Honestly, if you missed the boat on The Good Guys back in 2010, I kinda envy you because you get to discover it for the first time. It was this weird, mustache-heavy, Foghat-soundtracked anomaly on Fox that shouldn't have worked, yet somehow became the ultimate "comfort food" for people who love 80s buddy-cop tropes. The show was basically a love letter to a bygone era of policing—think less CSI and more Lethal Weapon if Riggs was a functional alcoholic who lived in a trailer by a Ferris wheel.
What really made the engine purr, though, wasn't just the explosions or the snappy dialogue by Matt Nix (the guy who gave us Burn Notice). It was the chemistry. When we talk about the good guys tv show cast, we aren't just talking about a list of actors. We’re talking about a lightning-in-a-bottle pairing of two guys who seemed like they belonged on different planets, let alone the same police precinct.
The Odd Couple: Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks
You’ve got to start with Dan Stark. Played by Bradley Whitford, Stark is a relic. He’s a guy who still thinks the height of police work was saving the Governor’s son in 1981. Whitford, who most people knew as the fast-talking, high-anxiety Josh Lyman from The West Wing, completely transformed here. He grew this thick, slightly unsettling mustache, traded the power suits for mesh hats and cheap windbreakers, and spent half his scenes chewing gum like his life depended on it.
Then you have Jack Bailey, played by Colin Hanks. If Dan is the chaos, Jack is the order—or at least he tries to be. Jack is ambitious, by-the-book, and stuck in Property Crimes because he corrected a Captain’s grammar. You can see the physical pain on Hanks’ face every time Dan suggests they "bust some punks" instead of filing a report.
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The magic was in how they rubbed off on each other. Jack actually starts to see the merit in Dan's "hunches" (which usually involved Dan just recognizing a brand of cigarette or a specific type of car muffler), while Dan... well, Dan mostly just taught Jack how to jump on the hood of a moving Trans Am.
The Supporting Players Who Kept the Lights On
While the leads got the glory, the ecosystem of the Dallas Police Department was populated by people who were essentially professional babysitters.
- Diana-Maria Riva (Lieutenant Ana Ruiz): She played their boss and, interestingly, Dan’s former flame. It would’ve been easy to make her the stereotypical "angry captain," but Riva gave Ana a layer of exhausted affection. She knew Dan was a disaster, but she also knew he was, deep down, a "good guy."
- Jenny Wade (Liz Traynor): As the Assistant District Attorney and Jack’s ex-girlfriend, she was the bridge between their street-level insanity and the actual law. Wade played the role with a sharp wit that made you wonder why she ever dated Jack in the first place (but also why she clearly still liked him).
- RonReaco Lee (Julius Grant): Every buddy-cop show needs a snitch. Julius was a petty criminal who Dan treated more like a sacred companion than an informant. Their "sacred bond" usually resulted in Julius getting dragged into situations he wanted no part of.
The Frank Savage Factor
We can't talk about the cast without mentioning Gary Cole. He played Frank Savage, Dan’s legendary partner from the 80s. Frank had moved on—he was married, teaching art, and trying to live a "normal" life—but whenever Dan showed up, that old spark would flicker. Seeing Whitford and Cole play off each other was like watching two veteran jazz musicians riffing on a classic tune.
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Why the Cast Worked (When the Ratings Didn't)
Network TV is a numbers game, and unfortunately, The Good Guys didn't have them. It was a summer replacement show that got pushed around the schedule. But if you look at the the good guys tv show cast, you see why it survived in the hearts of fans.
They weren't playing it for laughs in a "look how wacky we are" sort of way. They played the stakes for real. When Dan Stark is hanging off a bridge, he's not doing it for a punchline; he's doing it because he genuinely believes that's how you solve a crime involving a stolen humidifier. That level of commitment from actors like Whitford and Hanks is rare for a procedural comedy.
Where Are They Now?
It’s been over a decade, and the cast has mostly gone on to massive things. Bradley Whitford became a prestige TV staple (The Handmaid’s Tale, Get Out), winning Emmys and proving he can do "terrifying" just as well as "mustachioed drunk." Colin Hanks transitioned into heavy-hitting roles in Fargo and The Offer, while also running a successful handkerchief business (truly, the most Jack Bailey side-hustle ever).
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Diana-Maria Riva has stayed incredibly busy, notably in Dead to Me, where she once again played a detective, though a much more serious one.
The Lasting Legacy of the 2010 Dallas Property Crimes Division
If you’re looking to revisit the show, it’s usually tucked away on various streaming platforms like Hulu or for purchase on Amazon. It’s only 20 episodes. It ends exactly where it began—with a car chase, a bad decision, and a lot of heart.
Most people get wrong that the show was just a parody. It wasn't. It was a celebration. It took the "Code 58" (routine investigation) and turned it into something cinematic.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Matt Nix or this specific cast, you should check out the "Savage & Stark" fictional movie posters that fans have recreated online. Also, listen to the soundtrack—specifically the song "Slink" by Locksley. It’ll make you want to go out and buy a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am immediately. Or at least some bubblegum.