For the first week of its two-week Downtown shoot, I visited the set of Spike TV's "The Kill Point" just about every day.

Yes, I'm obsessively interested in TV production, but that's not why I was there: The crew was blocking my usual path to the office through Market Square. Not that I minded; it gave me an excuse to keep tabs on the production of this eight-hour series that's slated to premiere July 22.

On those visits I've seen shootouts, speeches, rallies and robberies, all brought about by the work of Hollywood and local professionals with able assistance from locals cast as extras.

Here's my photo gallery glimpse behind the scenes of "The Kill Point," which continues filming in Market Square through Friday. (Each image links to a larger version in a pop-up window.)
The old G.C. Murphy's building at Forbes Avenue and Market Square was given a new, temporary facade to play Three Rivers Trust, the setting of the bank robbery staged by Wolf (John Leguizamo).	Because it would be a huge headache to constantly change the time on the clock in Market Square to reflect the time in the TV show, a sign was put over the clock's face to avoid continuity gaffes.
In addition to police cars and SWAT vans, "Kill Point" producers brought in a couple of fake TV news vehicles.	John Leguizamo stars in "The Kill Point" as an Iraq War veteran who stages a bank robbery that turns into a hostage crisis. Here he takes a break between scenes.
Donnie Wahlberg stars in "The Kill Point" as Horst, a Pittsburgh police negotiator who tries to defuse the crisis. Here he signs an autograph for a fan.	Hundreds of extras were recruited for the Market Square filming, including dozens of people who played police officers and SWAT team members.
After filming a scene with guns blazing (shooting blanks, actually) cast members Frank Grillo ("Prison Break") and John Leguizamo return to their marks for another take.	The robbery goes bad and the getaway SUV sustains damage.
The bank doesn't get away cleanly either as bullet holes can be seen in the front doors.	To film a scene of Leguizamo's Wolf making demands, a camera is put on a track to smoothly glide back and forth behind a gathered crowd.
Wolf (Leguizamo, right) and Horst (Wahlberg, left) make one of their rare appearances in a scene together. For most of the eight-hour "Kill Point," the adversaries communicate by phone.	During the same "Wolf makes demands" scene, sharpshooters (and another camera crew) take their positions on a rooftop that looks down on Three Rivers Trust.
Wolf (Leguizamo) makes demands and plays to ...	... a crowd of onlookers, who are calmed by an extra playing a police officer.
A camera on a crane films scenes of protestors and counter protestors who emerge as the bank siege continues over several days.	When cast members need a break, they retire to trailers parked on streets near Market square.
But when the weather is nice, star Donnie Wahlberg opts to take a nap on the set in Market Square.