Fastlane (TV series)

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Fastlane
Promotional image (from left to right)
Facinelli, Thiessen, and Bellamy
Created byMcG
John McNamara
StarringPeter Facinelli
Bill Bellamy
Tiffani Thiessen
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes22
Production
Running time44 minutes
Production companiesMcNamara Paper Products
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseSeptember 18, 2002 (2002-09-18) –
April 25, 2003 (2003-04-25)

Fastlane is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast on Fox from September 18, 2002 to April 25, 2003. On August 14, 2005 G4 began rebroadcasting the complete series.[1]

Plot summary[edit]

Van Ray and Deaqon Hayes are two mismatched cops teamed together by shady police lieutenant, Wilhelmina "Billie" Chambers, in a secretive undercover division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Operating with the motto "Everything we seize, we keep. Everything we keep, we use," their base of operations is the "Candy Store"—a warehouse containing a fortune in confiscated cars, clothes, weapons and everything else needed to blend into the seedy criminal underworld of Los Angeles. Given criminal covers, the officers use all of the resources at their disposal to apprehend dangerous criminals while walking the line between cop and criminal.

Cast[edit]

Main[edit]

Recurring[edit]

Guest appearances[edit]

Over the course of its run, Fastlane featured cameos and guest appearances from several known figures, including Fred Durst, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mischa Barton, Jenny McCarthy, Krista Allen, Jake Busey, Bokeem Woodbine, Hudson Leick, Jaime Pressly, George Hamilton, Eric Mabius, Michelle Forbes, Navi Rawat, Iggy Pop, Naomi Campbell, Tommy Lee, Terrence Howard, Isaac Hayes, the Red Elvises, Tatyana Ali, Natasha Alam, Paul Gleason, Antonio Fargas, Biz Markie, Kurupt, Treach and Ali Landry. Actor Randall Park also appeared on the show.

Series run[edit]

The series consisted of twenty-two episodes, forty-five minutes each, plus an unaired pilot which ended up being very similar to the first episode broadcast. Episodes 13 and 14 ("Defense" and "Offense") form a two-part story, while episodes 21 and 22 ("Dosed" and "Iced") form a two-part story ending on a cliffhanger which sees Billie Chambers kidnapped and forced to do drugs. As the series was canceled at that point due to the high costs of each episode, there is no known resolution.

Each episode cost Warner Bros. Television $2.6 million. The show's hallmarks—unconventional cinematography, pyrotechnics, guest appearances, licensed soundtracks, supercars and other exotic vehicles—were the root cause of the exorbitant production costs.

Cancellation[edit]

After Fox canceled Firefly in December 2002, Fastlane was moved from Wednesday nights to Fridays as a midseason replacement for Firefly. The show suffered as a result of this airdate move and never recovered. With high production costs and the ratings dropping, Fastlane was canceled in March 2003.

Fastlane gained a cult following especially for the chemistry between the cast, the action scenes, the humor and the direction.[2][3]

Episodes[edit]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Pilot"McGStory by : McG
Teleplay by : John McNamara
September 18, 2002 (2002-09-18)475183

After Deaq's brother's death, Billie partners Van with him to work on catching Deaq's brother's murderer. Meanwhile, Van seems to be interested in the murderer's fence, Cassidy Shaw.

Guest stars: Craig Sheffer, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Jennifer Sky, Paul Gleason, John Doe, Big Boy, and Issac Hayes

Cameo appearance: Fred Durst
2"Girls Own Juice"Paris BarclayKim NewtonSeptember 25, 2002 (2002-09-25)175752

After taking a 1968 Mustang for a ride, Van and Deaq run into a group of three female jewel thieves. Billie subsequently puts them on the case after they convince her they can do the job better than RHD can.

Guest stars: Abby Brammell, Tangi Miller, Tatyana Ali, Big Boy, Courtney Gains, Michael Cudlitz, and Antonio Fargas
3"Gone Native"Josh PateAlexandra CunninghamOctober 30, 2002 (2002-10-30)175754

Billie assigns the duo to take on a brother-sister team of arms dealing Russian mobsters. After getting their cover almost blown by an ATF agent, Billie wants them to find out whether he's dirty or not.

Guest stars: Rod Rowland, Ilia Volok, Natasha Alam, Levani, Lamont Johnson, and the Red Elvises
4"Things Done Changed"Josh PateSalvatore J. StabileNovember 6, 2002 (2002-11-06)175755

Deaq's ex-girlfriend contacts him to get him to help her get rid of her husband. As it turns out, her husband is a known criminal and Billie decides to let them go undercover anyway to get him off the streets.

