Fastlane (2002–2003) User Reviews

GREAT SHOW

[wannasurf2 · 8/10 · 25 January 2004]

Wow, I never could figure out why this show disappeared. Everyone I spoke to liked it. This goes down in the unexplained cancellations file like My So Called Life and Family Guy for example. It was a little over the top, but was still a great show.

The thing that made it magic are all of the different elements of it. It had a continuing story line, which gave it backbone similar to another great show, Nash Bridges. It had the action of any Bruckheimer flick. It even had a great complementing pair of leading actors reminiscent of Miami Vice. Seems like a lot for a weekly show. Maybe it was too much for the general public. I do agree however that had this show been on a different night, it would have had a guaranteed hold for several seasons, and would have likely launched Facinelli into the ranks of Kutcher and other current young actors. Speaking of Facinelli, I would sure like to see him take over the Fast / Furious saga. Paul Walker should hopefully be ready to walk away from it anyway, especially after the mess that the sequel was.

Miami Vice meets The Fast & The Furious

[jwoehr · 7/10 · 28 July 2006]

I loved this show and miss it to death. I can't believe they would just flat out end the show with a cliffhanger ending. When it was on it got bashed for not being realistic. With so many boring Law & Order type cop shows on though this show to me was refreshing. It was sexy, super cool and I miss it a hell of a lot! OK it was a little unrealistic but it was a hell of a lot of fun with great action that you'd think you would only see in a brainless summer movie like Bad Boys 2. While this show had more brains than that movie and I really liked the stars of it too. They look all hollywoodish and make the show feel as if you are watching a fun action flick every week in the theatre when you were really just home watching TV.

It was a fun show with fun actors and fun stunts, why the hell wouldn't people wanna watch it every week. Sure Peter Facinelli character Van is a lot like Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice where when he's undercover he always fall for the girl. But it was fun seeing stuff like that on TV since Miami Vice. Plus Bill Bellamy's character Deaq is a lot like Tubbs in the first episode of Miami Vice. His brother was a cop too that was killed and he's a cop from another state that wants revenge. Sounds like Tubbs to me.

It also had Miami Vice type shoot- outs.While it has Fast & The Furious type action with cars and motorcycles.It also had sexy women of course such as Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell). The best way to describe this show is as fun, did I say the show was fun ? I loved the show so much that I couldn't even believe when I heard Fox was seriously considering canceling it. Now the idiots won't even put it on DVD when a hell of a lot of people like myself want it on DVD.

Some of the most entertaining TV I've seen in a while...

[atrac · 11 November 2003]

I'll keep this short and sweet: "Fastlane" was an incredibly enjoyable TV Show. It was extremely high quality, glossy, flashy, hip, and entertaining.

Apparently it was canceled because of High Production Costs (?). If this is true, I can certainly see where the money went. It went to producing quality entertainment, meant for 18 and up adults (this was definitely not a "kids" show).

FOX definitely screwed up by airing this show on Friday Nights in the United States. What were they thinking???? Only an idiot would put such an expensive show on a night when most people "go out" to recover from a work week, or even better, go to bed early to recover from a work week. This show had Sunday NIGHT written all over it. Only MTV had the brains to pick up the show second run (a week after it aired on FOX), reaching an audience that I am SURE this show was targeted at. Unfortunately though I don't think people knew enough about the show to make the effort to catch it on either network.

While I severely morn the passing of this show, I can only pray that FOX will decide to recoup some of their apparent "losses" by releasing the first and only season on DVD.

Do you hear me FOX execs??? RELEASE THIS SHOW ON DVD!!! People will buy it!!!

*EDIT* Apparently someone listened to somebody, as it's coming out on DVD Summer 2008! Yes!!!!

