Boomtown poster

TV series

Boomtown

20022 seasons6.4 / 10

Each episode of this series, set in contemporary Los Angeles, examines one crime from many different viewpoints - uniformed cops, detectives, witnesses, the media, the fire department and rescue squad, even the criminals themselves.

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Availability

Not streaming in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

Boomtown premiered September 29, 2002. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.

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Synopsis

Each episode of this series, set in contemporary Los Angeles, examines one crime from many different viewpoints - uniformed cops, detectives, witnesses, the media, the fire department and rescue squad, even the criminals themselves.

Season 1 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

Episode 1

Pilot

Sep 29, 2002

The circumstances leading to the murder of a teenager and the wounding of a little girl in a drive-by shooting unwind from the points of view of the deputy district attorney, police, paramedics and reporters who report to the scene, and finally, that of one of the perpetrators and his grandfather. David McNorris, the deputy district attorney, manipulates the tragedy to feed his insatiable appetite for power, prestige, and media exposure. Detectives Joel Stevens and Bobby ""Fearless"" Smith and Officers Ray Hechler and Tom Turcotte encounter protective parents, traffic accidents, and a near-drowning as they investigate the shooting and track down the teenaged suspects. Paramedic Teresa Ortiz tends to the wounded young girl and provides the detectives with the information they need to solve the case. Reporter Andrea Little flirts with danger as she strikes up a conversation with her lover's wife to get one scoop on the story, and shows humanity when she refuses to capitalize on a man's gri

Episode credits

Directed by Jon AvnetWritten by Graham YostGuest stars Arlen Escarpeta, Kim Murphy, Kelly Rowan, Marquise Wilson, Paige Hurd, Kristin Bauer, Garikayi Mutambirwa, Brian Sites

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Episode 2

Possession

Oct 6, 2002

Joel and Fearless, and Ray and Tom, discover that things are not what they seem as they set off in a high speed pursuit of a man who is overheard by a telemarketer murdering one person and planning to kill another; as he arranges several meetings with Andrea, David works overtime to allay his wife's suspicion that he's having an affair.

Episode credits

Directed by Jon AvnetWritten by Graham YostGuest stars Bob Clendenin, Jennifer Sky, Michael Muhney, Ramón Franco

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Episode 3

The Squeeze

Oct 13, 2002

When the charges against Robert Colson, a prominent attorney accused of murdering his former girlfriend, are dismissed at a preliminary hearing, the detectives and patrol officers look for ways to put pressure on Colson's brother and his family to get one of them to flip on him; Andrea takes a personal interest in the story, which keeps David's name on the front page and causes friction with her mother; Joel, who also has taken the case to heart, risks his life as he obtains the evidence that will close the case legitimately after he disagrees with Ray's planting evidence against Colson's sister-in-law to use as leverage.

Episode credits

Directed by Jon AvnetGuest stars Lisa Cerasoli, Kim Murphy, Jessica Lundy, Megan Ward, Dan Byrd, Ali Hillis, Gregg Henry, David Burke

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Episode 4

Reelin' in the Years

Oct 20, 2002

Joel and Fearless solve the 26-year-old cold case of the murder of Paul Turcotte's partner during a bank robbery, forcing Tom to relive his childhood memories of the shooting and the effect it had on his father, and validating Andrea's five year struggle to free the unwitting accomplice originally convicted for the slaying.

Episode credits

Directed by Bobby RothWritten by Laurence AndriesGuest stars Rino Romano, Alexander Gould, Tracey Walter, Tommy Hinkley, April Grace, David Proval, Patricia Wettig, Richard Erdman

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Episode 5

All Hallow's Eve

Oct 27, 2002

Teresa's ambulance is hijacked by a thief who threatens to kill her if she doesn't save his brother, who's been shot in the heart during a burglary; Ray and Tom go undercover to track down a trio of larcenous pranksters, who get the scare of a lifetime when they're captured; David has a horrifying time at a Hollywood Halloween party when Andrea breaks off their relationship and Marian accuses him of adultery.

