Acclaimed producer John Wells and director Gary Fleder put a twist on the standard police procedural. At the top of each episode, all of the clues (a locket, a phone, a severed finger) are revealed in a videotaped evidence log. The show then flashes to the day the crime was committed and invites our viewers to play along with our heroes as they find each clue, determine its meaning, put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out who done it.

No one knows the importance of evidence more than Inspector Sean Cole. After he lost his wife in a brutal murder, the only evidence the cops had was accidentally destroyed, and it ruined his faith in the system. Fortunately his partner and best friend, Bishop, is there for him, pulling him back to work, pushing him forward, as they both try solve these complex cases set against the beautiful streets of San Francisco.