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The gimmick of the ABC procedural drama The Evidence was established at the beginning of each hour-long episode. It was explained via a videotaped police log that a murder had been committed, and that several clues were left behind by the unknown killer. As the camera froze on each clue, the viewer was treated to a flashback, placing that clue in context of the crime. Thus, the characters onscreen virtually competed against the viewers at home as to who would solve the mystery first. Orlando Jones and Rob Estes headed the cast as San Francisco police detectives Cayman Bishop and Sean Cole, who punctuated each investigation with kidding-on-the-square insults and clever quips, à la Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on the old spy series I Spy. Other regulars included Martin Landau as medical examiner Dr. Sol Goldman and Anita Briem as investigator Emily Stevens. The "backstories" of each character were revealed on a "need to know" basis in the course of each episode, showing how their personal experiences colored the direction of the investigation (much air time was devoted to the death of the wife of Sean Cole). Created by Sam Baum and Dustin Thomason, The Evidence made its network bow on March 22, 2006, only to be placed on hiatus after three episodes.