Theo James' Crime Series Before The Gentlemen Is Almost Impossible To Watch

A certain "Divergent" star is finally having his well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Theo James has been doing a lot since 2012's "Underworld: Awakening," taking on an endless row of fascinating roles over the last decade. Earlier this year, the actor made waves with his rousing performance in Guy Ritchie's "The Gentlemen" series, which debuted on Netflix to solid receipts — it has a 74% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences assigning it an 87%. A crime show based on Ritchie's film of the same name, the Netflix production has consistently been one of the most-watched programs on the streamer this year, introducing James to a brand new audience. Interestingly, before he stepped into Ritchie's universe, James headlined another crime series, "Golden Boy," a show that appears to be almost impossible to watch in 2024.

Back in 2013, before he joined the "Divergent" franchise, James starred in CBS' "Golden Boy." An ambitious, decade-spanning narrative, "Golden Boy" follows Walter Clark (James), a New York City homicide detective who eventually becomes the youngest police commissioner in the department's history. Unfortunately, the series was canceled by CBS after one season, likely because of poor viewership. 

The first season, which consists of 13 episodes, is now impossible to watch, as CBS hasn't made the series available on streaming platforms. Fans hoping to fork over cash to watch the series seem to be out of luck, too, as the usual suspects like AppleTV+ and Prime Video don't have the series for rent or purchase. Those eager to watch James' series can do so by purchasing a physical copy of it from the likes of Amazon. 

It's unclear why CBS hasn't made "Golden Boy" widely available. The series debuted to mediocre-to-average receipts from critics in 2013, which likely caused the series to be canceled. Most critics took issues with the show's narrative, though some took the time to praise Theo James's efforts in elevating the material. "James does his best with ['Golden Boy'], but it ultimately proves to be a bit much, though he has moments throughout (particularly when his character gets angry)," wrote The A.V. Club critic Emily St. James. Since its cancelation, "Golden Boy" has faded into relative obscurity and stands out as a bump in the road for James. 

After "Golden Boy," James' career continued to blossom, with the actor appearing in multiple "Divergent" sequels, as well as a follow-up to "Underworld: Awakening." It wasn't until the 2020s that his profile truly blew up with high-profile roles. In 2021, he voiced a young Vesemir in "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf." The actor joined the cast of "White Lotus" Season 2 in 2022, which introduced him to a wider, more mature audience and significantly propelled his career. 

For his role in the anthology series, James received his first Emmy nod, confirming he's one of this generation's rising stars. That same year, James starred in HBO's poorly received adaptation of "The Time Traveler's Wife". He also had a supporting role in "Mr. Malcom's List" that year. In 2024, the actor made waves for voicing the real villain in "X-Men '97," which airs on Disney+.