Before Michael Chiklis wowed everyone as a despotic, corrupt, but all-too-human cop on The Shield, he played a much nicer lawman in Stephen J. Cannell and Stephen Kronish's The Commish. Tony Scali (Chiklis) is a Brooklyn officer turned police commissioner of a small city in upstate New York, who still sees the streets as his beat and is therefore a very hands-on administrator. Over the 21 episodes in this six-disc boxed set, viewers witness his powerful advocacy for the helpless, coupled with his intolerance of brutality and callousness among the cops under his charge. Both crime story and family drama, the first season's (1991-92) episodes also trace several overlapping storylines (pregnancy, parent-child conflicts) in the Scali family (co-star Theresa Saldana, as Tony's wife Rachel, is a great match for the likable Chiklis). As with the best of Cannell's productions (Wiseguy comes to mind), The Commish effectively explores the challenge of holding onto one's ideals while performing the toughest jobs imaginable. DVD extras include new interviews with Cannell, Kronish, Chiklis, and Saldana. Recommended. (T. Keogh)
The Commish: Complete First Season
Anchor Bay, 6 discs, 1,029 min., not rated, DVD: $59.98 Volume 20, Issue 1
The Commish: Complete First Season
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