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Originally made in 2000 and pitched unsuccessfully to both HBO and Fox, this unsold TV pilot based, like the Academy Award-winning (1997), on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, follows an ambitious internal affairs investigator, a simple but tough patrolman and a morally gray vice squad detective investigating corruption and a mysterious heroin smuggling ring in 1950s L.A. Detective Ed Exley is an ambitious young internal affairs investigator with an influential father, who may or may not have gotten him the job. He is brought in to put corrupt cops under control but only faces mockery and hostility from his peers. Simple but tough patrolman, Bud White, who’s still haunted by childhood memories of his father abusing his mother, bravely intervenes when two robbers take a woman hostage in her home, making him an ideal candidate for his precinct’s captain’s special clandestine police unit. Vice squad detective, Jack Vincennes, is still paying for his crime of killing an innocent man mistaken for a heroin smuggler and covering it up. Each month, he anonymously leaves cash to the murdered man’s widow and young son to help support them, and between busting and blackmailing prostitutes and their influential clients, he is still trying to find out who the real smugglers are. Meanwhile, aspiring young actress, Lynn Bracken, arrives in Hollywood and gets invited to a ‘who’s who’ party held by a seedy playboy and mogul, Pierce Patchett. The pilot is narrated by Sid Hudgens, the chief editor of the L.A Confidential tabloid magazine. The pilot ends on a ‘to be continued…’ note. The pilot eventually aired in 2003 on Trio, a CBC cable channel specialized in airing unsold TV pilots, and it’s included as a bonus feature on the special DVD version of the 1997 movie.

How to Watch L.A. Confidential Legally and Safely

If you want to stream L.A. Confidential through reputable and legal services, there are a few good options depending on where you are. Subscription platforms like HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ sometimes carry L.A. Confidential films or related DC titles—though availability depends on your country.

If you’d rather not commit to a subscription, there are ad‑supported, free (but legal) platforms such as Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock or Crackle (where available in your region) that occasionally host superhero films.

Lastly, don’t forget about library‑linked streaming options like Kanopy or Hoopla (if your library or university is registered), and official uploads by film distributors on YouTube—these can also give you legal access to classic movies.