Such scenes make being a cop in the ’60s look like a pretty good time, and indeed, “Public Morals” has a lighter tone than the usual brooding, soul-searching Hollywood portrayals of New York police life, like Sidney Lumet’s “Serpico.”īurns recalls a story that one of his dad’s cop buddies shared. “If arrested these girls after night court had closed, they’d be sitting all night in jail, so the cops would take the girls out for hot dogs and sandwiches as a courtesy,” says Burns, 47. It’s a story drawn straight from the senior Burns. In one episode, Muldoon and his crew arrest some prostitutes, and then take them to grab something to eat.

On the vice squad, his father explained that “you didn’t want anyone to know you were a police officer. “What would the relationship between the captain and the lieutenant be like, what would they share with one another?” “He helped me with the interoffice dynamics,” says the actor-director. Muldoon even has the same badge number - 5425 - as the elder Burns did. The actor’s 78-year-old father, who lives on Long Island, served as both inspiration and informal adviser. Ed Burns with his father, a former NYPD sergeant. on TNT.īurns directs and stars as Terry Muldoon, head of the Public Morals Division, a plainclothes unit of the NYPD specializing in “victimless crimes.” He supervises a tightknit band of officers who crack down on everything from prostitution to illegal craps games. Many of dad’s stories have found their way into the show, which premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. Growing up on Long Island and in Queens, Burns was regaled by his father, Edward J. Stars every one.Ed Burns’ new crime drama, “Public Morals,” is a gritty valentine to his police-sergeant father. Get this and enjoy x Thanks to David and Ed and the narrator. I nearly died in Cornwall England 17 years ago. I was an alcoholic for a long time so I have addiction in my genes. Probably better because I don't have to live that way. As a UK white male my chances of exploring Baltimore in the streets and corners written about here and staying alive are slim but this is as good as being there.

It deserves more listeners and if I can encourage one person then I will be happy. It is wonderfully written and narrated with love and attention to detail. I was not expecting to find The Wire but was elated to find this. As a massive fan of The Wire I typed in Ed Burns or David Simon into the search bar on a whim. In all my time as an Audible listener despite loving many of the books I've listened to this one deserves a special mention.

The corner ed burns