Audacy launches original documentary series The Set

Audacy today announced The Set - a ten-part original series exploring the never-before-told inside story of the biggest police corruption scandal in NYPD history, and the investigation that uncovered it all.

“The Set” will launch on June 14, 2023, with all ten episodes available to binge exclusively on the Audacy app. The first three episodes will be released on June 14 everywhere podcasts are available, followed by one episode per week for the season.

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“The Set” is written, directed, and narrated by Zak Levitt, the award-winning creator of the acclaimed hit series “Root of Evil,” “Relative Unknown,” and the Peabody-nominated “Gangster Capitalism.”

“The Set” tells the inside story of policing in Harlem’s 30th precinct, during its most vulnerable time–the crack era. Thirty-three of its officers were arrested on corruption charges, and the precinct came to be known as “The Dirty 30.”

Background: It’s the early 1990s, the most violent time in New York City history. The NYPD is fighting a losing battle in the war against drugs, and instead of protecting the city from drug dealers, some police officers have become them. When a commission is formed to investigate corruption in the NYPD, it discovers one police precinct containing dozens of officers who are stealing money, guns, and drugs. But the commission finds something even worse. The NYPD has been turning a blind eye.

Through unearthed wiretap audio and exclusive interviews with corrupt cops, the whistleblower, the investigators, the prosecutors, and the former police commissioner himself, “The Set” not only tells the story of uncovering this massive scandal but also the turf war behind the scenes that threatened to blow it all up.

“This is a historical documentary that examines what it was to be a cop in New York City during the crack era,” said Levitt. “In today’s world, where policing at every level is under more scrutiny than ever, this story illustrates what can happen when our nation’s largest police department fails to police itself. I’m thrilled to partner with Audacy to bring ‘The Set’ to listeners everywhere.”

“‘The Set’ is a compelling, fast-paced, and searing look at the tangled web of corruption that engulfed the NYPD’s 30th precinct and the city at large,” said Jenna Weiss-Berman, Executive Vice President of Podcasts, Audacy. “Zak Levitt’s extraordinary investigative storytelling skills bring this fascinating slice of early ‘90s New York history to life.”