Cold Case is an American police procedural television drama series created by Meredith Stiehm and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television which revolves around a fictional division of the Philadelphia Police Department that specialises in investigating cold cases - crimes that have not yet been solved.
The series follows Detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris), a dedicated female detective in the Philadelphia homicide squad, who finds her niche when she's assigned to "cold cases" - crimes that have never been solved.
Previously, she used her instinctive understanding of the criminal mind on current murders. Now, she's interrogating witnesses whose lives and circumstances have since changed, making use of today's new science and finding fresh clues to solve cases that were previously unsolvable - all of which appeals to this smart, driven detective.
She's also prepared for the consequences - that her work will open up old wounds and may lead suspects to commit new crimes.
When she hits a dead end, Rush seeks advice from her respected mentor, Lt. Tom Stillman (John Finn).
Also on the team are Det. Scotty Valens (Danny Pino), Rush's confident and strong-willed partner; Det. Will Jeffries (Thom Barry), who's been around long enough to serve as Lilly's link to the past; Det. Nick Vera (Jeremy Ratchford), a tough cop who's considered the go-to guy for getting a confession; and Kat Miller (Tracie Thoms), the new girl on the team who is eager to prove her worthiness.
Rush sees her new assignment as a turning point in her career, when she decides to make it her business to make sure that no victim is ever forgotten.
One notable feature of Cold Case is its use of younger actors to portray the events that occurred at the time of the murder, and the use of music from that time period.
Cold Case is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Meredith Stiehm, Jennifer Johnson and Greg Plageman are the executive producers.
Broadcast Notes
Although there are 23 episodes in the first season, only 21 aired in the Universal Channel broadcast. There are also 23 episodes in the second season, but only 22 aired on Universal Channel.