Copper, the period crime drama set in 1860s New York City during the American Civil War, has landed itself a new streaming home in the UK. Already available on Channel 4, the series can now be streamed via the service U as well.
The crime drama, which aired across 2012 and 2013, sees Tom Weston-Jones portray Kevin ‘Corky’ Corcoran, a “rugged” Irish-American cop who works in the notoriously crime-ridden Five Points neighbourhood.
As well as trying to keep a level of peace within the community, Corky’s got a personal mission: to find information about his missing wife and dead daughter. The question is, can he balance his career with his personal quest?
In addition to Weston-Jones, the cast for the series includes Kyle Schmid, Ato Essandoh, Donal Logue, Franka Potente and Anastasia Griffith. Tessa Thompson, who now plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also has a supporting role.
During its run, Copper aired 23 episodes across two seasons, before it was cancelled in 2013. A rumoured follow-up in the form of a feature film had been mooted, but it seems unlikely that it will ever materialise.
U/Cineflix
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While the period crime drama was axed after its short run, it did decently well with critics and fans alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an average approval rating of 81% across its two seasons, while IMDb is reporting an average rating of 7.5/10 from over 11,000 user ratings.
One fan dubbed it “brilliant TV”, adding: “The characters are so well written and really pull you into their world. I really love shows that don’t [withhold] any punches about the subject matter of the time they are showing.”
U/Cineflix
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“This show is not at all shy or subtle in its approach as to how things were back then. From the issues of race, class, peer pressure, and the common practice of child prostitution, nothing is left untouched by Copper,” wrote another viewer.
A third fan was also full of praise, opining: “The characters are so interesting; dark and deep. I cannot begin to know what will happen and that cannot be said for much that is on television. I love the unique flavour of this show, the gritty reality.”
Copper is available to stream via Channel 4 and U.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.