# Pretty Hard Cases

Pretty Hard Cases is a Canadian police procedural crime comedy-drama television series that premiered on CBC Television on February 3, 2021. Originally announced with the working title Lady Dicks, the series was created by Tassie Cameron and Sherry White. In March 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 5, 2022. IMDb TV became official co-producer for the series' second season, with the second season released on IMDb TV on April 22, 2022. In June 2022, at CBC's upfronts announcement event, the show was renewed for a third season, with Amazon Freevee (the renamed IMDb TV) still committed and on board to co-fund, co-produce and broadcast in the United States. Season 3 premiered on January 4, 2023 on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada, and on November 29 on Freevee.
The CBC announced in February 2023 that the show will end at the conclusion of the third season on March 8.

## Premise

The series follows two detectives in their early 40s: Sam Wazowski, an uptight and by-the-book guns and gangs detective, and Kelly Duff, a streetwise narcotics detective. Both are ambitious and accomplished in their own way, excelling at work while struggling with their personal lives. They drive one another crazy, but also appreciate each other's strengths, and somehow manage to work together.

## Cast

* Meredith MacNeill as Det. Sam Wazowski
* Adrienne C. Moore as Det. Kelly Duff
* Amanda Brugel as Det. Karina Duff
* Karen Robinson as Unit Commander/Superintendent Edwina Shanks
* Tara Strong as Tiggy Sullivan (season 1)
* Dean McDermott as Det. Barry Hamm (season 1)
* Al Mukadam as Det. Taai Nazeer
* Percy Hynes White as Elliot Wazowski
* Katie Douglas as Jackie Sullivan
* Ronnie Rowe as Rick Gray (season 1)
* Kim Coates as Bill Misiano (season 1)
* Tricia Black as Det. Tara Swallows
* Miguel Rivas as Det. Dustin Chase
* Daren A. Herbert as DS Nathan Greene
* Laura de Carteret as Marley Briggs
* Ben Bass as DS Brad Michaels (season 2)
* Charlotte Sullivan as Adeline French (season 2)
* Brendan Beiser as Det. Watts (seasons 2–3)
* Amanda Walsh as Ro Wells (season 3)
* Wendy Crewson as Unit Commander Gloria Ballard (season 3)

## Episodes
### Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally aired | Originally aired |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | February 3, 2021 (2021-02-03) | April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07) |
| 2 | 12 | 12 | January 5, 2022 (2022-01-05) | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) |
| 3 | 10 | 10 | January 4, 2023 (2023-01-04) | March 8, 2023 (2023-03-08) |

### Season 1 (2021)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "Bananas" | David Wellington | Tassie Cameron & Sherry White | February 3, 2021 (2021-02-03) | 0.42 |
| 2 | 2 | "Dealz" | Sherry White | Tassie Cameron | February 10, 2021 (2021-02-10) | 0.29 |
| 3 | 3 | "Nuts" | Bosede Williams | Adriana Maggs | February 17, 2021 (2021-02-17) | N/A |
| 4 | 4 | "Feathers" | David Wellington | Andrew De Angelis | February 24, 2021 (2021-02-24) | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | "Kids" | Cory Bowles | Lisa Codrington | March 3, 2021 (2021-03-03) | N/A |
| 6 | 6 | "Guns" | Jordan Canning | Jillian Locke | March 10, 2021 (2021-03-10) | N/A |
| 7 | 7 | "Ritz" | Penelope Buitenhuis | Ley Lukins & Keavy Lynch | March 17, 2021 (2021-03-17) | N/A |
| 8 | 8 | "Flowers" | Cory Bowles | Jennifer Irons & Ley Lukins | March 24, 2021 (2021-03-24) | N/A |
| 9 | 9 | "Gliders" | Winnifred Jong | Jillian Locke & Jennifer Whalen | March 31, 2021 (2021-03-31) | N/A |
| 10 | 10 | "Jellybeans" | Sherry White | Tassie Cameron & Sherry White | April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07) | N/A |

