On Call, the newest police drama on Prime Video, is a new take on the cop procedural genre. This show, which was created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf is different from Chicago P.D. and Law & Order in that it has a tight, character-driven plot. The show is about the difficulties of walking the streets of Long Beach and stars Troian Bellisario as experienced officer Tracie Harmon and Brandon Larracuente as new officer Alex Diaz. The story unfolds through their daily calls, tackling overdoses, domestic disputes, gang violence and mental health crises.
With eight episodes that are each only 30 minutes long, the show strikes a good balance between being intense and being short. But does this made-up drama have anything to do with real events or is it purely a creation of the writers’ imaginations?
Is Prime Video’s On Call Inspired by Real Events?
No, On Call is not based on a true story. But the show is based on a lot of real events and observations so it gives viewers a real look into the lives of police officers. Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, who created the show, spent a lot of time watching real police officers work to come up with the stories and characters. The show’s realistic portrayal of law enforcement is based on these experiences, even though the plot and characters are made up.
Elliot Wolf, co-creator of the show and son of famous producer Dick Wolf, who created Law & Order and Chicago P.D., says, said that the idea for the show came from combining old-fashioned police dramas with new ways of telling stories. The choice to use cell phone and body camera footage was made on purpose to get people more involved with the action and help them feel closer to the characters. By using the same visuals that you see in news stories and viral videos, On Call blurs the line between reality and fiction, making viewers feel like they are on the police car with them.
Elliot Wolf, “This show is not a true procedural. There is an underlying current of serialization, but the basis for finding that serialization was looking at the yesteryear dramas like Adam-12 and figuring out how to do it our way and build it for today’s audience.”
Tim Walsh, who helped make the show, said that the format is a nod to the half-hour dramas of the 1950s and 1960s, like Adam-12, while also using modern ways of telling stories. Walsh made it clear that the show is not based on real events, which is something that a lot of Wolf Entertainment shows do. In its place, it’s a deeply personal story shaped by what the writers saw while riding along with police officers. By using this method, they were able to show how complicated the job was, from the scary, high-stress moments to the calmer, more reflective parts.
Not Ripped from the Headlines, But Rooted in Reality
Wolf Entertainment also makes shows like Law & Order and Chicago P.D., but On Call is different because its stories are not based on real events. Instead, it builds on things that all police officers have in common: trust, working with the community and making sacrifices for others.
Wolf and Walsh made it clear that they didn’t want to make this a political show or take a side in the ongoing debate about police brutality in the U.S. Their goal was to give the badge a face, to show the people behind the uniform.
Walsh shared, “You were right in it. That’s exactly what we want to do. We wanted the audience to feel that intensity, like being in the car with officers on a ride-along.” “We wanted to create an authentic experience that reflects the real challenges officers face without making it overly political.”
“Elliot asked me one question that hung with me afterward: ‘Who would want to be a police officer today?’ That was fascinating, to learn who would want to get up every day, put on the uniform, put on a badge and go out in these turbulent times.”
The stories in the show are made up, but they are based on real events that police officers have been through. During pre-production, Walsh and Wolf went on rides with police officers to learn more about how they did their jobs. These experiences shaped how the show showed patrol shifts, interactions with the community, and the way things work within the department.
For instance, the way Officer Tracie Harmon is portrayed as a tough experienced police officer is similar to how many veterans in the field act. Her relationship with rookie officer Alex Diaz shows how police departments often have generational and ideological gaps. The show looks at themes like trust, mentorship and the emotional toll of the job through their interactions.
Realism in Storytelling
The use of body camera and dash camera perspectives in the show makes it seem even more real. This creative filming method looks a lot like the footage that is usually seen in real Police work. It gives the show a documentary-like look that grounds it in reality. According to Elliot Wolf, this style was meant to make viewers feel like they were really there, feeling the stress and uncertainty of police work.
Wolf said in the interview, “Body-cam and dash-cam footage are everywhere today—in the news, online—and they’ve become a relatable lens for audiences. We wanted to immerse viewers in that world to make it feel raw and immediate.”
One of the series’ strengths is that it can tell stories that are both fictional and true to life. Even though the characters and events aren’t based on real people or events: they do show the problems that police face in general. The story touches on issues like distrust in the community, the mental health problems of police officers, and how hard it is to police diverse neighborhoods.
For example, the East Barrio gang shown in the show is made up but it’s a good example of the kind of criminal groups that exist in many cities. Similarly, the tense relationship between the community and the police department is similar to the growing tensions in real life over the past few years.
The show also doesn’t make its stories too dramatic; instead, it takes a more realistic approach. On Call gives a more complex picture of the job by focusing on the everyday tasks of police work, like answering calls and filing paperwork. This care for detail helps the show connect with viewers, even though it’s a story that’s not true.
The Impact of Short-Form Storytelling
The 30-minute length of each episode is another thing that makes On Call stand out. The reason for this change from the usual hour-long drama was that the creators wanted to make a show that could be watched all at once and quickly. Elliot Wolf said that the shorter runtime shows how modern audiences’ tastes are changing, since they are used to seeing shorter, more intense content on social media.
Elliot Wolf wanted to make something special for streaming audiences, which is where the show came from. Wolf was inspired by the way stories were told on the short-lived ‘Quibi platform’ to make a show that would work with the way people watch TV today.
Wolf said Inthe Interview, “There’s a reason we chose 30-minute episodes.” People’s attention spans are shorter so we wanted something that could be watched all at once but still had an impact. We can say a lot without staying too long in this format.”
The format has some good points but it also has some problems. Because of the short length, character development and story depth are limited, and some storylines feel like they aren’t explored enough. But the creators of the show think that this limitation makes it more intense, which keeps viewers interested and can’t wait for the next episode.
Even though On Call isn’t based on a true story; it is different from other police procedurals because it tries to be real and true to life. The series gives a new view on law enforcement by using storytelling techniques that are different from the norm and drawing from real events. The fictional story gives the creators room to be creative but the show’s roots in real-life issues keep it relevant and make you think.
If you like procedural dramas but want to try something new, On Call is an intense, immersive show that breaks the rules of traditional storytelling. The works of Walsh and Wolf show that fiction can sometimes feel as real and powerful as the truth.
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