Detroit 1-8-7

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Detroit 1-8-7 is a police drama set in Detroit, Michigan. It follows six police officers in the city's police force as they go about their jobs.

The series premiered on ABC in 2010, lasting only one season.

Tropes used in Detroit 1-8-7 include:
  • Berserk Button - So far, Washington (a new father) and the Lieutenant both strongly dislike perps who hurt children. The female detective does not take kindly to suspects who make remarks about her good looks.
  • Cliff Hanger: The ending to the series premier.
  • Death by Sex: Det. John Stone.
  • Did Not Do the Research - "187" is street slang referring to California Penal Code Section 187, Murder. Detroit is in the state of Michigan. The Murder statute there starts at Michigan Compiled laws section 750.316.
    • Might be intentional. "Detroit 750.316" is not as catchy a title.
    • Also, at one point a detective threatens a suspect with the death penalty. Unless he also happened to commit a crime eligible for the federal death penalty, it's an empty threat, as Michigan doesn't have it (capital punishment was banned in Michigan in 1846, except for treason, and capital punishment was banned outright by the Constitution of 1963).
  • Every Car Is a Pinto - Subverted; the car exploded because the suspect was involved in an arson and the trunk was loaded with gas cans.
  • Foreshadowing: They named one of the episodes "Stone Cold" for a reason...
  • Hey, It's That Guy! - Sean Majumder might be a familiar face to fans of the Canadian channel CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
  • Hollywood Healing - Washington is shot in the gut at the end of the first episode. By episode three he's healed well enough to run flat-out in a foot chase until he exhausts himself, with no side effects from the wound.
  • Real Life Relative: Fitch's son is played by Michael Imperioli's real life son.
  • Mama Bear - Do not be the perp in a case where a child is hurt or killed unless you want to feel the wrath of the Lieutenant.
  • Motor City
  • Naive Newcomer - Det. Washington, who is naturally paired with Louis Finch, the unit's surliest veteran.
  • Papa Wolf: Despite Fitch's estranged behavior, he will do absolutely anything to keep his son from harm.
  • Stuffed Into the Fridge: In the first season finale, the Big Bad murders an entire family just to send a message to Fitch.
    • One of the victims was actually found inside a cabinet.
    • Stone dies for what reason exactly?
      • He died so his ex-girlfriend/drug addict could pay off her debt. Ironically, she was in debt to the same people who wanted Stone dead, so they told her the alternate way of making them happy was to kill Stone. It didn't end well for her.
  • Two Lines, No Waiting - Every episode follows two unrelated cases, and scene changes include a title card identifying which one they're switching to.
  • Villain with Good Publicity - Henry Miloy, oh so much.