TV Review: The Travel Channel’s ‘Hidden City’ Takes a Deeper Look

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CHICAGO – Crime novelist Marcus Sakey takes his witty voice as an author to another medium tonight with the debut of The Travel Channel’s “Hidden City.” The first episode focuses on three of the most notable stories of the past of our fair windy city and the series displays potential to become the next breakout cable hit a la the network’s “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

Chicagoan Sakey has developed quite a following, along with comparisons to Dennis Lehane & Elmore Leonard, with the hit books — “The Blade Itself,” “Good People,” “At the City’s Edge,” “The Amateurs,” and “The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes.” His books have been chosen among the best of the year by Esquire and The New York Times. He has a distinct authorial voice and that makes him a perfect for the personality-driven era of TV, in which more and more programs seem built around an interesting person (or people) than a subject matter.

Hidden City
Photo credit: The Travel Channel

Which is not to imply that there’s any weakness in the concept of “Hidden City.” It’s actually a very strong one. As Sakey told us in yesterday’s interview, crime in most cities is essentially the same — a few episodes of “Cops” makes clear that crime is pretty lowest common denominator no matter the location. Standard gang violence, domestic abuse, assault & battery — that’s not the stuff that interests an author. Writers need to find the unique stories and make them relatable, not work from the standard day of a beat cop. So, it makes sense that Sakey would travel to cities and try to find the stories that speak uniquely to the personality of his destination.

Hidden City Photo credit: The Travel Channel

The premiere examines three legendary crime stories of the city of big shoulders — the legendary serial killer H.H. Holmes and his involvement with The White City, the ‘68 riots, and the rise and fall of John Dillinger. All well-known stories, to be sure, and if the show has a notable flaw it would be that I wanted at least one of the three stories per episode to be a bit less obvious of a choice. It could be a personal issue (as I’ve read “Devil in the White City,” seen “Chicago Ten” and “Public Enemies,” along with other sources on all three stories) but I thought the show was so interestingly produced that I wanted to get something more from it on an informational level.

The show definitely makes up for a lack of educational depth by providing a fascinating experiential angle. To better understand Holmes and the world that allowed him to kill dozens, Sakey walks the grounds where the World’s Fair stood as a beckoning light for potential victims. To fully grasp how the ‘68 Democratic National Convention riots went haywire, he gets pepper sprayed. And to feel the power that Dillinger must have felt, he fires an assault weapon. The idea that we can still physically do things that allow us to better understand the past is a brilliant one in that it takes history out of the lecture hall and realizes that it doesn’t have to be dry.

Sakey is anything but dry. He’s smart, funny, and quick on his feet. He seems a bit nervous in the first episode but certainly no more so than most hosts do in their premiere (even a legend like Bourdain). In other words, as he gets even more comfortable in front of the camera, the show should become even more engaging and entertaining. The first season features trips to only U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco, but I’m guessing that the program could work around the world. And based on the creative success of the premiere, I don’t think it will be long before Sakey is flipping through his well-stamped passport and trying to decide where to go for the next “Hidden City.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]