Episode credits

Written by Graham YostGuest stars Chase Ellison, Tyler Christopher, Kelly Rowan, Megan Ward, Loren Lester, David Dunard

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Episode 6

The Freak

Nov 3, 2002

Haunted by a promise he made to an old friend, Fearless risks his life to protect a little girl who is the only cooperating witness to a mob hit; Ray and Tom investigate a stolen corpse that was shot through a cannon and landed in a hot tub.

Episode credits

Directed by Jon AvnetGuest stars Wendy Schaal, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Ernie Grunwald, Annika Peterson, Demetra Raven

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Episode 7

Insured by Smith & Wesson

Nov 10, 2002

Joel and David face off over negotiating with armed robbers who have taken hostages during the heist of a sporting goods store; stung when he fails to get a promotion based on not ""stepping up"", Ray insists upon going undercover as a paramedic to scope out the situation inside the store; after being recognized as a cop by one of the perps, Ray is beaten, tied up and threatened with death and must convince the store manager, a former actor who once played a cop on TV, to step up to the plate and resist the gunmen; when one of the robbers forces Ray to have a last telephone conversation with his wife, Ray calls Tom instead and gives him the information the swat team snipers need to end the standoff; in the aftermath, Ray discovers an unpleasant truth about the store manager, whose television character inspired Ray to become a cop.

Episode credits

Directed by Peter WernerWritten by Chris BrancatoGuest stars Shannon Sturges, Larry Joshua, Joe Penny, Fredric Lehne, Dorian Harewood, Paul Moyer

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Episode 8

Crash

Nov 17, 2002

Joel and Fearless work with a claims investigator, who is also Fearless's ex-girlfriend, to uncover the insurance fraud ring behind a fatal multi-car collision.

Episode credits

Directed by Jeremy KaganGuest stars John Kapelos, Rick Ravanello, Alex Meneses

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Episode 9

The David McNorris Show

Dec 1, 2002

A powerful Hollywood producer offers to advance David's career in exchange for David's obstructing justice to protect the producer's teenage son who's accused of the murder of a teenager; Joel and Fearless uncover the painful family secret which led to the girl's murder; after David confesses his affair with Andrea, Marian leaves him.

Episode credits

Directed by Peter WernerGuest stars Chase Ellison, Nathan West, Kevin Dunn, Megan Henning, Kelly Rowan

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Episode 10

Coyote

Dec 8, 2002

Joel and Fearless enlist the help of Andrea and a psychiatrist in obtaining information about the kidnapping of a teenager from the only witness to the crime, a psychotic homeless man who was Andrea's friend in high school.

Episode credits

Directed by Alex ZakrzewskiGuest stars Derek Hamilton, Matt Craven, Mark Moses, Rebecca Lowman, Silas Weir Mitchell

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Episode 11

Monster's Brawl

Jan 5, 2003

Investigating the brutal murder of a homeless man bludgeoned to death with a brick, Joel and Fearless follow up on a tip from Teresa and discover two filmmakers who pay vagrants to become would-be gladiators and battle each other in the park; when the detectives realize that the filmmakers bribed a homeless drunk to land the fatal blows, they team up with Tom and David in the search for evidence to convict them.

Episode credits

Directed by Rodrigo GarcíaWritten by Javier Grillo-MarxuachGuest stars Peter Trencher, Christian Camargo, Megan Ward, Christopher Gorham, Kirk Trutner, Neil Patrick Harris

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Episode 12

Sinaloa Cowboys

Jan 12, 2003

Responding to a domestic disturbance call, Ray and Tom find themselves in the middle of a homicide investigation as their feuding couple is linked to a fatal meth lab explosion; when the husband has his throat cut outside of the police station, their drug dealer becomes the prime suspect.

