Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete First Season

In this TNT series, Angie Harmon stars as Irish-American homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, a blue-collar Boston girl who survived her rough-and-tumble family by turning into a tough tomboy, and Sasha Alexander plays brainy and stylish medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, a genius with elegant taste but no social skills. Polar opposites Rizzoli and Isles are colleagues and best friends in this crime drama based on Tess Gerritsen's popular novels. A female buddy cop show that also offers plenty of humor and character color—much of it supplied by Rizzoli's big, warm, and loud clan, which includes Lorraine Bracco as a meddling mother and Chazz Palminteri as an easy-going plumber father—Rizzoli & Isles mixes personal stories, office romance, and precinct politics in with the often dark individual cases (ranging from chasing a serial killer to taking on a literal drug war). While a lot harder edged than the old Cagney & Lacey, Rizzoli & Isles is still lighter than shows like The Shield and The Wire. Presenting all 10 episodes from the 2010 debut season, DVD extras include two behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)