The District

Did You Know?

• Throughout its run, The District aired in a Saturday night timeslot and was the last American scripted series to air on that Saturday night schedule until Ransom debuted in 2017.
• It ran for a time on USA Network as well as on The Biography Channel after cancellation.
• As of 2026, the show airs on Charge!.

Production

The TV series draws on the real career of Jack Maple, a former New York City Deputy Police Commissioner. Working with Police Commissioner William Bratton, Maple helped overhaul the NYPD, notably through the CompStat program, which plays a central part in the show. CompStat has since been adopted by other cities. Maple chose to share his experiences, co-writing the 2000 book The Crime Fighter with Chris Mitchell and developing a TV series concept with Terry George. After the first season, his influence on the storyline lessened; he died from colon cancer on August 4, 2001. The show was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, with some location work done in Washington, D.C.

Cast and characters

Jean Smart played Det. Sherry Regan. Wayne Duvall portrayed Sgt. Phil Brander. Richard Burgi was Capt. Vincent Hunter. Richard Fancy played U.S. Attorney Bruce Logan. Segun Ajaga (season 1) and William Turner (seasons 2–3) appeared as Ricky Alvarez. Michelle Forbes played Helen York (season 1). John Amos was Mayor Ethan Baker (season 1). Kristen Wilson played MPD Press Secretary Kendall Truman (season 3). Christopher B. Duncan portrayed Sgt. Ray Cutter (seasons 2–4). Gregory Alan Williams played Clive Rodgers (seasons 2–4). Rita S. Jett was Ferris Gluck (seasons 2–4). Ving Rhames played Attorney General Troy Hatch (season 3). Kelly Rutherford was Melinda Lockhart (season 3). Helen Bates played Carol Bodine (season 3). Joseph C. Phillips portrayed Mayor Morgan Douglas (seasons 3–4). Jaclyn Smith played Vanessa Cavanaugh (seasons 3–4). Alexandra Barreto was Maria Rodriguez (seasons 3–4). Vanessa Bell Calloway played Gwen Hendrix (season 4). In 2001, Jean Smart was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Sherry Regan. On March 12, 2003, Thigpen died of a cerebral hemorrhage in her Marina del Rey, California, home. The show's third-season finale had a tribute to her character.

International broadcasts

The District had a varied international broadcast history. In Australia, it was shown on the Nine Network exclusively during late night hours. Bulgaria saw the first two seasons on Nova Television, while the complete series appeared on AXN with subtitles and later on AXN Crime; Fox Crime later reran the first two seasons with a newly recorded dub by the same actors, and the third season began in October 2010. Sweden aired it on TV4, Poland on the Universal Channel, and Germany continues to broadcast it on VOX. In the United Kingdom, it was on CBS Justice (formerly CBS Action) and previously in late night slots on ITV1. Serbia broadcast it on RTS. In Slovenia, it first aired on the now-defunct Prva TV, then on Fox Life for the Bulgaria and Balkans region. Jamaica aired it on CVM TV, Romania on TVR1 and TVR2, and Italy on Rai 2 from November 29, 2004 to 2008. In France, it was shown on France 2 under the title Washington Police.