New York Undercover is an American police drama that was shown on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The show featured Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's Fourth Precinct who worked on cases involving crimes and gangs. Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn played their superior, Lt. Virginia Cooper, and Lauren Vélez joined the cast in the second season as Nina Moreno, a fellow detective and love interest to Torres. The series was co-created and produced by Dick Wolf. Its story takes place in the same imaginary world as Wolf’s NBC series Law & Order and its related shows, including the Chicago and FBI series, and Homicide: Life on the Street.

During its development, the show was called Uptown Undercover, a name inspired by Uptown Records, a music label. The label’s founder, Andre Harrell, was also an executive producer of the series. New York Undercover is notable for being the first police drama on American television to have two people of color in the main roles. At the same time that NBC’s popular "Must See TV" lineup was showing shows on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African-American viewers watched Fox’s Thursday-night lineup, which included Martin, Living Single, and New York Undercover.

Synopsis

In addition to the main stories in each episode, subplots showed the personal lives of the show's characters. For example, Det. Williams had difficulty raising his young son, Gregory (George O. Gore II), while Torres dealt with family problems and other challenges, including his father (Mike Torres, played by Jose Perez), whose drug addiction and HIV status led to ongoing issues, and a childhood friend who became an organized-crime boss.

At the start of the third season, a new detective, Tommy McNamara (Jonathan LaPaglia), was added as a main character. In the third-season finale in May 1997, Torres and Moreno married. However, in that same episode, Torres and McNamara were both killed by a group of bank robbers.

The series returned with a new cast for its fourth and final season in January 1998. Williams and Moreno were placed in a new unit, which led to Cooper leaving the cast. New detectives joined the team, including Lt. Malcolm Barker (played by Tommy Ford), Det. Nell Delaney (Marisa Ryan), and Det. Alec Stone (Josh Hopkins). The new unit eventually captured the last bank robber responsible for the deaths of Torres and McNamara.

Cast

• Malik Yoba as Det. Julius Clarence "J.C." Williams: J.C. is an African-American detective at the Fourth Precinct. He is gruff but committed, with strong street knowledge. His optimism about his job decreases over time. He has a son, Gregory, whom he had as a teenager with his former girlfriend, Chantal Tierney. His partner, Eddie Torres, is his closest friend. J.C. appears in all 89 episodes of the series.
• Michael DeLorenzo as Det. Eduardo "Eddie" Torres (seasons 1–3): Eddie is a Puerto Rican–American detective born in the Bronx. He is more impulsive than J.C., who is calmer. Eddie is skilled as an undercover officer. After years of being distant from his family, he reconnects with his brother Jimmy, a priest; his sister Carmen, a journalist; and his father Mike, a musician and recovering drug user. Eddie is killed in season 3 when his car is bombed by bank robber Nadine Jordan. His partner, J.C., is his closest friend.
• Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn as Lt. Virginia Cooper (seasons 1–3): Virginia is a commanding officer at the NYPD's Fourth Precinct. She is described as tough but fair. She is married with four children, one of whom died at age 8. She is removed from the show after season 3 and does not appear again.
• Lauren Vélez as Det. Nina Moreno-Torres (seasons 2–4): Nina is a New York Puerto Rican. At 16, she married her boyfriend Luis and had a daughter, Melissa, who was placed for adoption after Luis left her. She later married Eddie Torres but became a widow after his murder. Her mother is a sergeant in the NYPD.
• Jonathan LaPaglia as Det. Tommy McNamara (season 3): Tommy is an Irish-Italian American detective. His father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty, and some believed he was corrupt. Before joining the Fourth Precinct, Tommy had little experience with New York's African-American and Latino communities. He is killed in season 3 by Nadine Jordan, a gang member he was undercover investigating.
• Marisa Ryan as Det. Nell Delaney (season 4): Nell is a young officer who lied about her age when joining the police academy. The NYPD allowed her to stay despite this. She is close friends with detective Alec Stone.
• Josh Hopkins as Det. Alec Stone (season 4): Alec is a tech expert for the S.I.D. squads. Born Alec D'Amico, he is the son of a Brooklyn crime family leader. His career in law enforcement caused him to lose contact with most of his relatives. He served six years as a Navy SEAL before joining the NYPD. He is close friends with Nell Delaney.
• Tommy Ford as Lt. Malcolm Barker (season 4): Malcolm is the leader of the NYPD's Special Investigations Division. He is strict and unconventional, often telling detectives to "lie, cheat, or do whatever it takes" to solve cases. Unlike Lt. Cooper, who followed rules strictly, Barker prefers undercover work and keeps detectives' records hidden during missions.