Episode credits

Directed by Michael W. WatkinsGuest stars Kathleen Wilhoite, Salvator Xuereb, Ryan Stockstad

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Episode 13

Home Invasion

Mar 2, 2003

Joel and Fearless search for killers who prey on unsuspecting families in their sleep and stake out the family that they believe to be the next target; when Andrea's reporting skills threaten their investigation, the detectives are forced to give her a front row seat to their trap.

Episode credits

Directed by Tucker GatesGuest stars Rick Gomez, Alia Shawkat, Erin Daniels, Mimi Paley, Megan Ward, Gina Hecht, Dorian Harewood, Joe Spano

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Episode 14

Execution

Mar 9, 2003

In the hours before his execution, a gangbanger gives McNorris a last-minute ultimatum to either save his life or risk the death of a cop kidnapped by his cohorts; Ray's contacts on the street lead the police to the location where the officer is being held, but they arrive too late to save their fellow officer.

Episode credits

Directed by Jon AvnetWritten by Laurence AndriesGuest stars Rick Gomez, Raja Fenske, Robert Wisdom, Dayo Ade, Robert LaSardo, Dorian Harewood, Frank John Hughes, Christopher Kriesa

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Episode 15

Storm Watch

Mar 16, 2003

When he responds to a burglary call, Ray finds two cops murdered in an apparent ambush, and discovers that the shooters were tipped off by someone within the precinct; the FBI locks down the station, leaving Joel to uncover the mole; despite Andrea's nearly costing him his badge a year earlier, Ray enlists her help in tracking down the perps.

Episode credits

Guest stars Chase Ellison

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Episode 16

Fearless

Mar 30, 2003

Fearless faces demons from his past as he investigates the shooting death of a small-time drug dealer.

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Episode 17

Blackout

Apr 13, 2003

David awakens from a blackout to find blood and a smashed headlight on his car, and panics when he hears about a late-night hit-and-run; Tom and Ray respond to a possible kidnapping, only to find an elderly Alzheimers patient tied to a bed; as David tries to reconstruct the events of the night before, he raises the suspicions of Joel, Fearless and Ray, whose investigative abilities find the common link between the two cases.

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Episode 18

Lost Child

Apr 20, 2003finale

During a search for a kidnapped newborn, Joel and Fearless uncover an obstetrician's plot to steal the babies of recovering addicts; on the eve of entering rehab, David gives Joel the heads-up that IAB is reopening the investigation into Emma's death; Tom takes the upper hand and neutralizes Trumper's attempt to coerce him into snitching on Joel; Kelly and Joel discover that although they each feel guilty for the death of their daughter, there was nothing they could have done to save Emma from the cerebral aneurysm that ended her life.

Episode credits

Guest stars Chris Gartin, Matt Craven, Sheeri Rappaport, Megan Ward, David Proval, Dorian Harewood, Beth Grant

Where to watch Boomtown

Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026

Available now in United States

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More about Boomtown

Cast

Donnie WahlbergDetective Joel Stevens

Neal McDonoughAssistant District Attorney David McNorris

Mykelti WilliamsonPolice Department Detective II Bobby 'Fearless' Smith

Gary BasarabaPolice Department Police Officer III Ray Hechler

Nina GarbirasAndrea Little, a reporter (season one)

Lana ParrillaTeresa Ortiz, paramedic in season one, rookie police officer in season two

Jason GedrickPolice Department Police Officer II Tom Turcotte

Rick GomezDetective Daniel Ramos

Credits

Created by: Graham Yost
Written by: Graham Yost, Laurence Andries, Chris Brancato, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Clyde Phillips

Production details

Status: Ended
Series type: Scripted
Episodes: 24
Original language: English

Networks & production

NBCUnited States
NemofilmsUnited States
DreamWorks TelevisionUnited States
NBC StudiosUnited States

Themes

californiacriminal investigationlos angeles, california