The series was similar to Hill Street Blues in that it was less about action scenes and more about the stresses of working in law enforcement and medicine.

The cast included Maud Adams and Kristoffer Tabori as Dr. Judith Bergstrom and Dr. Max Carson, doctors at Cook County Hospital;[3] Craig T. Nelson, Vincent Baggetta and Molly Cheek as attorneys Kenneth A. Dutton, Lou Pellegrino and Megan Powers.

Dutton was a prosecutor and Pellegrino was a defense attorney; Powers was a lawyer both men were interested in; and Dennis Franz, Richard Lawson and Daniel Hugh Kelly appeared as police officers Joe Gilland, O.Z.

Chicago Story was notable for ninety-minute-long episodes, which hadn't been attempted on network prime-time TV since The Virginian left the air in 1971.

[4] The show was pared down to an hour late in its run, including broadcasting edited versions of episodes that had already aired.