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6/10
the style needs to chill
SnoopyStyle8 April 2019
A group of agents from various law enforcement agencies are gathered into an elite team in L.A. to track down the city's 100 most wanted fugitives. The team includes the leader Conrad Rose (Gary Cole) from L.A. SWAT struggling to manage his broken family and naval intelligence Carla Merced (Rashida Jones).

I really hate the edgy fast rugged edit connecting scenes. This is a TNT show that lasted half a season. It's trying too hard to be raw, gritty, and flashy. When you try too hard, it often doesn't come off as sincere or real. Gary Cole is a good actor. He's a pretty good lead here. Rashida Jones plays the younger female agent forced to prove herself in the machismo environment. The pilot has a few too many hard non-descript team members. I really don't like the forced hard rock style. Mostly, I don't like the forced part. Even their home base is an empty industrial warehouse. The team does improve with better actors but it has one too many members. Otherwise, it's a fine standard police procedural.
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8/10
Surprisingly Good
ceallenb24 December 2009
At first I thought this show was going to be a cheap rip off of The Shield, but I was pleasantly surprised. I normally would not be into a show like this (see my NCIS rantings) but Wanted had the unique idea of capturing one of LA's 100 most wanted criminals in each episode as the backdrop for all their stories. Unlike a lot of other crime shows in which the focus is usually "how can we find new ways/reasons for someone to be murdered?" I was on board from the first episode. At times it did try to channel some of the shock value violence that was hallmarked by The Shield, and The Wire to a lesser extent, but it played fairly well on Wanted. I was also surprised how well the role of the team leader was portrayed by Gary Cole, who I would not have expected in a role like that. Some of the other characters weren't quite as likable right out of the gate, but could have been if they'd had the time to develop. I can hope maybe Wanted will be given another chance in the future, but if not, I still look forward to owning the DVDs.
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8/10
Good show...too bad they canceled it.
debpacker5 May 2006
This wasn't my favorite show, but I thought that it was a very good show. I've never watched The Shield that the other commenter mentioned (maybe I should), but I thought the Wanted characters were believable and I enjoyed learning about them. It was a little hard-core and some of the characters were somewhat harsh, but I enjoyed it because the show was different than anything else that I watch and I enjoyed learning about the characters. While a bit harsh, the characters were likable. The one thing I didn't like was the politics against them so early in the show. That could have waited (or never entered the picture). I have to wonder if this was part of the reason for the show being canceled. I'm disappointed. I wish they would reconsider. I miss the characters.
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3/10
Overly Predictable Plot
blong0614 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, I really wanted to like this show. My fiancé and I have watched the first five or six episodes, and just kept reaching for things to keep us watching. While the guy with the handlebar mustache is great, as with the Lt., some of the actors look like they might be reading from cue cards. And the woman redeeming herself at the end of the last episode after falling asleep on the job. Come on...who didn't see that coming for a half hour before that. The concept for the show is great, it has a few good actors, but it just doesn't deliver. I felt like you could predict everything that was about to happen before it happened. Even with nothing on during the summer, I had to cancel my TIVO season pass even before the season finale.
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Real Reality TV
Monsieur_Rioux25 October 2005
There are more similarities to The Shield than the previous reviewer (A Mess - September) says. It's gritty. Mistakes happen, wrong decisions are made...just like real life. Some filming techniques are the same with the 'hand held' camera effect. Actors 'get in the way' of the camera moving around like people do instead of taking up a fixed position. The camera moves from actor to actor in dialog, just like you do when witnessing a conversation, instead of jumping from face to face. It's like the viewer is following the action rather than watching it. Language is more realistic for the kind of situations they are in. One final similarity...it's a really good show!
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10/10
This is one cool show. Coleman rules as the leader.
dcksht13 September 2005
There have been many, but this picks up where Don Johnson left off and takes it to the nines. NOT just another cop show. I have seen many shows of this genre, and it seems (they all seem) farcical at some point, and way too serious. I like this show because they include the humor and wise cracks the same way most people (including me) encounter it in everyday life. And there's really solid content (at least in the first episode there was) so I look forward to many more episodes of the same quality. Think I'm kidding about this being a top-quality show? Watch it, just once. PS: A tad graphic for my tastes, but hey... you can't please everybody.
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1/10
Wanted is UNWanted
nepreneaux29 January 2007
One of the worst shows of all time. The show would begin with smart ass ed comments to each other that would be totally off the wall and uncalled for unless they were friends that knew each other for a long time not like they just met. The fat computer geek was unbelievable, the bible thumper, the bad-ass girl, who are these actors??? Never heard of any of them except Cole who was totally unbelievable in the part. Every time he opened his mouth you expect to hear, "you see kids..." Pulling the plug was a mercy killing for this horrible show. The stories were as unbelievable as the actors. Lame would be the best way to describe it. Somehow this show makes a slug like Ice-T more believable as a cop, and he wrote the worst song about cops ever recorded.
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Wanted-Don't Miss It!
davidt194912 April 2006
I don't know WHAT show the posted user comment was referring to but it wasn't the show I saw. WANTED crackles with excitement, great acting, great plots, driving score. The criminals run the gamut from petty thieves to Nicaraguans with revenge on their mind. All this falls on the shoulders of an elite force of police. Each with their own special demons to deal with--which inevitably influences the final outcome of the case they are involved with, and the particular players they are trying to round up. This show should be called Razor's Edge! Add to this a special liaison from the Commissioner's Office, and a DA who thinks the WANTED force are all loose cannons and should be stepped on regularly and you have conflicts that crackle with originality & breakneck pacing that makes it totally captivating.
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Top Notch
almcb257 January 2006
T.V. Shows come and go. It has been this way for as long as T.V. has been around. This fact will never change and try as they may even the best cannot predict what will become Prime-Time Gold. I've seen shows that had everything plus a little extra and still bombed in the ratings. This may mean that our ratings system is flawed, but the truth is it has nothing to do with ratings. It all comes down to the coveted perfect time slot and the power of string pulling financial backers. However TNT's new Hit Drama "Wanted" may just be that Diamond in the rough. Now in order to keep from spoiling anything for the new viewers I will avoid mentioning any important plot points, However I will say this, Give it an episode or two and I think that you'll find that even though "Wanted" may push the envelope a little far at times, for a Task Force charged with finding LA's 100 most wanted Criminals, a little pushing is required. In closing I hope that you'll agree that "Wanted" is a top notch Crime Drama that deserves a fair shake in the Hollywood ratings War.
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Good enough as a good cop show !
prazbin6 December 2005
I never saw The Shield so, I can't compare myself this show with the other. I find this show should be called a bounty hunter show instead of cop show. I don't see the arrests in hand-cuffs being done much in any episode of this series (which is OK at my taste, because I think hand-cuffs today are pesky instruments), I see the crooks being killed (which I'd never wanna be one of them, seeing this throw their eyes). On the first episode, we see three characters being killed, the blonde stripper gets shot in her apartment by the crook, the crook gets shot by Cony as he fights and kills one of Cony's alcoholic colleagues, how tragic is that ?

Maybe the show is a mess at the beginning, because of three people dying, especially that blonde stripper, who didn't deserve to die. The next episodes are cool, looks like the makers of this series used the strategy of making this show look bad at the beginning but it turns out OK in the end. Most shows I watch should be like that !
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A Mess.
vtiaka8 September 2005
0/4 A lot of people compare the show to The Shield. It's not. Really, it's only similarity is that both are about law enforcement. It stops there. Law and Order has just as much in common with this as The Shield.

Cliché plots riddled with ridiculous devices. Most of these involve monumental incompetency--things that you'd PERHAPS excuse meter enforcement officers, but not a supposedly elite task force. The conflicts they face aren't challenging, or at all unique. Basic shake down stuff. And still they struggle. It comes down to the fact that these guys just don't think--at all.

Characters--there's a fat computer geek, a hard ass, a fair and hard captain, a hot Latin guy, a hot girl. Don't need to say anymore.

Everything else--is just as mediocre, from cinematography (lots of time lapse shots), to dialogue. Avoid.
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Oh, give me a break. Enough is enough.
pappadojohn4 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is an altogether unimpressive show. The main premise is thin and old, and the whole thing smacks of a desperate knock-off of "The Shield." A task force composed of such "unbelievable" choices as ATF, FBI, DEA, and the LAPD is charged with bringing to justice the top 100 L.A.'s most wanted criminals. Oooooh. The "superhero team" approach to story building is tiring and tired.

No matter how much they try, the producers are still padding the characters with the plot, instead of making them secondary to it.

In that regard, there is a reason that Law and Order stayed on the air for 15 seasons--it was the first, it was the best, and it stays that way. Everybody else needs to just stop trying to copy.
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