I’m extremely excited to see so many of the old Stephen J. Cannell TV shows that I loved finally coming out on DVD. Last year, we were treated to “Wiseguy”, which is now up to 3 sets, and in 2004 alone we have seen sets for “Silk Stalkings”, “21 Jump Street” and “The Commish.” Over the next several months, there is a whole bunch more slated for release. Of all of them though, I was most looking forward to the 1st season of “The Commish.” “The Commish” was an early vehicle for actor Michael Chiklis, where he played Tony Scali, a former Brooklyn cop who is now the police commissioner for a small town in upstate New York. His style is known to be rather unorthodox (though not in the same vein as his Emmy Award winning turn in “The Shield” - more on that later), as he often finds ways to ‘bend the rules’ when trying to bring criminals to justice.

The series ran for a total of 5 seasons, starting way back in 1991, and marked a return from what was almost going to be a blacklisting from the Hollywood establishment. Prior to being cast in this series, Chiklis nabbed the role of John Belushi in the often maligned “Wired.” Based on the inflammatory book by Bob Woodward, the film and all those involved made enemies out of Belushi’s longtime friend (and SNL alumni) Dan Ackroyd, who swore they would never work in this town again.

Fortunately, most of the cast and crew did indeed work in Hollywood again. When Chiklis got the part of the “The Commish”, (which in part I think came about from his strong performance in an earlier role in “Wiseguy”) it pretty much made him a household name. But after the series ended with a whimper only four episodes into the 5th season, Chiklis retreated back into relative obscurity. He continued to work in various TV shows and films, but nothing seemed to garner the attention he got from “The Commish.”

During this time, he did however land a role on Broadway in Rob Becker’s “Defending the Caveman”, which was a huge hit. (My wife and I actually just narrowly missed seeing him in the show during a trip to NY, I wish now that we had made it a point to catch it). But in 2002, everything changed. Chiklis was cast as Detective Vic Mackey in a new series, “The Shield.” It was one of the most shockingly brutal cop shows I had ever seen. I couldn’t remember the last time I’ve seen this level of corruption within a TV police precinct. The very first episode set the tone for what was to come and we couldn’t get enough. Each tightly written episode brought us deeper and deeper into Mackey’s world. And it was a dark place indeed. Chiklis’ portrayal of Mackey was (and still is) intensely chilling and he deserved every award he has received and then some. He was as far from the people-friendly character he played on “The Commish.” Here he was a force of nature.

What made Chiklis’ interpretation of Vic Mackey so impressive relates directly to his immense talent as an actor and how he physically and emotionally reacts to the events that transpire around him. He is a cop, as so he should be hailed as a hero. Yet in that first episode, it was evident that he is a ‘dirty’ cop. In it, he went so far as to commit a crime so deplorable and heinous that viewers should have spent the rest of the series hating him. However, as the season progressed you see begin to see the different sides to his character, much as we all have different sides, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t start liking him. And there lies the dilemma of this character. I was beginning to like, root for and even feel sorry for a character whose actions are sometimes unconscionable, all the while feeling guilty for it because of that one unforgivable act he committed at the beginning of the season.

But back to “The Commish.” Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing the first season on DVD this month, and I honestly couldn’t wait to watch it. I remembered the series being above average as far as cop dramas go, but it was Chiklis’ performance that continuously fueled the show. Not to downplay the other members of the cast, he always gave them the opportunity to shine in scenes they shared with him, but make no mistake… it was Chiklis’ show.

The new DVD set offers up all 21 episodes from that freshman season, spread out over 6 discs. There are new interviews with co-creators Cannell and Stephen Kronish, as well as Chilis and Theresa Saldana (who played his wife in the series).

My only complaint about the set is that the transfer, while entirely watchable, isn’t perfectly clean. It still looks better then broadcast quality, but only by a bit. And for some reason, they are still setting up the Cannell DVD sets without a chapter stop after the opening credits. If you skip over the credits (as opposed to fast-forwarding) you’ll miss some of the episode. Hopefully, this will be fixed with future releases.

Aside from those small nitpicks, I’m beyond thrilled that “The Commish” is finally available on DVD. I am curious to see how they are going to handle the 5th season, though. As I mentioned, there were only 4 episodes, so I’m wondering if they’re going to simply bundle them up with the 4th season release.

Episodes:
Pilot Episode - The Commish
In the Best of Families
Do You See what I See?
The Poisoned Tree
Nothing to Fear But…
Behind the Storm Door
The Hatchet
Two Confessions
Commissioner’s Ball
No Greater Gift
The Fourth Man
Charlie Don’t Surf
Skeletons
The Wicked Flee
True Believers
Officer April
Sex, Lies and Kerosene
Judgement Day
Shoot the Breeze
Video Vigilante
The Puck Stops Here

Starring: Michael Chiklis
Extras: Interviews with - Stephen J. Cannell, Michael Chiklis, Theresa Saldana, Stephen Kronish
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Release Date: 11/16/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Commish: Season 1 an A-.