They’re Called The Murder Squad… But They Don’t Do the Killing

Between stalking networking online with the gorgeous ladies of Battlestar Galactica and tweeting about the Late Night NBC debacle, I don’t have much time left for web series these days. But recently I found myself craving a show to fill that empty hole left by the 10:00 pm timeslot and Conan O’Brien’s pompadour. And then I met Murder Squad.

Murder Squad is a comedic take on your typical crime procedurals. The series follows the exploits of a young, hard-working and probably-better-looking-than-you’d-actually-find-in-law-enforcement duo of LAPD cops as they struggle their way up the ranks of the homicide department. Created by former Hollywood assistants R. Chett Hoffman, Will Phillips and Matt Quezada, Murder Squad is a slick, funny and diabolical new show that slips you five to eight minutes of scripted goodness. I know what you’re thinking. “Are people still actually named Chett?” The answer is yes, and I spoke with him about the show.

The series started to come together after the team met on the set of the Lifetime original series Rita Rocks. It was then that the team decided to put their heads together and create the next great sitcom. Inspired by such series as Scrubs, Hoffman, Phillips and Quezada realized that there had never been a coming-of-age version of a cop show on TV – let alone a comedic attempt at it. And so Murder Squad came to be.

“Murder Squad isn’t a parody of the genre,” Hoffman tells me. “It exists IN the world of typical cop-show procedurals. I think it’s safe to say we’ve put the laughter in manslaughter.”

Following the tried and true formula of hits like CSI and Law and Order, Murder Squad is fashioned so that each episode stands alone. You won’t need to follow them chronologically. An episode like Andy Lee’s Hot Wife is a perfect example of a standalone episode that also shows off stellar performances from its regulars Jayson Blair (Ryan), Adam Jennings (Greg) and Tristen MacDonald (Samantha) while they do their best to solve the most inconsequential mysteries.

But it’s not the procedural formula that makes Murder Squad so damn good. By far, what sets it apart from other series is extraordinary casting. These actors are so good I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the jump to network and cable TV very soon. Oh wait, they’re already there! Look for Ian Gomez (Cougar Town, Rita Rocks, The Drew Carey Show, Felicity); Frank Krueger (The Bold and The Beautiful, Chuck, The Division); Bob Rumnock (HBO’s The Pacific, Weeds, Imagine That, Two and a Half Men); Jayson Blair (MTV’s The Hard Times of RJ Berger, Heroes, Glee).

And if casting was not enough, make sure to stick around the end credits of each episode. Murder Squad is filled with an eclectic mix of music from Tim Sandberg, Funkin’ A, The Franks, The Third Grade Haters, Chelsea Automatic, Only Living Boy and The Candy Apples.

It’s great to see TV people turning to the Internet to debut original material and get it right. Sure, it’s a cheaper way to do it but it’s still risky. I mean, it’s the Internet. If it’s crap, it’s there. Foreeeeeeveeeeerrrrr. So what I really wanted to ask Hoffman was: Why? Why choose to cash in all your savings bonds and piggybanks and move back in with your parents just to put another show out into the ether? So I did. And his answer was quite simple. “We looked at what was out there, and we knew we could do it better.” That, my friends is ballsy. And that, my friends, makes it worth a viewing.

I asked Hoffman what the plans were for season two of Murder Squad and he said. “We’d like to formally announce our bid for the 10:00 pm timeslot on NBC.” Godspeed, friends. And don’t forget to kick Zucker in the balls while you’re there.

Murder Squad has, hands down, one of the best credit sequences of any web series… ever. In their honor, check out: The Most Badass TV Credit Sequences from the 70s.

Jason L. Cooper is a screenwriter, poet, wine-drinker, cheese-eater and aspiring chef. He has worked on several web series including penning the pilot episode of Creepshow: Raw, “Insomnia,” that released in October 2009. He published a book of poems titled “Losing the Perfect Battle” with Publish America, and his writing has been featured in several motion pictures. Most recently, he worked with Polymorphic Pictures on “Cats and Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” due in theaters summer 2010. He is currently developing a feature for Warner Bros. Pictures and can be found trolling the dollar bins at Target.