How to have a hit show and fail

[liqvid · 10/10 · 6 January 2007]

This must be one of the best detective/action series made to date! I know I'm a bit late in commenting but I saw it recently in the UK and was looking forward to another series and have found out (fairly late!) that Fox have cancelled it! From reading other comments it appears it was too expensive to continue! Maybe if they cancelled 2 or 3 of the really rubbish series out there they could put the money back into what was a cracking bit of television? Not only that but they left the series on a cliff-hanger just to rub salt in the wound! Poor Billie left in a room somewhere with a leg full of heroin and a lunatic. Thanks guys! Maybe they could make one more to tidy up the ending at least?! What a shame that good shows actually cost more to make than rubbish ones? Hmmm, I wonder why that would be? If that was aired prime time here in the UK, I'm sure they could make their money but I suppose everyones moved on from that now and it'll never happen. Still at least it puts a stake in the ground for quality and maybe someone will take up the challenge of making some more good telly. Here's hoping ..

Absolutely Love It!

[guidodanen · 10/10 · 27 August 2008]

Man did I enjoy watching this phenomenal and awesome show! I wished they wouldn't have canceled it! from the actors to the action to the great vibe, this was great TV! Deaqon, Van and Billy are beautifully cast and I think Tiffani Thiessen was a better choice than Heather Locklear (with all respect, because she also is a great actress) What also makes this show unique is the perfect balance of humor and action. The great one-liners and sarcasm from Deaqon and Van, the sometimes bitchy but friendly Billy, the always funny Aquarius, the mysterious capt. Parish and of course the annoying investigator for internal affairs Hill. The great cars, beautiful ladies and the adrenaline level raising action adds to the great writing of the show. I just don't get enough of Fastlane!! I hope one day they will continue the show!!!!!

One of the greatest shows ever!

[ghostofchurch · 10/10 · 7 November 2003]

What made the show great inevitably led to its downfall. Fox cancelled the show because of the extremely high production costs. (Around 50 million for the series?) That was what made the show great though. It was like a 60 minute movie. The shots, the carema angles, the exotic cars, all the pretty people...I hope this is where television goes in the future.

One of the best TV shows on the planet.

[hbkr22 · 10/10 · 17 October 2011]

I started watching Fastlane this summer (almost 10 years after it was on air), when I found it on Netflix. I watched the entire series and fell in love with it - granted, one or two episodes don't tickle my fancy, but considering there's only one season, it's not like I wasn't expecting it.

There are only a few downsides to the show - the cliffhanger it ends on, the DVD has crappy music (the aired versions are much better, I watched a couple), the criminals are almost always druglords or gangsters, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

The upsides - the guest stars and cameos are great 99% of the time, the cars/bikes in the Candy Store are nice (not to mention expensive, like Ferraris and Ducatis), the action is nice for a TV show, etc., etc. the list goes on.

Personally, I think Fastlane is one of the best TV shows on the planet - more specifically, one of the best cop shows.

I highly recommend it for anyone who loves cars, cop shows, the Fast and Furious films, Miami Vice or just someone looking to kill an hour.

The movie is coming

[info-8720 · 10/10 · 25 May 2006]

The movie is coming!

I just found out about this today and I'm totally freaking out.

My cousin got a job interning with the writers.

This is the greatest day of my life!

My favorite episode was the one where Van got too close with that hot girl and it compromised the whole sting, then he flipped the car and Deaq said something hilarious. Man, that was dope!

He said anyone can email [e-mail] for more details or to just show support.

Also, they didn't cancel it due to ratings, really they spent like 20 million dollars an episode or something.

Perfect show for pre-pubescent teens

[agc1176 · 3/10 · 26 October 2021]

Watched a few episodes back when this show first came out. I remember it was about two cops going undercover with virtually unlimited access to seized jewelry, fine clothes, exotic sports cars, while oozing all the machismo that gets the ladies wet, all in the name of justice. It was nauseating. Very unrealistic, even for a fiction, bad acting, unimaginative writing, and the stunts just screamed '80s action movie. Nothing worst than buyer's remorse, and whoever in Hollywood paid for this show to go on the air definitely had it.

