Amazon Prime just added ‘one of the best police dramas in years’

Amazon Prime has added a brand new police drama to their ranks, with viewers quickly dubbing it ‘one of the best in years.’

USA police procedural On Call follows a pair of officers – one rookie and one veteran – on the beat in Long Beach, California.

Eight half-hour episodes see the pair respond to emergency calls in the neighbourhood while also attempting to come to terms with the recent loss of a fellow officer.

Created by the legendary mind behind the record-breaking Law & Order franchise, the procedural drama is the latest from American film and television producer Dick Wolf and has already found acclaim in its gritty depiction of street-level police work.

Partly utilising the officers’ body cameras to put viewers into their boots, its 24-minute runtime makes it a particularly fast-paced take on the police drama.

Since it was added to Amazon Prime earlier this month, viewers have responded to its call to action.

Troian Bellisario and Brandon Larracuente play partners Harmon and Diaz (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)

On Call follows two police officers on duty in Long Beach, California (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)

Writing on a Reddit thread after bingeing the show’s eight episodes, viewers shared their thoughts on Wolf’s latest.

‘So glad I noticed this on Prime, as I thought it was a great watch. Strong performances, tightly paced, intriguing serialised story. I want more,’ said BrayLives.

‘Loved this. Just finished all episodes today. Every episode got better and better. Really hoping for a second season,’ wrote Cold-Sun3302.

‘LOVED it, I do wish the episodes were longer. It has a creative edge using the Body cam footage & Dash cam footage,’ agreed Jacell0.

‘It was like a mature version of The Rookie to me. Great story with great character development just wished the episodes were longer,’ said YungandTired88.

‘Please make a new series of On Call, I was gripped to it, best series I’ve watched for years,’ begged ScribbinsLiamm, over on X.

The show was partly filmed using police body cams (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)

The show’s popularity might explain its 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many using the review aggregator to praise its gripping story and strong performance.

This makes for a marked divide between critics and fans, with the critic score sitting on a much less impressive 50% after 18 reviews.

While some praised the quick pace and moral ambiguity, others slammed the show for its ‘ugly’ cinematography and cliched narrative—dubbing it too ‘shallow’ and ‘inconsistent’ to stand out from the rest.

Lori Loughlin stars as Lieutenant Bishop (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)

Whatever the case, On Call quickly shot to the top of streaming charts, becoming the most-watched show on the streaming service in the United States within a week of its release.

Its stacked cast features Pretty Little Liars cast member Troian Bellisario as veteran cop Traci Harmon, with Brandon Larracuente as her inexperienced partner, Alex Diaz.

It also features ER and Logan star Eriq La Salle as Sergeant Lasman, and Lori Loughlin as Lieutenant Bishop… now on the right side of the law after pleading guilty to allegations of wire and mail fraud in 2020.

Of the show’s cliffhanger ending, producer Dick Wolf told TV Line: ‘That’s a future season. We hope that you’ll help spread the word so that we can tell that story in Season 2.’

Watch On Call on Prime Video.

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