Tonight, Rookie Blue, a television show about five newbie cops created in Canada, premieres on ABC. It stars three girls and two boys — all good-looking, all clueless — dealing with attractive, if intimidating superiors on their first, intense day of work, and it airs on Thursday nights at 9 p.m.: In other words, it is Grey’s Anatomy with cops. These similarities have been duly noted by critics, unexpectedly turning Blue into a referendum on Grey’s — and a pretty positive one, at that!
Rookie Blue has prompted critics to say nicer things about Grey’s than they have since way back in its critically acclaimed, early seasons. Of course, some of these remarks are sort of backhanded compliments, but, still: compliments! Take a look.
The L.A. Times:
“Rookie Blue” is, to be quick about it, Grey’s Anatomy with uniforms and guns … I don’t say this to warn you off … only to tell you where we are … While making no extravagant claims for the series — it is not, you may have gathered, alarmingly original — I rather enjoyed the pilot”
The Boston Globe:
“Comparing Rookie Blue to Grey’s Anatomy is a disservice to the latter, no matter how played-out it may be.”
The Hollywood Reporter:
“Rookie is not wholly horrible, though it’s no cop Grey’s Anatomy, either.”
“The only way the show will be able to stand out from the slew of gritty cop shows coming up in the next few months is to capture the intimacy of early Grey’s Anatomy.”
