Throughout 2024, actorFrank Grilloseemed synonymous with the thriller genre. First, he starred as a drifting veteran pulled into an underground fight club inLights Out. Between two features revolving around the military, Grillo also portrayed characters that either fought against zombies or werewolves (seeDie AloneandWerewolves). The man seems to have a knack for edge-of-your-seat action films. With that in mind, the best moment to revive one of his earliest small-screen projects might have arrived.
We might all have had to say farewell to CBS’s long-running NYPD proceduralBlue Bloods, so maybe it’s time to reintroduce a little-known police sitcom calledBattery Park. Spun out of an undeveloped TV pilot from 1999, which would have starred Charlie Sheen and Joe Pantoliano (among others), this short-lived series debuted a year later and had a feel all its own. Originally airing on NBC in early 2000,Battery Parkwas about the goings-on inside a police department in, well, you can probably guess, the west side of the southern tip of Manhattan, New York.
Actress Elizabeth Perkins played Captain Madeleine Dunleavy, the leader of the bunch. She was blunt and brash with her team, but quirky all her own. She wants to become mayor (which never happens). The more notable cast members on the force were Louis Ferreira, Bokeem Woodbine, and Jacqueline Obradors, who play Lieutenant Ben Nolan, Detective Derek Finley, and Detective Elena Vera, respectively.
‘Battery Park’ Was a Cop Show With Comedy
Battery Park
Frank Grillo — who seems to have a knack for detective shows — steps into the shoes of Detective Antony “Stig” Stigliano. While Perkins and Ferreira usually played the morelevel-headed cops(that is, for a sitcom), Woodbine and Grillo were the comedy relief. This duo found themselves in wacky situations more than anything else. It was an unusual role for Grillo, but he must have been willing to try any genre in those early days.
Sadly,Battery Parkdidn’t last a very long time at all. The show aired for only two months; during that time, only four episodes were actually released. It’s not that surprising given that much of the network’s attention was on the sixth season ofFriends. RegardingBattery Park, though, the episodes that made it to air were the pilot, “Rabbit Punch,” “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria,” and “Fast Times At Union High.”
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The first two episodes revolve around Ben falling for a mobster’s daughter, going out with her, and hiding the relationship from the press. Then there’s a high school computer-stealing takedown in the third and an attempt to arrest Jon Bon Jovi in the fourth. A parody of Batman is also thrown in for good measure, whom Detective Finley and Stigliano fawn over. As you may see, this cop showis more comedy than cuffing. But that’s alright; the laughs usually stick the landing.The situations of Frank Grillo and Bokeem Woodbine are usually the most memorable. It’s not unusual for a weekly show likeBattery Parkto continue storylines or relationships from the previous week, but they were unique in the sense of also touching on previous gags.
Frank Grillo Showed His Funny Side Before Becoming an Action Star
For example, Grillo’s character overcompensates when he hears his precinct has to deal with the mob and takes out vests, tear gas launchers, and other crazy items from storage. The following week, he mentions that he lost the tear gas launchers, and they somehow ended up at a kid’s birthday party.Speaking of Grillo, he’s not lacking here when it comes to his acting skills either. He may look different (younger and no facial hair), but he digs into character work for this one. The rest of the cast are no exception. Elizabeth Perkins does a great job of balancing a stern leader with that of a helpless romantic. The unfortunate four-episode lifespan ofBattery Parkis no detriment to its supply ofquirky side characterseither.
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In the episodes that involve the mafia, creators Gary David Goldberg and Chris Henchy managed tograb a pre-SopranosSteve Schirripa. He’s involved in both episodes and has a hefty amount of dialogue. Throughout all four episodes, actor Sam Lloyd plays Ray Giddeon, a man who is a victim of just about everything. Robberies, break-ins, acts of physical violence. He’s just a side character that acts as a foil to each episode’s main plot, but Lloyd perfectly depicts mannerisms that pull both laughs and sympathy from the audience. The supporting (and minor roles) add just as much toBattery Parkas the main cast. In saying all of this, though, it’s quite interesting to see the contrast between the rolesFrank Grillo excels in todayand what he was trying to accomplish years ago.
If you’d like to see the actor in one of his earliest roles for yourself or want to take a deep dive into sitcoms that, well, never had a chance,select episodes ofBattery Parkare available to watch onarchive.org.
