Can New CBS Drama 'Big Apple' Knock Off 'ER?'

The network's first salvo knocked "Friends" off its perennial No. 1 perch. To beat "ER," however, CBS needs to be more than a Thursday-night survivor.

Welcome to the "Big Apple," which premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday on Ch. 2 (KUTV). It's produced by four-time Emmy Award winner David Milch ("NYPD Blue") and three-time Emmy Award winner Anthony Yerkovich ("Miami Vice").

Will "Big Apple" take a bite out of "ER?" CBS obviously believes it will.

So far, when it comes to its Thursday attack on NBC, CBS has been on the money. Not only has "Survivor" surpassed "Friends," but "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" has given CBS a surprise break-out hit.

"Big Apple" follows "C.S.I."

Milch didn't mince words about his new show, which leads viewers into the dark, gritty and technological world of the New York Police Department, the FBI and organized crime.

"This show is the nuts," said Milch, who left "NYPD Blue" after last season. "It's so good that it's a little scary.

"I finally got something working. I'm going to be hit by a bus."

This time, a producer's hype lives up to its word.

The one-hour drama boasts tight, intelligent writing and has the advantage of being filmed on location in New York City.

Plus, the cast is superb.

"Big Apple" stars Ed O'Neill, who, after years playing one-dimensional lunkhead Al Bundy on the mean-spirited "Married With Children," is a revelation.

O'Neill plays NYPD Detective Mike Mooney, a toughened, cynical cop who is teamed with a younger partner, played by Jeffrey Pierce. Two high-level FBI agents, David Strathairn ("River Wild") and Titus Welliver, are working an investigation involving a strip club controlled by the Russian mob.

Mooney is investigated the murder of a young woman found dead in a Park Avenue penthouse. The FBI fears the NYPD meddling will jeopardize its "sting" operation. So the agents decide to deputize the two detectives, thereby keeping the two under wraps.

What these two FBI agents hadn't counted on was Mooney's tenacity or his partner's loyalty. Thus begins an intense interaction between the two law-enforcement agencies.

Michael Madsen ("Reservoir Dogs"), Donnie Wahlberg, Kim Dickens and Glynn Turman co-star.

Taking on "ER" is a risky proposition, but Milch is confident not only about his creation, but about life in general.

"You know, usually when you're in the dark night of the soul at 3 o'clock in the morning, you're thinking, 'I've made a mess of my life,' " he said. "And then you begin to catalog your shortcomings. And usually there are enough problems in your life that they come to hand very easily. But sometimes things are going so well, that all you're left with is free-floating anxiety."

Realistically, "Big Apple" faces long odds. "ER" has entered the icon stage of television dramas.

It is NBC's 800-pound 9 p.m. gorilla. Yet, if CBS is patient, "Big Apple" should find an audience.

"The intention of the show is to explore all of the organizing principals by which information becomes or fails to become understanding," said Milch.

"Don't print a word of that, because nobody will watch."