Guest stars: Terrence Howard, Tammy Townsend, Robert LaSardo, Dex Elliott Sanders, Jeff Philips, and Big Boy
5"Ryde or Die"Winrich KolbeJosh Appelbaum & Andre NemecNovember 13, 2002 (2002-11-13)175753

Billie forcefully assigns the boys to go after an Ecstasy dealer for no apparent reason. As the case unfolds, it's revealed Billie is a former heroin addict, and that the Ecstasy dealer was her provider of said heroin.

Guest stars: Bill Duke, Salvator Xuereb, Big Boy, and Biz Markie
6"Ray Ray"Marcos SiegaMatthew Carnahan & John McNamaraNovember 20, 2002 (2002-11-20)175756

To stop a recently inherited crime boss seeking counterfeit to pay off Colombian mobsters, Van seeks help from his father, Raymond 'Ray-Ray' Ray.

Guest stars: Robert Forster, Iggy Pop, Brad Hawkins, T.J. Thyne, and Big Boy
7"Wet"Chris LongKevin G. BoydNovember 27, 2002 (2002-11-27)175757

When the contracted murder of club owner/thug, Wisdom Bailey, goes awry, Billie sends in Van to find out if a suspected hit woman, Sophia Jones, is the woman who tried killing him.

Guest stars: Jamie Brown and Lamont Johnson
8"Mighty Blue"Guy BeeJosh Appelbaum & Andre NemecDecember 4, 2002 (2002-12-04)175758

Billie's best friend, Alexa Tan, receives help from Van and Deaq to take down Chinese Triad leader, Jackson Yu. Deaq and Alexa, however, seem to be more interested in each other rather than the case itself.

Guest stars: Catherine Kwong and Ian Anthony Dale
9"Get Your Mack On"Leslie LibmanJohn McNamaraDecember 11, 2002 (2002-12-11)175751

After several prostitutes go missing, Van and Deaq are sent in after a murderous pimp, Nathan, to make sure it never happens again. Everything goes wrong when one of the prostitutes they're using to get in with Nathan turns out to be dating a federal prosecutor, and Nathan wants her dead.

Guest stars: Pras, Bill Duke, Bianca Kajlich, and Channon Roe

Cameo appearance: Michelle Forbes as Lena
10"Dogtown"David BarrettMatthew CarnahanJanuary 10, 2003 (2003-01-10)175760

After busting one of Billie's former snitches, the snitch opts to let them take out the "Circle Gang" he's part of and their marijuana dealing schemes. But the snitch seems to have his own scheme in mind, instead.

Guest stars: John Asher, Eric Mabius, Nicole Paggi, Billy Rieck, and Big Boy
11"Strap On"Greg YaitanesKim NewtonJanuary 17, 2003 (2003-01-17)175762

With several rich people's houses being recently robbed, Billie sends in Van and Deaq to take down the girls behind the burglaries, only to discover they are lesbians. Instead, Billie opts to go undercover with Van as a lesbian coming out of a marriage to a criminal.

Guest stars: Jaime Pressly, Colleen Porch, Danny Murphy, Paul Ben-Victor, and Big Boy

Special guest appearance: George Hamilton
12"101"Sanford BookstaverJohn McNamaraJanuary 24, 2003 (2003-01-24)175761

The entire team helps rookie officer, Jarod, solve his first case against blackmailers who may be involved in the suicide of Jarod's friend.

Guest stars: Mark Famiglietti, Hudson Leick, Bradford Tatum, and Jake Busey
13"Defense (Part 1)"Marcos SiegaJosh Appelbaum & Andre NemecJanuary 31, 2003 (2003-01-31)175763

The team begins a case against a cop killer known as "Cyrus One", only to discover his tribe is involved in far more than that. Internal Affairs officer, Roland Hill, seeks out Billie to tell her she, Van and Deaq are being watched closely. The episode ends with a cliffhanger.

Guest stars: Jay Mohr, Treach, Krista Allen, and Ricky Harris
14"Offense (Part 2)"Sanford BookstaverJohn McNamaraFebruary 7, 2003 (2003-02-07)175764

The cliffhanger is resolved, Billie gets sentenced to jail for the murder of Cyrus by an agent on the inside, Skylar Case. Internal Affairs gives Van and Deaq 72 hours to solve the case and find out if she's dirty, without use of the Candy Store.

Guest stars: Bill Duke, Jay Mohr, Krista Allen, Ricky Harris, Andy Umberger, Mark Famiglietti, and Big Boy
15"Popdukes"Josh PateLeonard DickFebruary 14, 2003 (2003-02-14)175765

Van's father is released from prison and as far as Van can see, he's no longer interested in the life of crime. Until Nigerian criminals attempt to kill him, then Billie wants him to go under with Van and Deaq to settle it by giving the crime boss savings bonds of enormous amounts, which will result in the boss's arrest.

