Police are telling residents not to be alarmed if they see what looks like a bank robbery unfolding in downtown Oakland this week; it is just a simulation set up for the filming of the TV series "Trauma." NBC canceled the series, but it still has a few episodes to shoot under contract.
The one-hour drama set in San Francisco scored poorly with critics and viewers alike.
"Trauma" was the first television show shot in San Francisco since "Nash Bridges," which went off the air in 2001. The show's cancellation will be a huge loss of revenue for the cash strapped city.
Each episode costs upwards of $3 million to film.
The Oakland filming by NBC Universal will cause intermittent traffic stoppages at the intersection of Broadway and 21st Street from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In addition, 21st Street will be closed to through traffic on both days so that a helicopter, SWAT team van, ambulance and other emergency vehicles can be brought in.
The episode, titled "Tunnel Vision," is being filmed in cooperation with the Oakland Film Office and the Oakland Police Department. The Oakland Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and other emergency service departments for the city of Oakland have been notified in advance.
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As part of the filming, there will be a few actors on rooftops with simulated firearms in the area of Broadway and 21st Street.
Authorities advise people in the area not to call 911 to report the activity.
Filming will continue on Thursday inside a closed bank at Broadway and 21st Street but officials say there won't be a heavy simulated law enforcement presence on that day.
Darnell Martin, who has directed episodes of "Law and Order," "Grey's Anatomy" and other programs, will direct the episode.
The cast includes Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia, Kevin Rankin and Jamey Sheridan.