• George Gore II as Gregory "G" Williams: Gregory is the son of J.C. Williams and Chantal Tierney. He is 9 years old in the pilot, 10 in season 1, 13 in season 3, and 14 in season 4. He appears in all four seasons.
• Michael Michele as Sandra Gill (season 1): Sandra is a lawyer in her late 20s. She dated J.C. Williams, became pregnant, and agreed to marry him. She was killed before their wedding by Danny Cort, a criminal who wanted revenge against J.C.
• Fatima Faloye as Chantel Tierney (seasons 1–3): Chantel is a nurse in her late 20s. She had a son, Gregory, with J.C. Williams when she was a teenager.
• Kamar de los Reyes as Luis (season 2): Luis was the teenage boyfriend of Nina Moreno. He married her after she became pregnant and left her when their daughter, Melissa, was born. He was killed years later during a robbery.
• Roger Robinson as Major Harold Williams (season 3): Harold is a U.S. Army Special Forces officer and the father of J.C. Williams. He abandoned his wife and son and did not contact J.C. for 17 years.
• José Perez as Mike Torres (seasons 1–3): Mike is a musician and recovering drug user. He is closest to his son Eddie after alienating much of his family.
• José Zúñiga as Father Jimmy Torres (seasons 1–2): Jimmy is a Catholic priest and the older brother of Eddie Torres.
• Lisa Vidal as Carmen Torres (seasons 1–2): Carmen is a newspaper reporter and the sister of Eddie Torres.
• Nancy Ticotin as Teresa Torres Rivera (seasons 1 and 3): Teresa is a wealthy sister of Eddie Torres.
• Steve Ryan as Dave Cooper (seasons 2–3): Dave is the husband of Virginia Cooper.
• Eden Riegel as Megan Cooper (seasons 2–3): Megan is the daughter of Virginia Cooper. She was kidnapped and raped by a man she met online. Virginia shot the man during his attempt to escape.
• Marina Durell as Sgt. Sonia Moreno (seasons 2–3): Sonia is an NYPD sergeant and the mother of Nina Moreno.
• Zoe Dora Lukov as Melissa Lewis (season 3): Melissa is the biological daughter of Nina Moreno and her first husband, Luis. She was placed for adoption because her parents were teenagers when she was born.
• Dean Winters as Paul Delany (season 4): Paul is a firefighter with the FDNY and the brother of Nell Delaney.
• Jennifer Esposito as Gina D'Amico (season 4): Gina is the former lover of Alec Stone and is now married to his brother, Frankie D'Amico.
• Justin Theroux as Frankie D'Amico (season 4): Frankie is a crime boss in Brooklyn and the brother of Alec Stone.
• Sean Squire as Roger (season 4): Roger is the half-brother of Malcolm Barker. He and Malcolm are not close.
• Novella Nelson as Malcolm Barker's Mother (season 4): She is the mother of Malcolm Barker.