### Season 2 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 11 | 1 | "Pencil Skirts" | Jordan Canning | Sherry White | January 5, 2022 (2022-01-05) |
| 12 | 2 | "Plastic Teeth" | Sherry White | Jillian Locke | January 12, 2022 (2022-01-12) |
| 13 | 3 | "Dirty Laundry" | Samir Rehem | Tassie Cameron | January 19, 2022 (2022-01-19) |
| 14 | 4 | "Dog Treats" | Mars Horodyski | Keavy Lynch | January 26, 2022 (2022-01-26) |
| 15 | 5 | "Rubber Lining" | Cory Bowles | Tassie Cameron & Carina Samuels | February 23, 2022 (2022-02-23) |
| 16 | 6 | "Life Jacket" | Grant Harvey | Chris Roberts | March 2, 2022 (2022-03-02) |
| 17 | 7 | "Pigeon Party" | Madison Thomas | Seneca Aaron | March 9, 2022 (2022-03-09) |
| 18 | 8 | "Bug Spray" | Weyni Mengesha | Tassie Cameron & Sherry White | March 16, 2022 (2022-03-16) |
| 19 | 9 | "Crystal Ball" | John Stead | Jillian Locke & Maisie Jacobson | March 23, 2022 (2022-03-23) |
| 20 | 10 | "Worm Drive" | Madison Thomas | Seneca Aaron & Keavy Lynch | March 30, 2022 (2022-03-30) |
| 21 | 11 | "Chipped Nails" | Gail Harvey | Carina Samuels & Sherry White | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) |
| 22 | 12 | "Ribbon Cutting" | Winnifred Jong | Tassie Cameron | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) |

### Season 3 (2023)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 23 | 1 | "Always a Bridesmaid" | John Fawcett | Tassie Cameron & Sherry White | January 4, 2023 (2023-01-04) |
| 24 | 2 | "Ten Thousand Steps" | Sherry White | Jillian Locke | January 11, 2023 (2023-01-11) |
| 25 | 3 | "Red Velvet Durag" | Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Carina Samuels | January 18, 2023 (2023-01-18) |
| 26 | 4 | "Bare Naked Ladies" | Gail Harvey | Sam Godfrey & Sherry White | January 25, 2023 (2023-01-25) |
| 27 | 5 | "Fish Called David" | Katrina Saville | Tassie Cameron & Maisie Jacobson | February 1, 2023 (2023-02-01) |
| 28 | 6 | "Spin Me Round" | Winnifred Jong | Robina Lord-Stafford | February 8, 2023 (2023-02-08) |
| 29 | 7 | "Hot Pepper Jelly" | John Stead | Mazin Elsadig & Sherry White | February 15, 2023 (2023-02-15) |
| 30 | 8 | "Badge Bitch Party" | Sudz Sutherland | Story by : Trey Anthony Teleplay by : Tassie Cameron & Sherry White | February 22, 2023 (2023-02-22) |
| 31 | 9 | "Right Hand Red" | Madison Thomas | Tassie Cameron | March 1, 2023 (2023-03-01) |
| 32 | 10 | "Creatures of Habit" | Cory Bowles | Jillian Locke & Carina Samuels | March 8, 2023 (2023-03-08) |

## Production
### Development

On February 11, 2020, CBC, along with NBCUniversal International Studios, announced that it had given the series, then titled Lady Dicks, a series order. It was also revealed that Tassie Cameron and Sherry White would act as co-showrunners with David Wellington would direct the first episode. The launch of production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; during the summer, further, the racial protests associated with the murder of George Floyd in the United States and the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Canada led Cameron and White to rewrite some of their scripts.

### Casting

On February 11, 2020, it was announced that the series would star Meredith MacNeill and Adrienne C. Moore. On September 8, 2020, CBC announced that Karen Robinson, Tara Strong, Dean McDermott, Al Mukadam, Percy Hynes White, Katie Douglas, and Ronnie Rowe would be joining the cast. In March 2022, it was announced that Ben Bass and Charlotte Sullivan had joined the cast in season 2.

### Filming

Filming was set to begin in early spring, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. In September 2020, filming was underway in the Toronto area.

## International broadcast

In the United States, the series premiered on September 10, 2021, on IMDb TV. In the UK, the series premiered on 19 January 2022 on Alibi.