Prime Video’s On Call series debuts on January 9th and follows the hectic lives of two police officers where anything can change at a moment’s notice. It stars Toian Bellisario as veteran officer Traci Harmon and Brandon Larracuente as rookie Alex Diaz. They are joined by Lori Loughlin as Lt Bishop and Eriq La Salle as Sgt Lasman. To immerse viewers into the world, the series utilizes different types of footage including bodycam, dash-cams, and more.

The series is set in Long Beach, CA, and the creative team set out to capture the city including showcasing the food there.

“There’s a moment where we are actually by the beach, and we’re eating at like, I think he goes by the Cambodian Cowboy,” Larracuente tells Nerd Reactor. “Cambodian Cowboy, yeah, and he’s an actual local from Long Beach, and [Traci Harmon] brings him there too. That’s a really cool moment because we’re actually showcasing real places from Long Beach. And I hope viewers who are from Long Beach will appreciate that.”

“Yeah, it was really wonderful because it just brought us into the character and the environment of Long Beach even more,” Bellisario added. “We are not from Long Beach. We’re just so excited to get to be able to step into this world. And, you know, see the Cambodian coffee truck and go to the Cambodian Cowboy Barbecue. And, yeah, it was really wonderful.”

To help the actors get into the roles, they went on ride along with police officers.

“What really stood out was the relationships, like the human aspect, the relationships that the police had with the people of the community, how they would get out of their squad car and walk over to them and know their names, know about their families. I mean, there was some excitement,” Loughlin said. “There was a domestic violence case we were on, but what I really took away was the humanness of it all, just people living together, trying to help each other out, just trying to be decent people.”

“I rode with this badass female cop who I think has an influence on Troian, our female characters here,” La Salle explained. “Lori plays a badass. Troian plays a badass. This cop, it was cool knowing she’s a badass. But I also saw a gentle side of her. I saw one of my first calls with her. She saved a toddler who had wandered out of the house and was missing. And we rolled around and rolled around, and we finally found none of that. And there was just such tenderness, and she picks this baby up. And she calms them down. And then after we return, she’s like, ‘We got to go back to the station’ because she was just covered in urine but she never broke.”

About On Call

Synopsis: On Call is an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Incorporating a mixture of bodycam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a captivating cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.

The series stars Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) as hard-charging but protective veteran officer “Traci Harmon,” who struggles to find her place in the department while training the next generation of officers. Brandon Larracuente (The Good Doctor) stars as “Alex Diaz,” an ambitious rookie who grapples with holding onto his optimistic outlook as he realizes the challenges he’ll face in today’s climate.

Additional cast includes Eriq La Salle (ER, Logan) as “Sergeant Lasman,” who also serves as an executive producer on the series and directed multiple episodes, Lori Loughlin (Fuller House) as “Lieutenant Bishop,” and Rich Ting as “Sergeant Koyama” (Tulsa King).

Dick Wolf (Law & Order, Chicago, FBI-branded series), Tim Walsh (Chicago P.D., Hightown, Night Stalker), Elliot Wolf (Dark Woods, Hunted), Eriq LaSalle (former EP/Director Chicago P.D.), and Peter Jankowski are executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Featured image: Troian Bellisario as Traci Harmon and Brandon Larracuente as Alex Diaz in On Call. Photo Credit: Erin Simkin