Ray Donovan: Season One

This Showtime original series is ostensibly about the dirty business of covering up the scandals of the rich and famous in Los Angeles, but it is actually centered on the family drama of a Boston clan that moved west after the dad, Mickey (Jon Voigt), went to prison on a murder conviction. Ray Donovan opens with Mickey's early release, but the focus is on the title character played by Liev Schreiber, a tough, emotionally unflappable fixer for L.A.'s celebrities, and a protective brother who looks after his siblings: Terry (Eddie Marsan), a former boxer damaged by his years in the ring, and Bunchy (Dash Mihok), a fragile soul still suffering from the abuse of a neighborhood priest. Ray loves his wife (Paula Malcomson) and children but is a workaholic, which puts a strain on the marriage. It's an interesting mix of cultures—the dark family drama with Boston Irish crime connections, and the show business scandals in the shadows of sunny Los Angeles. But it's also rather dour and hard to warm up to, although Schreiber delivers a strong performance as an anti-hero with a ruthless dedication to his job and a moral code. Steven Bauer costars as Ray's right hand man, and James Woods guest stars as a vicious Boston hitman modeled on Whitey Bulger. Compiling all 12 episodes from the 2013 debut season, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)