The Mysteries of Laura

Did You Know?

• The show was primarily filmed in New York City, with Brooklyn's 78th Precinct used for exterior shots of the 2nd Precinct.
• The series was developed by Jeff Rake with Carlos Vila and Javier Holgado, the creators of the original Spanish series.
• A preview episode aired on September 17, 2014, following the season finale of America's Got Talent.

Plot

The show centers on Laura Diamond, a NYPD homicide detective and single mother of twin boys, who juggles crime-solving with raising her sons. A major subplot involves her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Captain Jake Broderick, who is also her boss; she spends much of the first season trying to get him to sign their divorce papers. Once he does, Laura starts dating and develops feelings for Tony Abbott, a chef and food truck owner she meets while working a case. At the end of season one, Broderick is shot in a robbery and, while hospitalized, confesses his enduring love for Laura, but a head injury makes him forget the admission. Season two introduces a strict new captain, Nancy Santiani, prompting Broderick to take a demotion and partner with Laura. Meanwhile, Detective Billy Soto pairs with Meredith Bose, starting a relationship. The second season tones down the comedy and focuses more on the romantic triangle between Laura, Jake, and Tony.

Cast

Debra Messing plays Detective Laura Diamond, the title character. Josh Lucas portrays Captain Jake Broderick, Laura's former husband who becomes her partner after a demotion. Laz Alonso is Detective Billy Soto, Laura's initial partner. Janina Gavankar plays Detective Meredith Bose. Max Jenkins appears as Max Spencer Carnegie, the precinct's wealthy intern. Meg Steedle plays Detective Francesca "Frankie" Pulaski in season one. Robert Klein portrays Leo Diamond, Laura's father. Charles and Vincent Reina play Nicholas and Harrison Broderick, Laura and Jake's twin sons. Alysia Joy Powell is Alicia, the nanny. Neal Bledsoe plays Tony Abbott, a food truck owner. Callie Thorne appears as Captain Nancy Santiani in season two. Enrico Colantoni plays Dan Hauser, a previous captain. Stockard Channing plays Brenda Phillips in season two. Jenna Fischer appears as Jennifer Lambert in season two. Debby Ryan plays Lucy Diamond in season two.

Reception

The premiere of The Mysteries of Laura on September 17, 2014, scored a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 10.2 million total viewers, making it the most-watched series premiere since March 2014. Its regular time slot debut a week later drew a 1.5 rating and 9.9 million viewers. While the 18-49 demo dropped 25%, it kept 97% of the previous week's total audience, giving NBC its best in-season regular time slot performance in over five years. Critics were largely unimpressed. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 22% approval rating (average 4.2/10), with the consensus calling it dated as both a cop show and a portrayal of single working mothers. Metacritic assigned a score of 37 out of 100, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. However, Emilie Aries praised Messing's character as the best depiction of women on television.

Broadcast

In Canada, the show was simulcast on CTV and rerun on M3. It premiered in New Zealand on January 12, 2015, on TV2. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, 5USA picked it up on December 22, 2014, and premiered it on January 20, 2015. In Germany, it aired as Detective Laura Diamond on Sat.1 from February 2, 2015. In Latin America, it aired on Warner Channel from May 25, 2015. In Australia, the Nine Network premiered it on July 29, 2015. TF1 acquired the first season in France. In India, Zee Café premiered it on July 24, 2015.