Black Cop Takes on Crooked Boss in ‘Training Day’ Television Series

By Sameer Rao Feb 02, 2017

One year after CBS greenlit the series, the "Training Day" television spinoff premieres tonight (February 2). 

Co-executive produced by the original "Training Day" movie director Antoine Fuqua ("The Magnificent Seven") and Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"), the new series builds on the 2001 film’s themes of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) corruption and violence while swapping the races of the lead characters.

The film featured Denzel Washington ("Fences") as corrupt narcotics detective Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke ("Boyhood") as Jake Hoyt, the new partner Harris tries to blackmail into concealing his illegal conduct. Washington won the "Actor in a Leading Role" Oscar in 2002 for his performance, which included the famous line, "King Kong ain’t got shit on me!"

According to the series description on CBS’ website, "Training Day" picks up 15 years after the film’s storyline. It stars Justin Cornwell ("Empire") as Black rookie cop Kyle Craig and Bill Paxton ("Big Love") as White crooked veteran detective Frank Rourke. Marianne Jean-Baptiste ("Without a Trace") portrays LAPD Deputy Chief Joy Lockhart, who assigns Craig to Rourke’s elite Special Investigation Section as part of an undercover inquiry into Rourke’s extralegal tactics. The show follows the two officers’ uneasy partnership as each tries to turn the other into his idea of a "good cop."

A promo released last May includes a tense confrontation between Craig and Rourke when the rookie chooses not to shoot a hostage-taker. Rourke berates him for not taking the shot, which compels Craig to criticize his aggressive tactics. "[If] I ever have a son, I have to warn him about cops like you," he says. "Shoot first and who cares if you’re wrong, you can always make something up, right, Frank?"

"Training Day" premieres tonight on CBS at 10 p.m. EST. Watch the promo above.