Synopsis: Emmy Winner Michael Chiklis stars as Tony Scali, a no-nonsense police commissioner revered by his officers and community for this unorthodox style and compassionate nature. As a former Brooklyn cop, Tony uses tough and at times controversial methods to bring perpetrators to justice in his small town, where solutions to difficult situations often require considerable creativity. From parenthood to politics, from sex crimes to murder cases, one man takes it day-to-day with offbeat humor and street- smart skill. Mystery, humor, and vividly drawn characters all contributed to the success of THE COMMISH.

The series that launched the career of Michael Chiklis, who is best known for his hard-hitting character in TV's The Shield, is a different type of cop show where crimes are solved with compassion and intelligence instead of ruthless violence. This Golden Globe? and Emmy? nominated series enjoyed a highly successful run on ABC from 1991-1996.

Review: Michael Chiklis has been type-cast for awhile.  Many know him from the Fantastic Four movies and the hit FX show 'The Shield', but before all that, he was 'The Commish'.   This show used to run on Saturday nights and was a huge hit in it's time.  I have rather vague memories of watching this show as a kid, though I do remember that I never missed an episode.  I was excited to check out this DVD release.  Does the show still stack up?

The Commish is the last time that we see Michael Chiklis sporting hair, he's toughened up his image with the bald look now.  When he was the Commish his character, while tough as nails to some, was still far more compassionate and human than his portrayl on the Shield.  The Commish season one surprisingly does hold up against the test of time.  The crimes are brutal, but what set the Commish apart from modern-era cop shows is that its far softer.  The methods involve more detective work and less brutality.  This show is truly the polar opposite of the Shield.  Its far more interesting, just on the basis of story, as though it tried harder.

This is a great DVD release.  Originally released by Anchor Bay, Mill Creek Entertainment has re-packaged this show in a more affordable manner.  You can purchase this entire first season for around $13-$15.  Its an absolute steal!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars