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New show: 'K-Ville' shows nothing's easy in the Big Easy

Posted: Monday, July 23, 2007 10:03 PM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

"K-Ville" is a cop drama with a twist. You've heard those words before, but this twist is that it's set in a post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, where cops and citizens alike face all the troubles and trauma of rebuilding that city. And for some, the question is whether they should stay and rebuild, or whether it's time to cut their losses and leave that beautiful, historic city, deciding that it will never be the same again.

Anthony Anderson, who plays the chilling Antwon Mitchell in "The Shield," is a good guy here. He plays Marlin Boulet, a New Orleans cop who saw his city through the devastating storm and thinks by working hard and devoting himself to his people, he can bring it back.  His neighborhood is the troubled Ninth Ward, he's sweet on N'Awlins gumbo and live jazz, and is pretty much as entwined with a city as one can be.

During the storm, however, his partner freaked out and bailed on him, and his new post-Katrina partner, Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser) has a only-made-possible-by-Katrina secret. Those are good characters, and the storm itself is ripe material for a million different plots, plots that make those of us who don't live in New Orleans stop and think, and help us not forget the city. That's why it was disappointing when the pilot episode turned into pretty much a regular, action-filled cop show. The show is shot on location in New Orleans, bringing jobs and some hope back to the city. It would be nice to see it succeed for many reasons. Dave Walker, TV critic for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has a nice long feature about the show here. Near the end of his article, he quotes a New Orleans resident who asked the crew about the show, and then said "I hope you don't screw it up, because that could be good." No pressure, guys. No pressure.

PANEL TIDBITS:
--Anderson said the cast hopes to be living and working in New Orleans for many years, and that many have signed up to work with Habitat for Humanity on their off days, helping to rebuild the city.

--Producer Jonathan Lisco dropped one hint to an intriguing future episode. Seems that Boulet saved a man during Katrina "by plucking him off a roof." Now, two years later, he discovers the man is a murderer, and had he let him drown, he might have saved many other lives.

GAEL'S GRADE: I want to like "K-Ville" for New Orleans' sake, but the pilot rates only a B minus.

 

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Comments

Perhaps I am the dumbest person to read this, but why K Ville?  Is that a reference to Katrina?  Is this what the residents call New Orleans now?  Thank you.

Lucy Seattle WA (Sent Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:23 PM)

Yes, "K-Ville" is supposed to mean "Katrina-Ville," and is supposedly a reference to some graffiti seen in New Orleans after the storm.

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:36 AM)

Lucy - According to the Times Picayune article cited in the story above, it's because the producer saw "k-ville" written on a wall in graffiti somewhere in the city.  I'm a local and I was as perplexed by the name as you. I hope it doesn't catch on.

CJack, Metairie, LA (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:39 AM)

Residents of New Orleans do not call the city K-ville.  We do tend to believe the K stands for Katrina though.

Cindy, New Orleans LA (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:45 PM)

I hope the shows turns out well and stays on the air, two things which don't always seem to go together. I love and miss New Orleans the way it was.

Suzanne, Richmond, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 31, 2007 1:34 PM)

This show K-ville some of it was taped in shreveport because i see the louisianna boardwalk in the previews!!! Alot of shows post-Katrina are filmed in shreveport and say it is new orleans

lil mamma, shreveport La (Sent Saturday, August 04, 2007 9:55 PM)

I agree with the other locals, I have never heard K-Ville here in New Orleans...

Shayna, New Orleans (mid-city!), Louisiana (Sent Wednesday, August 15, 2007 8:16 PM)

You can watch the full first episode here:

http://foxbc.edgeboss.net/wmedia/foxbc/episodes/kville/kville_pilot.wvx

Beth, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Thursday, August 23, 2007 10:30 PM)

Parts of it were shot in New Orleans in the Mid-City area.  Check out the blog of a guy whose house is being used - http://michaelhoman.blogspot.com/2007/03/faking-katrina-destruction-courtesy-of.html

Bullet (Sent Wednesday, September 05, 2007 2:47 PM)

K-ville will bring out a gumbo of emotions!  My life has been a big jambalaya since Katrina.  Watch the show with your favorite hot-saucy woman!

Acy Bourdeaux (Sent Monday, September 17, 2007 4:35 PM)

Fox once again distorts reality. How in the world can any thinking human being who watched as cowardly New Orleans police officers deserted their posts en masse; watched state officials dither in abject paralysis while utterly corrupt and incompetent federal officials abandoned the stranded people of New Orleans to a savage fate, could possibly watch this wretched excuse for drama/entertainment and not kick their TV out a window.

First, the writers would have us believe that the main hero character is a New Orleans black man when most of the cops who deserted were black and the majority of people abandoned, murdered, and otherwise allowed to be abused, by the cops, state and feds, were black citizens.

Is this some sort of attempt at "atonement" by Fox for being such miserable a--holes, liars, and general con-men?

If so, Fox has failed again. I would call upon all of my fellow citizens to boycott this incredibly vile piece of trash.  

Robert Birdwell (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 6:49 PM)

I was expecting this to be really cheesy - and it kinda is (no more than any other cop drama) but I couldn't turn it off.

I like it.  And want more.

Chuck, Washington, DC (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 9:51 PM)

They kept it real to the city's plight and circumstances while examining what many locals think and feel without getting too cheesy or overly sentimental. I must commend the cast and crew - I try to keep my TV watching to a minimal so as not to overbook my time and they gave me no reason to turn off the TV during the pilot and have me wanting to come back. Not an easy thing to do for a cop drama (which I don't normally watch) set in my home state (I'm originally from central Louisiana). Keep it up!

Scott M., Napa CA (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:25 AM)

I watched the first show and frankly don't know if I'll watch any more.  THose of us who were there before the storm and then tried to rebuild and was unable to due to FEMA (Ha Ha) and insurance not paying the correct amounts I had to leave Louisiana.  I found the show almost too real for a drama series.  The fact that the city will NEVER be the same again is sad.  I don't understand why the people are allowing the officials to continue to run their lives.  The people of New Orleans need to wake up and get the money they were given by the people of america.  The people of America and other foriegn countries gave money to the Katrina victims and still none of the victims have been given any help, thereby we still see FEMA trailers two years after the fact.  

Sally Dolan, Baytown, Texas (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:44 AM)

Please, use more line dancing music.
Also, use some top Zydeco performers. They will perform for free to help the city's revitalization.
Show close up of crawfish pie, Gumbos and other Creole dishes. These things will put us on location with the actors...Thanks

Pat nick,Houston,Tx (Sent Friday, September 21, 2007 12:45 PM)

I thought the premiere was pretty good,
I like the Katrina twist, but other then
that its a typical cop show


you can download the premiere episode
of K-ville for only 1¢ here
http://www.bittorrent.com/users/fox/series/K-Ville_Season_1/011d2900-660d-11dc-9a78-00e081411f3f

SeReGa San Francisco CA (Sent Monday, October 01, 2007 2:44 PM)

Hello Folks from New Orleans (aka K-Ville :)
I've NEVER heard of the city referred to as K-Ville or Katrinaville by locals and I've been here two years so far, intending on staying for awhile because of the music scene. I'm a musician. I think I may have seen the graffitti the producer saw though somewhere in the Ninth Ward where I live, along with alot of other strange comments written on walls. Recently, someone painted "Hindsight" on the water side of the East wall of the Industrial Canal levee. Someone sandblasted that off a few days later before I could get a photo! Does anyone in this group know WHERE in the city that graffitti was ... was it the 9th ward, or elsewhere. Just curious ...

Lynn Magnuson, New Orleans, LA. (Sent Friday, October 05, 2007 1:40 PM)

I Love K Ville and hope Fox will keep it in the line up of shows for years to come.  The actors are doing a good job  and New Orleans need all the GOOD publicity it can get.

Joan Yeargin,Paris, Tn (Sent Friday, December 21, 2007 1:38 PM)



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