There is a lot wrong with this but there's also a lot right... I'm a big Edward Burns fan and I like what he did with this but you cannot compete with the other television shows now days without cliffhangers. The story was good, acting (from most) was good but there just wasn't enough to keep the viewer wanting more. Which would be th reason why it was renewed for a second season. It also copped a lot of criticism for its authenticity, though I had no problem with it I thought the set, clothes and cars seemed all pretty legit. This show isn't for everyone but if a 1960 tough, corrupt cop show appeals to you give this one a try.

We get it. We really really get it. Working class Irish Catholic New Yorkers with big loud complicated families and all their Irish Catholic stuff. I feel like Burns needs to stop doing the same thing over and over. In his world you're a cop a crook or a sheet rock guy. Your dad's a drunk your mom is probably dead and 4 of your 9 brothers are gangsters or ex cons. All the women are blond and understanding but some odd reason haven't popped out 4 Irish Catholic of their own. Except for that one sister who's Irish boyfriend beats her. The hookers are all pretty sassy black girls. The men all drink whiskey. There's probably bagpipe music at some point. The only place social gatherings is the bar and no one's moved out of the neighborhood they grew up in. Everyone was an altar boy at St. Shamrock's. The original priest is retiring next month and the new priest has a new way of doing things.

This series is one I did not miss each week. Fine cast headed up by Edward Burns and Michael Rapaport. Supporting roles filled by excellent actors who fit their characters to a T. Multiple story lines that all worked. Excellent writing, so the dialogue is crisp and true. The show looks at the problems of policing vice, the "soft" crimes of human appetite and weakness that trouble every society. In 1960s New York, the approach was, keep it controlled and everybody does well, including vice cops. But then human appetite and weakness cause it all to begin to slip out of control, and we see the drama of cops and criminals trying right the balance so their comfortable but always dangerous worlds do not implode...in the process destroying their families and those they love.The final episode was the weakest of the ten, so I expect Burns didn't feel the need for a crash-bang ending to the fascinating first season. He'll pick up the story next year. If there is a next year, which I sincerely hope there is. Nothing on TV in the gritty, crime category is as compelling as "Public Morals.""Justified" ended last year, "Public Morals" fills the bill.

Public Morals is an excellent new show that takes place in the 1960s. The attention to detail and authenticity to the era is truly remarkable. There are plenty of new faces in this series and I am impressed by the acting. The interaction between the police and the gangsters is fraught with tension and suspense. Most cop shows deal with solving crimes, but this show is different because it shows how the police interact within society. What is also interesting about Public Morals is the family dynamics of the police officers. Some of my favorite scenes include Ed Burns dealing with his young son and his interactions with his beautiful wife.I have viewed all four of the episodes which are available On Demand and on TNT. The series gets better with each episode. I look forward to watching them all.