Elliot Wolf and Tim Walsh have teamed up forOn Call. Wolf finds himself with the full reins on a live-action program for the first time in his career, as his prior work was exclusively in the serialized podcast world. Producing televised crime dramas is in Wolf’s DNA, as his father, Television Academy Hall of Famer Dick Wolf, is responsible for fronting the likes ofLaw & Orderand the variousChicagoshows. Walsh worked with Wolf’s father onChicago P.D., having produced 69 episodes of the series from 2014 until 2017.
On Callembodies the spirit of the Dick Wolf projects of yesteryear but makes a grand effort to carve out its own niche. The Prime Video seriesfollows Officer Harmon (Troian Bellisario), a jaded veteran cop paired with rookie policeman Officer Diaz (Brandon Larracuente) topatrol the streetsof Long Beach, California.
On Call Season 2 Chances At Prime Video Addressed By Star & EPs
Executive Producers Elliot Wolf and Tim Walsh, along with series star Troian Bellisario, discuss the chances of On Call season 2 getting made.
In celebration ofOn Call’s streaming premiere on Prime Video,ScreenRantspoke with Wolf and Walsh to discuss what role Dick Wolf played in producing the program, how Walsh made an effort to differentiate the series fromChicago P.D., andwhat future crossovers with the larger Dick Wolf universecould look like.
The Wolf Empire Of Televised Crime Shows Grows
“This one was certainly special…”
ScreenRant: Elliot, you’re getting into the family business here. Your dad is also an executive producer on this show. I know you were doing a lot of work with podcast series before you hopped onOn Call. I was curious about what the dynamic was between you and your father. Were you given a lot of creative freedom? Did he give you the reins or did you work hand in hand on this one?
Elliot Wolf: All of the above, if that’s an answer. We certainly had a ton of creative freedom, and it was all in all an amazing experience to be able to do this with him. We’ve been working together for some time now, but this one was certainly special. And I would say that his wisdom really helped along the way, but it was a light touch. We were really able to flex our creative vision as well and bring this thing to life.
On Call’s Influences And Distinctions From Past Programs
“I wanted to do the exact opposite of anything I ever did…”
There’s no shortage of experience on this show. Tim, with you, you worked onChicago PDfor quite some time as a writer and a producer. How did that experience influence how you were able to approachOn Call,and also, how did you make an effort to differentiate the two?
Tim Walsh: Yeah, great question. What I learned from PD was I learned how to write, quite honestly. The first two shows I was on were kind of like high school plays, and then you get into the pros and you step off the cliff and grow your wings on the way down, and that’s exactly what I did on that show. Learn how to write, learn how to do it fast. Those network shows are locomotives. They take off and you got to be able to break stories quickly and write quickly and write well. And to answer the second part of that question, I wanted to do the exact opposite of anything I ever did on PD. you’re able to ask [Elliot], even in the writer’s room if anything came up that we did or I wrote on that show, I was like, we are not doing that. We are going to take long takes, steady cam. Just the whole thing needed to look and sound different from day one.
Elliot Wolf: I think across the board we want it to feel different than anything that you’ve seen on television and that is clear in the visual language of the show, but also I think in the characters and the dynamics and so forth, we really wanted to do something different.
Tim Walsh: Different and fresh, and that’s no knock on PD. It’s a fantastic show, but we just wanted this to feel more like an eight-part movie.
WillOn CallCross Over With Other Dick Wolf Shows?
“We’re kicking ideas around…”
The Dick Wolf universe, if you will, is so large and expansive. Are there any ambitions for a crossover or isOn Callstanding on its own?
Tim Walsh: We’re kicking ideas around.
AboutOn Call
On Call, a thrilling new half-hour drama series from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, is an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Incorporating a mixture of bodycam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.
On Call
Cast
On Call follows veteran training officer Traci Harmon and rookie Alex Diaz as they navigate the aftermath of a fellow officer’s death and the complex politics of modern policing in Long Beach. The series highlights the challenges and dynamics within the department and on the city’s streets.
