This dark and moody CBS cop show focused on Rose “Phil” Phillips (Karen Sillas), the only female homicide detective in an otherwise all-male precinct in Portland, Oregon.
Not only did Phil have to fight crimes, but she also had to deal with the sexist attitudes of many of her fellow detectives, most notably Missing Persons Detective Lou Barbini (Richard Foronjy).
Her confidante on the force was Detective James Vitelli (Philip Casnoff), a belligerent yet sensitive internal affairs investigator with whom she had an on-again, off-again romantic involvement.
Having lost her original partner and mentor, Detective Frank Fusco (Peter Onorati), in the pilot episode, Phil initially worked alone, later teaming up with Beck (Michael Beach) and Papadakis (Anthony DeSando).
Created and written by Steven Boccho veteran Jacqueline Zambrano, the show was a blatant rip-off of the infinitely superior British series Prime Suspect (1991 – 2006), which aired in the US on PBS.
But Under Suspicion got the tone right – although Jane Tennison would have taken one look at Phil’s miniskirts and jeans so tight she couldn’t sit down and let out a derisive snort – and the ensemble cast was terrific, particularly Seymour Cassel as Phil’s boss and Philip Casnoff.
Detective Rose ‘Phil’ Phillips
Karen Sillas Detective James Vitelli (Internal Affairs)
Philip Casnoff Lt. Mickey Schwartz
Seymour Cassel Detective Patrick Clarke
Paul McCrane Detective Desmond Beck
Michael Beach Detective Lou Barbini
Richard Foronjy Shane Fusco
Natalie Shaw Detective Costas ‘Doc’ Papadakis
Anthony DeSando Elena
Jeanette Aguilar Harris Patsi Moosekian
Arabella Field
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Her confidante on the force was Detective James Vitelli (Philip Casnoff), a belligerent yet sensitive internal affairs investigator with whom she had an on-again, off-again romantic involvement.
