Mean Streets

Aldis Hodge and Kevin Bacon tackle crime and corruption in 1990s Boston.

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A crime-ridden Boston in the early 1990s is the setting for Sky Atlantic’s new slow-burning, sprawling US drama City on a Hill, which has drawn comparisons with classic cop shows such as The Wire and NYPD Blue.

Part-executive-produced by both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (who come from Boston), the 10-part series follows Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge), an idealistic district attorney who arrives from Brooklyn to discover that Boston’s criminal justice system is plagued by racism, corruption and police misconduct.

Gradually, Decourcy forms an unlikely alliance with a shady FBI veteran, Jackie Rohr, played by Kevin Bacon. Together, the very different men investigate an armoured car robbery carried out by local criminal Frankie Ryan (Jonathan Tucker). Can Decourcy crack the case and clean up Boston in the process?

We caught up with Bacon, 61, to hear more about the show…

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