Miami Vice of The 2000's

[davesmooth · 24 February 2004]

This was a great show that was pulled after one season. It was like a 2000's version of Miami Vice but with cooler people. The using of Los Angeles as a backdrop was a good choice, because most of the drama cop shows are set around New York. The action was fast paced, and the music was updated weekly. Tiffany, Bill, And Peter were cast superbly, and the scripts were well written. It's a shame that Fox pulled this show. They didn't give it time to gather a following. If I remember correct, they kept switching the nights it was on, which is a major factor in trying to keep viewers. The show ended with a cliff hanger that made you think that it was coming back. If you can catch this show on video, or on cable anywhere, you will not be disappointed.

too good for words!

[AdrienneGrayceMusic · 10/10 · 15 June 2003]

Fastlane is the best show ever. its the only show on fox that i watch. there are millions of people who watch fastlane, and heres why.. good actors...fast cars...cool cars...unique style...hot women...hot men...fighting...cool music....action...guns....need i say more?

"This is a nice show"

[mastuhoscg · 9/10 · 21 May 2019]

I say that this is a nice show. I remember seeing a promo for it on a 2002 Divorce Court FOX 31 Airing that I seen on YouTube. I hafta admit, Fastlane is pretty cool but it is a damn shame that the show was much too expensive to produce episodes.

There is far too much to forgive..

[Angelus2 · 1/10 · 17 December 2009]

I watched this show when it first aired on Sky One..It was a show about two cops who go undercover and stop the bad guys...I caught a few episodes and was mesmerised simply because..well, I was young and gullible...I recently watched the first twenty minutes and I have to say, this is absolutely awful. The writing is bad..I mean how many shows have we seen with the death of a fellow partner...or the terrible dialogue....The cinematography is far too bright...the costumes are absolutely ridiculous..the senior police bosses dress more like Pimps and the acting...well, let's just say it's not displayed very well...

I guess the producers tried to catch onto the 'Miami Vice' vibe..but even 'Miami Vice' grew up with the changing times...

Miami Vice the next generation???

[jonnydaytona · 14 February 2003]

Fast lane is a great show......Wicked cars, delectable ladies, booming soundtrack and loads of action. The 'backwards' approach to the action is unique and a welcome change from regular cop show fare. (the beginning of each episode is usually the prelude to the climax, then we see how the main characters go to the point. Tiffani Theissen is terrific as the Boss, as are Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli who have great on screen chemistry. As great as it is however, it is a blatant rip off (perhaps tribute is a kinder word) of Miami Vice. The pilot episode is the same, check it out: Miami Vice: Undercover drug officer's partner killed.....meanwhile new York undercover cop's brother (also a cop) is killed by same organization. New York Cop (tubbs) comes to Miami to avenge Brother, becomes partners with Miami Cop (Crockett). Substitute Miami with LA and change Crockett and Tubbs to Ray and Deqe. Just an observation....Vice was a great show in it's day and Fastlane is the rightful heir to the throne. Finally a winner from Fox...(it's been a while guys.....)

holltwood

[risingson42 · 3/10 · 21 April 2022]

The problem with the show is it can be really great and when your start to enjoy it the show goes Hollywood on you and it ruins it that's why it is only a 3.

Great entertainment!

[SaturnWings · 8 August 2003]

I don't need to see another ER or NYPD Blue. When it comes to TV, I'm looking for good entertainment, not necessarily mind-numbing but nothing terribly serious. I found Fastlane to be a perfect middle ground. It's the great action flick adapted for the small screen. Fastlane is what its title proclaims, quick paced and not necessarily about the nitty-gritty stuff you'll find in other cop shows. If you want serious cop shows, go watch NYPD Blue, CSI, or any of the plethora out there. Fastlane is its own niche, and I'm sad to see it go. It's nice to unwind to this show at the end of the week.

Fast Lane

[milesbolland · 15 September 2006]

Fastlane was the coolest show on earth. It was shown at about 0400 in the morning which was a slight inconvenience. I stumbled onto it when I fell asleep in my big chair and woke up early in the morning. I flicked on the TV and there it was just starting. Staying up that late when you have work in the morning was worth it. It got it right, everything a excellent TV show needs, Hot women, Fast cars, Big guns, Good bad guys, Car chases, other types of chases, Gun fights, Some decent acting. It is Bad Boys but a TV show, and maybe a little cooler. But that could be controversial, don't get me wrong Bad Boys is awesome. Theys should bring Fastlane back. If you haven't seen it you really have to.

