When I look for new (and sometimes old) TV shows to watch, I tend to look for two things. First (and absolutely foremost), the writing has got to be good (duh!). Secondly, I really like to watch a show that has a creative hook. One that is not too ridiculous, for example I doubt I would watch Elephant Man, Super Cop, if there ever was a show with that premise. (Well… maybe curiosity would force me to at least check it out…) So when UPN hit audiences with The Sentinel back in the mid 90s, I had to check it out. The Sentinel starred Richard Burgi as Jim Ellison, an ex-special forces soldier who was part of a team that had been trapped years earlier in a Peruvian jungle. In order to survive, he had to use all of his senses, to the point that they were all attuned to an almost super human level. After resuming his civilian life, he learns that his senses are still much stronger than the average person's and he uses these hyper senses to fight crime as a police officer.

The series was originally a mid-season replacement, but its popularity kept it on the air for a number of seasons and attracted quite a following. When I first watched the series, I'll admit that I expected it to be a bit on the silly side, but admittedly it was much better than I expected. While I wasn't a huge fan, it kept my interest enough to occasionally catch a few episodes during its run. When I read that Paramount was actually going to release the first season on DVD, I was actually kind of excited to have the chance the watch it all the way through.

I really enjoyed the first season, even more than I expected I would. The show was actually very well produced, and Burgi's rapport with his fellow cast mates made the series a lot of fun to watch. The only thing that got on my nerves occasionally was the actor playing his captain, Bruce A. Young. I've seen this actor in numerous series, but here everytime he had something to say he sounded REALLY intense. If he was telling Ellison to 'watch out'… he was intense. If he was asking him a question… he was intense. It really didn’t bother me that much, but I thought it was kind of funny.

The DVD set offers up all ten episodes of the first season, but unfortunately there were no extra features. I was really hoping that the popularity of the series would have created enough of a buzz that Burgi might have taken some time out of his current stint on Desperate Housewives to record an interview or commentary, but no such luck. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on a little more in the way of extra features on upcoming season releases.

Episodes:
Pilot
Siege
Killers
The Debt
Cypher
Night Train
Rogue
Love and Guns
Attractions
Vow of Silence

Starring: Richard Burgi, Garrett Maggart, Bruce A. Young
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 4/25/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Sentinel: Season 1 a B-.