Copper

Premiering in 2012 as BBC America’s first original scripted series, Copper offered a gritty, uncompromising look at 1860s New York City. Set in the notorious Five Points neighborhood, the drama followed Irish immigrant detective Kevin Corcoran as he navigated a landscape fractured by the Civil War. The production excelled at portraying the intersection of extreme poverty and the burgeoning wealth of the Gilded Age. While it only ran for two seasons, the series remains significant for its raw exploration of racial tensions and the early development of forensic investigation. By blending historical accuracy with a dark, procedural heart, Copper paved the way for the network's future prestige programming. It captured a city in transition, where the law was often as murky as the East River.