Showtime

Mitch Preston and Trey Sellars, two LAPD officers from the Central Division, are paired for a TV police reality show called Showtime. Maxxis Television pressures the department by threatening a $10 million lawsuit unless Mitch agrees to participate. The arrangement sets the tone for a chaotic blend of real policing and staged entertainment.

After a failed confrontation with the drug dealer Lazy Boy, Mitch shoots a news camera. Lazy Boy escapes by using a custom-built gun, escalating the danger around the drug operation. The incident foreshadows the broader gun-trade problems the pair will chase.

Maxxis Television informs that they will drop the lawsuit if Mitch agrees to star in the show. Trey, eager to act and to advance his detective ambitions, embraces the opportunity despite Mitch's hesitation. The deal makes the everyday police work into televised spectacle.

Trey pays a friend to stage a purse-snatching of producer Chase Renzi, then retrieves the purse after a staged fight. Although the deception is eventually revealed, Chase is impressed and signs Trey for the project. The incident demonstrates how far the show's producers will go to manufacture drama.

The show’s producers convert part of the LAPD station into a fake film set, replacing Mitch's car with a Humvee and Trey's with a Corvette. They also hire William Shatner to coach them on acting, which annoys Mitch and amuses Trey. The divide between real police work and staged acting becomes increasingly evident.

Mitch begins to investigate the mysterious supergun used by arms dealer Caesar Vargas. Through a clever ruse with Re-Run, Trey helps extract Vargas's name, providing a crucial lead for the case. The partnership starts to gel even as danger grows.

Vargas proves uncooperative, triggering a brawl at his nightclub. Mitch and Trey manage to defeat him and his henchmen, and share a relatively friendly moment on their way home. The case edges closer to resolution even as tensions mount.

In Mitch's absence, Showtime remodels his house and replaces his personal car with a retired Humvee, while giving him a K-9 dog as a pet. Mitch is annoyed by the invasion of privacy but continues to work with the show. The surreal changes blur the line between work and personal life.

Vargas and his squad assault an armored car, killing the crew and devastating responding officers. Mitch and Trey rush to the scene, and the attackers flee in a garbage truck, triggering a high-speed chase that ends with a crash into a construction site. The incident triggers the show's collapse and career consequences.

The police chief pulls the plug on Showtime, suspends Mitch, and demotes Trey back to patrol. The disastrous events halt the reality-television project and force the officers back to routine duty. The fallout marks a turning point for both men.

With the show over, Mitch’s car is returned and his apartment is restored; he refuses to part with the dog and calls Trey to apologize. He offers to help Trey study for the detective exam, mending their professional bond. The moment signals a renewed, if uneasy, partnership.

Mitch and Trey discover that Vargas is selling weapons at a gun show held at the Bonaventure Hotel. Vargas flees with a weapon and takes Chase hostage, prompting a daring rescue. The plan uses a concealed pocket pistol hidden inside a Maxxis camera to outsmart Vargas.

During the confrontation, the room ceiling is shot, causing a flood that washes Vargas out the window to his death. Mitch and Trey survive by handcuffing themselves to a broken beam outside the hotel. The duo's courage seals their renewed partnership.

Trey is promoted to detective and becomes Mitch’s partner again. Hints of romance emerge between Chase and Mitch as Showtime is revived for a second season with two young female officers who are equally antagonistic. The film closes on a note of ongoing show business and policing entwined.