This New Crime Drama Is Based On Wild True Events That'll Send You Down A Wiki Hole

The brand new U.S. drama City on a Hill is a fictional account of a policing initiative that became known as the 'Boston Miracle.' The series was co-created by Hollywood heavyweight Ben Affleck, and the cast of the series includes the likes of Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Jonathan Tucker, and more. The ten-episode season will premiere in the States on Sunday, June 16, and you might now be wondering how to watch City on a Hill in the UK. So, here's everything to know about the crime series so far.

Unfortunately, an official UK airdate is yet to be announced. According to the Express, the series will air on Showtime in the U.S., and judging by the channel's history, this could mean that City on a Hill will eventually be shown on Sky Atlantic here in the UK — however, this is merely speculation. I have reached out to someone at Sky Atlantic to ask if there is any word on this.

The drama will also be made available to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the U.S., so will the UK version of the streaming platform follow suit? I have reached out to Amazon Prime UK reps to find out, and I'll let you know if I hear anything.

According to Deadline, the series is set in 1990s Boston, a time when "the city was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, until it suddenly all changed." However, things begin to change in the troubled town when the Brooklyn-born assistant district attorney, Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge), joins forces with FBI veteran Jackie Rohr (Richard Bacon) to tackle a case that winds up drastically changing the entire criminal justice system of Boston.

City on a Hill was created by Chuck MacLean, and based on an original idea by the show's executive producer, Ben Affleck. Throughout the series, actor Richard Bacon portrays the character of Jackie Rohr. According to Deadline, Bacon previously opened up his experience of playing the controversial figure. He said, "I don’t really stand back and judge the man that I play. Jackie does things and most of the time he thinks he’s doing the right thing… except for the moments he doesn’t. When I am walking in his shoes that’s what I am focusing on. I just have to stay true to who is."

Despite being a fictional portrayal of true events, one infamous criminal figure of the era was purposely not featured within the new series. According to Variety, Whitey Bulger was a notable persona during the time in which City on a Hill is based, however, series-creator MacLean decided against including his story. Speaking at the ATX Television Festival, MacLean said, "I didn’t want to approach it at all. I figured if we got [the reference] out of the way [in the premiere], people wouldn’t think we were building to his entry into the series. … I grew up with that story — it was on the news every night — I’m tired of it."

Early reviews of the new series have been mostly positive, and the first season currently holds an impressive 75 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, with a bit of luck, City on a Hill will make its way over to the UK as soon as possible, because I cannot wait to delve right into this gritty new drama.