City on a Hill
Antihero leadA protagonist doing bad things you can't stop watching.This show: 8/10Criminal underworldOrganized crime, gangs and the criminal life seen from the inside.This show: 8/10GrittyRaw, unglamorous realism in both look and subject matter.This show: 8/10Morally grayNo clean heroes or villains anywhere in sight.This show: 8/10CynicalDeeply distrustful of institutions and human motives.This show: 7/10SerializedContinuous arcs where every episode builds on the last.This show: 7/10Dark toneShadowy mood and subject matter, a shade short of outright bleak.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Kevin BaconAldis HodgeLauren E. BanksJill HennessyMatthew Del NegroAmanda Clayton
Written by
Chuck MacLean
Starring
Kevin BaconAldis HodgeLauren E. BanksJill HennessyMatthew Del NegroAmanda Clayton
Written by
Chuck MacLean
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
City on a Hill Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 7.9 | |
| S2 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.9 | |||
| S3 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
Download Infographic
About
"A corrupt cop's Boston, rotting from within"
Set in 1990s Boston, this crime drama follows a corrupt, hard-living FBI veteran and an idealistic young Black prosecutor who team up to bring down an armored car robbery crew, only to get pulled into the city's tangled web of racial politics, police corruption, and organized crime. It's a slow-burn character study more than an action ride, heavy on mood, period texture, and morally compromised people making bad choices for reasons that almost make sense. Kevin Bacon's performance anchors it. Patient viewers get a gritty, atmospheric portrait of a city; those wanting fast plotting may grow restless.
Watch it for
Kevin Bacon's magnetic, sleazy turn as a burned-out FBI agent enjoying his last bent hurrah.
Maybe skip if
you want fast-moving plots rather than a slow, dialogue-heavy character study.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
▶
Season 12019
7.96K109h 34m
Idealistic Assistant DA Decourcy Ward and corrupt-yet-venerated FBI veteran Jackie Rohr come together in the early 1990s to take on a family of armored car robbers in a case that grows to subvert the entire criminal justice system of Boston.
▶
Season 22021
7.83K87h 31m
Season two centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. As coalition leader Grace Campbell works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose. Enter irreverent FBI agent Jackie Rohr, who is here to exploit Boston's defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career.
▶
Season 32022
7.82K87h 38m
Season three brings us to Boston's high society Beacon Hill. Having left the FBI and thrown his badge into Boston Harbor, Jackie Rohr lands a lavish new gig running security for a wealthy family. Life is good until secrets begin to unravel. When an investigation opens, ADA Decourcy Ward sees an opportunity to finally rip out the machinery perpetuating a broken criminal justice system. Siobhan Quays, representing a construction worker who was severely injured on the Big Dig, encounters the city's corruption firsthand, all while coping with the traumatic events of her past year. As Jenny Rohr can attest, given her history with her father, some experiences will haunt you beyond your breaking point.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Kevin Bacon Jackie Rohr
Aldis Hodge Decourcy Ward
Lauren E. Banks Siobhan Quays
Jill Hennessy Jenny Rohr
Matthew Del Negro Chris Caysen
Amanda Clayton Cathy Ryan
John Doman Guy Dan
Mark O'Brien Jimmy Ryan
Blake Baumgartner Kick Ryan
Mark Ryder Father Doyle, Father Diarmuid Doyle
Crew
Chuck MacLean
Similar Series
Popular picks Shows that people who know this one usually know too. From our AI taste analysis.
Our recommendations Specific picks with the reason, including shows you may not have heard of. From our AI taste analysis.
Brotherhood
9K 29 2006–2008
Irish-American crime and politics in a working-class New England city
Public Morals
3K 10 2015–2015
Period corrupt-cop drama with morally gray detectives
We Own This City
33K 6 2022–2022
Police corruption and institutional rot from a Wire-adjacent creator
The Night Of
198K 8 2016–2016
Slow-burn moral ambiguity in the American justice system
Queen of the Night
828 15 2016–2016
Slow-burn moral ambiguity in the American justice system
Show Me a Hero
13K 6 2015–2015
David Simon-style systemic corruption and civic dysfunction
The Corner
6K 6 2000–2000
Raw, unglamorous street-level urban crime drama
Copper
11K 24 2012–2013
Gritty period crime with dirty cops and city politics
Close in taste Nearest neighbors in our taste profile comparison: shared tone, themes and style.