This party is 'Off the Hook'

[y2jswalls · 12 January 2003]

This show is simply 'Off the Hook'. It rocks Big-Time. This show has it all. For guys or women, it has the hot chicks, the hot guys, the hot cars, the hot music and the hot dialogue between Facinelli, Bellamy and Thiesan who with each episode are becoming more and more comfortable with each other and really making them seem like a little family unit. Granted it may not have the storylines a show like 'CSI' would have, but it's not trying to be like those shows. It is what it is trying to be. An entertaining action show, to give the people in tv land, what is so badly needed. An hour where you can just sit down and have some fun. I loved this show from the beginning and it hasn't let me down yet. Anyone who does not like this show, simply does not know how to just enjoy themselves. And those people would probally nit-pick about every little thing in any show. Well there is no pleasing everyone.

If your looking for an exciting show to have some fun watching, than look no further. FASTLANE is "A #1"

Hip, Cool, Fun & Sexy!!!

[Krister Klementsen · 27 May 2003]

Hi!

Fastlane is a great show!

Some say it copies Fast and the furious. Maybe!

To me it`s the best parts from Charlie Angels, Mod Squad, Miami Vice, Fast and the Furious, Shaft and more, put into one great show!

The camerawork, the colors, the music, the cars, the clothes, the dialogues, the babes, the scripts and three good actors who work very well together!

Looks like the show is made in widescreen, but changed into fullscreen!

Looking forward to the DVD, lets hope it`s in widescreen, surround sound, and lots of extra materials!

I hope their will be a season two!

To many good shows end to soon! (Birds of Prey, The Flash (1991), Two Guys and a Girl, Jack Of All Trades, and more) It`s usually in the second season, that the show gets a lot of viewers and that it gets high ratings.

Example: Buffy, Xena, Angel, Man from U.N.C.L.E, and more!

Long live good entertainment!!

Fastlane get`s 9.6 out of 10!!

Top-notch action drama unjustly canceled.

[heybuddy · 1 May 2011]

This show could have been to the 00's what Miami Vice was to the 80's. A hip, highly stylized, well-written, action-packed police drama with characters that you actually care about, and enough pop culture references to be timely.

The show centers around a couple of deep-cover detectives from opposite coasts who work for a vixen police lieutenant who arms her UC's with flashy cars, tons of cash, and seized contraband in order to entice LA's highest rolling criminals into stings operations. Complications and emotional conflicts inevitably occur on their assignments together, along with car chases, gunfights, and a little romance.

The plots were usually pretty lightweight but emotionally engaging, and there was genuine chemistry with the three main leads. The highly stylized action scenes with their trademark slow-motion and up-to-date soundtracks feel almost like music videos. Impressive guest stars showed up weekly, the latest hits played in the background, and the stories were set against a rich, flashy, glamorous background that you can't help but enjoy watching.

The show went for a full season until being canceled due to high production costs. Part of me thinks that the expenses would not have been a problem if the FOX network had not habitually changed what night and time it aired, costing the show countless viewers (especially when they gave it the Friday Night Death Slot).

The show lives on in DVDs, but they do not quite do the show justice since the music has since been changed. Many scenes were cut specifically to go with the music, and the soundtracks themselves were highly appealing. With this element removed and replaced with generic music, the show feels a little more ordinary than it rightly would in its original form.

An under-appreciated gem of a show.

Edge of your seat

[potidaean · 2 December 2002]

People mistake style for flash. This show coasts on charisma, and there's plenty of it. Who really cares if the show is like any other one that came before it? It works by itself and the acting really is great by today's prime time standards. Sure, it's no ER or even NYPD Blue, but it has enough awesome directing sense to keep you excited throughout.

Very cool show

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 18 September 2002]

Watching the premire of Fastlane tonight I became hooked on the show easily. The visuals look like a big budget action which is considerable since the pliot cost 30 millon to make. Bill Bellamly and Peter Fanchilli have good chemristiy and the show seems like it's gonna some cool storylines. Tiffani Thissen who plays the fellas boss is still sexier than all hell and McG directed this plot in the vein of Charlies Angels his debut film. The opening action sequence had nice visuals and good cinematography. Fiannly the show has another sexy chick in the form of Jennifer Skye.

