CBS | Release Date: October 5, 2003
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
6
Negative:
3
100
Washington PostTom ShalesFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: An outstanding crime drama. It has all the trappings of a good show and then, of course, one staple of a great one: An absolutely terrific star in the lead role. Kathryn Morris can go through my files anytime. [27 Sept 2003, p.C01]
90
Orlando SentinelHal BoedekerFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: The series from CSI executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer has a mesmerizing look, and in its signature stroke, nimbly flashes between the characters then and now. Unlike so many other crime series, Cold Case never loses sight of the victims...Best of all, it offers a lead actress who is simply excellent. Morris makes a wonderfully tough, tenacious heroine. She's a sleuth to die for. [28 Sept 2003, p.TV4]
90
Chicago TribuneSteve JohnsonFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: A smart, stylish police procedural very much in the manner of "CSI" and "Without a Trace." [28 Sept 2003, p.C10]
90
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: If you're not tapped out on this kind of show already, Cold Case is a sophisticated procedural drama with an engrossing mystery at its core. [27 Sept 2003, p.C-9]
90
Kansas City StarAaron BarnhartFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: What a pleasure to find a woman who doesn't need to karate chop some no-neck to prove she's in charge. [27 Sept 2003]
75
San Diego Union-TribuneRobert P. LaurenceFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Cold Case pours an old formula into a new bottle and mixes up an amiably entertaining hour that could attract both young fans and those who are still wondering where Jessica Fletcher went. [28 Sept 2003]
75
Houston ChronicleMike McDanielFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: The show is told stylishly. A character from today morphs into how he appeared years ago - an excellent way of getting into a story quickly without confusing viewers. The showy all-music ending to Sunday's episode is another nice touch. [27 Sept 2003, p.10]
75
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesChuck BarneyFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Has a solid premise and a lavish look. The show's signature visual gimmick features characters morphing into their younger selves. Then there's the appealing Rush, who makes a very strong first impression. [27 Sept 2003, p.D01]
75
USA TodayRobert BiancoFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Though the entire cast is strong, it's Morris who holds the show together with a winning combination of smarts, looks, steel and warmth. She makes a very good Case for watching. [26 Sept 2003, p.14E]
75
Chicago Sun-TimesPhil RosenthalFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: The mysteries may not be all that mysterious and the music all but clubs you at times, but there's something about Morris' performance that holds the thing together. [26 Sept 2003, p.53]
75
Detroit Free PressMike DuffyFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Grim, stylish, smart and gripping. [26 Sept 2003, p.8E]
70
St. Louis Post-DispatchGail PenningtonFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Absorbing as the show promises to be, Sunday night's opener is something of a disappointment because it basically rewrites the Martha Moxley murder case, the details of which are very familiar from the recent Michael Skakel trial. [28 Sept 2003, p.C5]
60
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan StormFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Cold Case doesn't know Philly. Too often the few authentic exteriors - Boathouse Row, for instance - give way to some generic Los Angeles location. The show itself is full of references to nonexistent places and situations. [28 Sept 2003, p.H01]
50
Newark Star-LedgerAlan SepinwallJul 10, 2013
Season 1 Review: At times "Cold Case" feels like an assembly-line product, slick and shiny but a bit rushed and impersonal. [23 Sep 2003]
40
Denver PostJoanne OstrowFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: Plays to an older crowd with its by-the-numbers approach. [29 Sept 2003, p.F01]
40
New York Daily NewsDavid BianculliFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: The problem isn't the source of the plot, rather the fact that its treatment is not dramatic or gripping enough. [27 Sept 2003, p.71]
30
Arizona RepublicMatthew GilbertFeb 26, 2013
Season 1 Review: An entire series built on the past tense could become tiresome, no matter how slick the visuals may be. [27 Sept 2003, p.C4]