Saving Grace is an American television crime drama series created by Nancy Miller and produced by Fox Television Studios which stars Holly Hunter as a jaded, sexually-promiscuous Oklahoma City police detective who is offered the chance to redeem her life by an angel.
The series aired in the USA on TNT from 16 July, 2007 to 21 June, 2010. There are 46 hour-long episodes in three seasons.
Saving Grace originally aired in South Africa on M-Net from 15 April, 2008 to 8 August, 2010. It later aired on DStv's M-Net Series channel, on StarSat's (formerly TopTV) Fox Entertainment channel and on FOX (DStv and StarSat, Season 3 only). See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 3 premiered on FOX on Wednesday 2 April 2014, at 21h10. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 19 episodes in the third and final season.
Season 1
Holly Hunter takes on the role of a cynical police detective facing a personal crisis of divine proportions in the provocative new drama series Saving Grace.
In her television series debut, Hunter stars as Grace Hanadarko, a tormented, fast-living Oklahoma City police detective who, despite being at the top of her field, takes self-destruction to new heights.
After seeing tremendous tragedy in her life, both professionally and personally, Grace lives life hard and fast. She drinks too much, sleeps with the wrong men and defies authority.
Grace has a tender side with her 22 nieces and nephews, but that is a side that most of the world doesn’t get to see.
It all catches up with her one night when, as she’s driving too fast after too many drinks, she hits a man who is walking along the road. In an uncharacteristic moment, Grace asks for help, and she gets it – in the form an unconventional angel named Earl (leon Rippy).
Earl tells Grace that she is in trouble and running out of chances, but he wants to help lead her back to the right path. The journey, for both of them, will not be an easy one.
The cast also includes Kenneth Johnson as Grace’s partner; Gregory Norman Cruz as detective Bobby Stillwater; Bailey Chase as detective Butch Ada; Bokeem Woodbine as a death row inmate who figures into Grace’s struggle and Laura San Giacomo as the criminalist who, despite having strong religious beliefs, is the only one in Grace’s life who does not judge her.
Saving Grace does not promote any one religion but does use Grace's story to discuss the topic of faith, and how difficult faith can be in such an imperfect world.
Season 2
Saving Grace stars Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter as an intense Oklahoma City police detective with a fiery spirit and audacious life.
It also features an ensemble cast that includes Leon Rippy, Kenneth Johnson, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine, Gregory Cruz and Dylan Minnette, with Lorraine Toussaint and Laura San Giacomo.
Hunter's character – Grace Hanadarko – is a top-notch, forceful investigator whose wild personal life translates into a no-holds-barred approach to her detective work. She takes every case to heart, especially cases in which women or children are victimized.
Whether skirting the law in order to get an illegal alien to talk to the police, using a tornado as an opportunity to interrogate a suspect, or protecting a witness by having him spend the night in her own home, Grace is the kind of detective any homicide squad would be lucky to have.
Grace’s personal life, however, is heading in an entirely different direction. She lives hard and fast, having numerous affairs, including with her partner Ham (Johnson) and fellow detective Butch (Chase), not to mention a memorable night with medical examiner Henry Silver (Mark L. Taylor).
Last season, when her life reached its darkest point, Grace was visited by an unconventional angel named Earl (Rippy). Earl is challenged to calm Grace’s wild way and to help guide her; he weaves a mixture of folksy wisdom and cryptic clues. He also uses dreams that connect Grace in strange ways with a death row inmate (Woodbine).
Fascinated by Earl’s presence in Grace’s life is her best friend and criminalist colleague, Rhetta Rodriguez (San Giacomo). When she’s not helping Grace solve complex crimes or arguing with Grace over tainted evidence, Rhetta pulls together clues from Earl’s visits and tries to help Grace make sense of them.
Grace also shares professional ties and a long-standing friendship with Captain Kate Perry (Toussaint) who has recently joined the squad. She and Grace had previously worked together on the vice squad and bonded over their love of Oklahoma college football.
Rounding out the squad is Detective Bobby Stillwater (Cruz), a staunch family man whose Native American roots serve well along with his quiet strength in solving some of the cases they have to face.
Season 3
Holly Hunter stars as gutsy Oklahoma City Police Det. Grace Hanadarko, a woman who holds nothing back, whether on the job or in her personal life, as Saving Grace returns for a third season.
She is joined in the series by an ensemble cast that includes Leon Rippy, Kenneth Johnson, Bailey Chase, Gregory Cruz, Yaani King and Dylan Minnette, with Lorraine Toussaint and Laura San Giacomo.
Saving Grace focuses on Det. Hanadarko (Hunter) as she investigates brutal crimes while trying to balance her relationship with her partner, Ham (Johnson). Grace also must figure out cryptic messages from her last-chance angel, Earl (Rippy).
At the end of the second season, death row inmate Leon Cooley, who shared visions of Earl with Grace, was executed, leaving a hole in Grace’s life.
Soon, she began having dreams of a young drug addict named Neely (King), which lead Grace to believe Neely also shares a connection with Earl.
Meanwhile, Ham’s divorce was finalized. Ham hopes he and Grace can finally be together, but Grace might not be on the same page.
This season, we will learn more about the personal lives of fellow detectives Bobby Stillwater (Cruz), Butch Ada (Chase) and Captain Kate Perry (Toussaint).
Grace’s best friend, criminalist Rhetta Rodriquez (San Giacomo), has financial problems that could threaten her marriage. And Grace’s nephew, Clay (Minnette), continues to be an OCPD Explorer, helping out at the police station.
Seasons
Note: the second season aired on Fox before the first. Season 3 never aired on M-Net Series and the first two seasons did not air on FOX.
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 15 Apr 2008 | Finale: 8 Jul 2008 | Tuesdays, 21h30
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 15 Jun 2008 | Finale: 7 Sep 2008 | Sundays, 19h00
Channel: Fox Entertainment | Premiere: 24 Dec 2010 | Finale: 18 Mar 2011 | Fridays, 20h15
Season 2 (14 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 23 Sep 2008 | Finale: 5 Jul 2009 | Tuesdays/Sundays, 22h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 22 Feb 2009 | Finale: 24 May 2009 | Sundays, 19h00
Channel: Fox Entertainment | Premiere: 2 May 2010 | Finale: 1 Aug 2010 | Sundays, 21h00
Season 3 (19 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 6 Sep 2009 | Finale: 8 Aug 2010 | Sundays, 21h40
Channel: Fox Entertainment | Premiere: 4 Jan 2013 | Finale: 10 May 2013 | Fridays, 20h15
Channel: FOX | Premiere: 2 Apr 2014 | Finale: 6 Aug 2014 | Wednesdays, 21h10