• Frank Pellegrino as Det. Ricciarelli (seasons 1–2)
• Jim Moody as Det. Otis "Old School" Washington (season 1)
• Gilbert Lewis as Det. Otis "Old School" Washington (pilot episode only)
• Takeo Matsushita as Medical Examiner Wong (season 1 episodes 3, 4 & 5)
• Lee Wong as Medical Examiner Wong (seasons 1–3)
• James Saito as Det. Chang (season 1)
• Jon M. McDonnell as Detective Sweitek (seasons 1–2)
• Michelle Hurd as A.D.A. Maria Reynolds (seasons 1–2)
• Edie Falco as Sgt. Kelly (seasons 2–3)
• James McCaffrey as Capt. Arthur O'Byrne (season 3)
• Joe Lisi as Chief of Detectives (season 4)

• John Costelloe as John Santucci (seasons 1–3):

Controversy

On July 23, 1996, the day filming for the third season of a television show was supposed to begin, two lead actors, Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo, did not appear. They joined together and gave a list of demands to the show's creator and producer, Dick Wolf. Both actors wanted their pay to increase from $40,000 per episode to $100,000 per episode. They also asked for more creative control, with DeLorenzo specifically requesting the chance to direct some episodes. Additionally, they wanted a gym on set, private trailers for the main actors, and improved food for the cast and crew.

Dick Wolf refused the demands and stated that the show, New York Undercover, was not like Friends, another popular television series. He was angry and called the actors' actions a harmful "virus" to the entertainment industry. He also threatened to remove both actors from the show entirely.

One day later, Universal Television, the production company behind the show, filed a lawsuit against Yoba and DeLorenzo for $1.2 million. The company claimed the actors had broken their contract and were costing the show $60,000 each day they did not work.

After three days, the actors returned to the set, but their demands were not met. They continued working under their original contract terms. However, tensions remained between DeLorenzo and producer Dick Wolf. Near the end of the third season, DeLorenzo's character, Detective Eddie Torres, was killed in a car explosion. Yoba remained on the show for its fourth and final season.

Soundtracks

A soundtrack with hip hop and R&B music was released on September 19, 1995, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. It includes songs from the series, such as a cover of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" performed by Mary J. Blige, "I Miss You (Come Back Home)" by Monifah, "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" by Lost Boyz, and the theme to New York Undercover, composed by James Mtume. The album was produced by Andre Harrell, who was the executive producer of the series, and it was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album.

A second soundtrack album for the series, titled New York Undercover: A Night At Natalie's, was released on January 13, 1998, by MCA Records. This album includes R&B songs performed by artists who appear at Natalie's, a nightclub featured in most episodes of the series' first three seasons. The artists include 112, Mary J. Blige, Xscape, Chaka Khan, Teena Marie, K-Ci & JoJo, Brownstone, Gerald Levert, B. B. King, Tito Nieves, and The Barrio Boyzz. The album also includes a song titled "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," performed by Michael DeLorenzo, who plays Detective Eddie Torres in the series.

Potential reboot/revival

On December 5, 2018, Deadline reported that the series creator, Dick Wolf, and ABC were discussing a new version of the show. Six days later, ABC agreed to make a pilot episode for the new version.

On January 31, 2019, ABC officially ordered a pilot episode for the new version. They also announced that the show would be a revival of the original series, including both returning characters and new actors. In February 2019, Malik Yoba and Lauren Veléz were confirmed to return as J.C. Williams and Nina Moreno. Williams would now be the supervising officer of the new young detectives, and Moreno would be retired but still connected to her old team. On March 12, 2019, ABC cast Toby Sandeman and Otmara Marrero as the main detectives, Nat Gilmore and Melissa Ortiz. Anna Enger and Octavio Pisano joined as supporting detectives, Lisa Kim and Moses Hernandez. MC Lyte was cast as Lieutenant April Freeman, the new leader of the team.

On May 10, 2019, it was announced that the revival would not continue on ABC. Instead, the project was offered to other networks and streaming services. As of January 2020, the revival was still being considered by other companies. In July 2020, Deadline reported that the revival might be produced on NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock.

Rerun

The show and all of its seasons can be watched online now in HD on Tubi, Disney+, and Hulu. It was also shown again on VH1 and BET.