Guest stars: Robert Forster, Jenny McCarthy, and Evan Dexter Parke
16"Slippery Slope"Guy BeeKim Newton & Case KrellMarch 7, 2003 (2003-03-07)175767

Cassidy Shaw, who was let go at the end of the pilot, has been scamming and conning her way across the country and Billie puts Van and Deaq up to the challenge to get her. Many things go wrong, even so much as criminals contracted by Cassidy's boyfriend's boss trying to kill her. Eventually, Sophia Jones (from the episode "Wet", who escaped prison in the end) is one of the contract killers.

Guest stars: Jamie Brown, Jennifer Sky, Costas Mandylor, Ned Schmidtke, and Robert Lipton
17"Simone Says"Paris BarclayAlexandra CunninghamMarch 14, 2003 (2003-03-14)175766

A former arms dealer recently gone straight is worried about his own safety and the safety of his teenage daughter, Simone. After realizing its best for her to know that she's being protected, he decides to let Van and Deaq guard her in public.

Guest stars: Bill Duke, Mischa Barton, Don McManus, Timothy V. Murphy, and Mark Sheppard

Cameo appearance: Jillian Barberie as herself
18"Monster"David StraitonAlexandra CunninghamMarch 21, 2003 (2003-03-21)175759

A gang banger's brother is murdered and Aquarius wants Van and Deaq to find the murderer and promises no gang related crimes will result from finding the man, who ends up being a rich white guy who runs a modeling agency with his wife.

Guest stars: Sam Ball, Lobo Sebastian, Rebecca Mader, Darren Kennedy, and Big Boy
19"Overkill"Bill DukeHunt Baldwin & John CovenyMarch 28, 2003 (2003-03-28)175768

Van and Deaq are sent after worldwide arms dealers who ship the weapons from Los Angeles to many international cities. Once their initial bust in Morocco goes awry, they discover the guns were stored in crates containing CD's from one label and they assume he, or someone working with him, is behind the distribution.

Guest stars: Vondie Curtis-Hall, Bokeem Woodbine, Roweena King, David Chism, Joan Pringle, Clarence Williams III, and Big Boy

Cameo appearance: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as himself
20"Asslane"David BarrettJosh AppelbaumApril 4, 2003 (2003-04-04)175769

Billie splits the team up for their latest assignment against a bimonthly meth deal called "The Summit" that goes down between two parties. Deaq goes after Murdoch and Ghost Goucher, the producers, as a dirt bike loving, meth smoking criminal. Van goes after the distributor, Lena Savage, a porn producer, as a porn star agent. Billie joins Van in the case as a porn star. Internal Affairs officer, Roland Hill, requests Billie sends in her old friend and informant, Nat Raiden, to help die mark the meth produced.

Guest stars: Naomi Campbell, Tommy Lee, Navi Rawat, Scott William Winters, and Jay Mohr
21"Dosed (Part 1)"Sanford BookstaverDavid H. GoodmanApril 18, 2003 (2003-04-18)175770

After going on a date with his hotel clerk, Hillary, Van gets poisoned by an unknown man who calls him offering Van the antidote in exchange for breaking out a prisoner. During the cliffhanger, Billie discovers clues that lead her to think the blackmailer is her former protege.

Guest stars: Ali Landry, Hal Ozsan, Darren Richardson, Kurupt, Clarence Williams III, and Big Boy
22"Iced (Part 2)"Sanford BookstaverJohn McNamaraApril 25, 2003 (2003-04-25)175771

Billie's former protege is revealed to be the blackmailer all along, apparently looking for revenge against her. He requests this time that they rob a bank in exchange for him giving up the names of the families he's poisoned with the same drug Van was poisoned with. The episode ends with an unresolved cliffhanger.

Guest stars: Jay Mohr, Bill Duke, Ali Landry, Gina Tognoni, and Kirk Acevedo

Home media[edit]

Warner Home Video released Fastlane: The Complete Series on DVD as a six disc set on July 8, 2008 in the Region 1. The soundtrack was significantly altered for the DVD release due to licensing issues.[4] Episodes are cropped to be in the 4:3 format rather than the 16:9 widescreen format as they initially appeared on television.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Fastlane". G4TV. Archived from the original on March 14, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Ferguson, LaToya (February 18, 2016). "Fox's flashy Fastlane drove too close to the sun, too soon". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Ferguson, LaToya (December 6, 2018). "The Time Has Come To Revive 'Fastlane'". UPROXX. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Fastlane: The Complete Series review, Fastlane: The Complete Series DVD review

External links[edit]