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Series / Ironside (2013)

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The Best Detective Team in New York.

Ironside (2013) is an investigation crime drama about a wheelchair-using detective and his team of specialists. It is a remake of the 1967-75 series of the same name, with both series having aired on NBC and produced by Universal (which were now under the same corporate umbrella).

Unlike the original series, which was set in San Francisco, this version takes place in and around New York City. In addition, the main and titular character has changed races from white to black (now played by Blair Underwood), and is the only character from the original series to appear in the remake.

It appeared on Video on Demand in September 2013, premiered officially that October... and was cancelled later that October. The original series lasted 8 seasons; the remake only made it to episode 4.


Tropes featured include:

  • Action Girl: Holly, the sole female member of Ironside's team is as smart and as athletic and capable of the men.
  • Big Applesauce: The series takes place in New York City.
  • Canon Foreigner: Aside from Ironside himself, not a single character from the original series appears here.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: The pilot episode has one such.
  • Da Chief: Played with. Ironside's boss is put upon, and you can tell he wants to yell and scream. But he keeps his tone just slightly above conversational. Also, he is Asian.
  • Driven to Suicide: The first case Ironside and team must solve, though Bobby plays it like a homicide so he can bring in those who drove the victim to take her own life.
  • The Exotic Detective: Ironside himself.
  • Flashback: The pilot episode reveals how Robert Ironside received the spinal injury that placed him in the wheelchair.
  • Friend or Foe?: Ironside's old partner accidentally shot him during a shootout which put Ironside in the wheelchair.
  • Genius Cripple: On more levels than one. Ironside displays emotional intelligence, rare for a male character.
  • Handicapped Badass: Being in a wheelchair does not hinder Ironside's keen mind. And it doesn't stop him from being a hard ass.
  • Hyper-Awareness: In the episode "Action!" Ironside is able to profile four poker players simply by their drinks and the way they stack their chips.
  • In Name Only: The setting's different, the supporting characters are different, the incident that led to Ironside's wheelchair is different...the only similarity is that both series have a wheelchair-using detective named Ironside.
  • Race Lift: In the original series, Ironside was portrayed by white actor Raymond Burr. In the new series, black actor Blair Underwood plays the title character.
  • Sherlock Scan
  • Shoot the Hostage: Bobby advises his team member to do this to reveal the hostage taker never really meant to hurt the hostage.
  • Survivor Guilt: Bobby's former partner. He accidentally shot Ironside in the back and caused a spinal injury, leaving him in a wheelchair and has some Death Seeker tendencies starting; Bobby supports him but in a Tough Love manner.
  • Truncated Theme Tune: The new series has the most recognizable riff from the original series, and that's it.

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