This show sucks!!!!!

[CJ_076 · 8 February 2003]

Ever seen a show so bad that you just want to start slamming your head into a door just to get rid of the mere thought of it? Now you know how I feel about "Fastlane". Coming off as nothing more than a bad ripoff of "Miami Vice", and the LETHAL WEAPON movies for the Gen-X crowd, this show is plagued with problems. The acting is hammy and sometimes flat, it's littered with clichès and stereotypes, the villians are downright annoying, the editing is as bad as a music video (no wonder it also plays on MTV), the rap/hip hop soundtrack is overplayed to sheer boredom, the split-screen effect in most episodes is out of place and distracting, and the car chases are tedious and tacked on (the producers have seen THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS one too many times). Even the creator John McNamara even said he doesn't like it, that should say something! The only good and redeeming value about this crapfest is Tiffani Thiessen. Not only is she the only decent actor on this show but she actually comes off with her dignity intact. I definetely wouldn't want to p**s her off! But even she should have known better than to subject herself to this degrading tripe. Why this show is still on is beyond me. This is the type of programming that you look back in 10 years and groan at (and you thought "Automan" was embarrassing, ok so it is). Getting your teeth drilling at the dentist is less excrutiating than watching this show.

1/10 for Tiffani Thiessen only.

Fun and exciting

[Almost Cool · 26 September 2002]

Even though I agree this show is not the most original or the most thought provoking, it does provide a lot of fun and excitement. I love the music, the action..everything about this show is great. It's just something that you can turn on and forget about all the crappy stuff that is going on in the real world. I'm glad this show is on Fox because even if it doesn't have the best ratings, they'll still keep it on. Great show guys!!

Form Over Substance

[senor_pelicano · 25 April 2003]

There's no question that Executive Producer McG has technical chops, as he demonstrated in the surprisingly uninteresting "Charlie's Angels" a few years ago. But with "Fastlane" all the split-screens, slo-mo, and steadicam wizardy can't overcome the utter lack of substance at the heart of this series.

Several people have rightly compared the series to Michael Mann's "Miami Vice", and the parallels are clear since "Fastlane" borrows/steals just about every significant element from the earlier series. But those of us who watched that series from its inception through its demise will recall that it began with a real dramatic edge that only later gave way to comic banality in the closing season. In short, "Fastlane" picks up precisely where "MV" rightly died and continues down hill.

At its best, "Miami Vice" conveyed the darker side of undercover police work, and managed to combine powerful storylines with great music and compelling visuals. Not only is "Fastlane" mostly "sound and fury", the show lacks the acting capabilties that Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas and, particularly, Edward James Olmos brought to the set (though note "Fastlane's" casting of the always appealing Bill Duke in the EJO role in an attempt to add a level of gravitas to the overall fluffiness of the series). Indeed, the overall quality of the ensemble acting in "MV" was quite high.

"Fastlane" also lacks the quality teleplays that characterized "MV" in the first 2-3 season. What we get are the triumph of the visual over the cerebral - not always a bad thing to be sure - but fatal in a series that leans so heavily on its three main protagonists' looks and so little on its dialogue or their ability to deliver it.

Another point of reference - "The Fast and the Furious" - succeeded precisely to the extent that Rob Cohen built up the relationship between Vin Diesel's and Paul Walker's characters. The interplay between Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli never rises above shallow banter, while Tiffani Amber Thiessen is simply unbelievable (did the LAPD pay for those breasts?).

Clearly Fox is aiming at the 12-18 year old adolescent male demographic, for whom the series' videogame-like action, hip-hop soundtrack, and parade of eye candy visuals might possibly hold some interest.

Ultimately, McG is no Michael Mann (or John Woo, for that matter). He's a talented pop video director who still hasn't found a personal story to tell. Perhaps one day he will. Until then, "Fastlane" and "Charlie's Angels" represent his contribution to culture.