The Commish

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 28, 1991
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
50

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 3 out of 11
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Critic Reviews

  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Howard Rosenberg
    Apr 16, 2020
    60
    What saves The Commish (barely) is Chiklis’ nice work as a complex, plain-talking family man seeking to distance himself from his modest Brooklyn origins, plus Scali’s priceless clashes with his shiftless brother-in-law (David Paymer). These humorous skirmishes in the presence of Scali’s wife (Theresa Saldana) set an urbane comic tone for “The Commish” that makes you almost forget the program’s lapses.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Jun 9, 2013
    58
    Chiklis' Scali is such a happy saint that he verges on the insufferable — no one can be this generous, this clever, this jolly.
  3. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: David Hiltbrand
    Jun 25, 2013
    50
    The series makes a weak slab at the Hill Street Blues mix of humor and pathos. But Chiklis is a marvel of believability, vividly creating a character who is disarming, droll, clever and compassionate.
  5. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Hill
    Apr 16, 2020
    40
    Take a good character and put him in a lame show peopled by cliches and what you get is a waste of a good character.

User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Tss5078
    Apr 21, 2013
    8
    Long before he was cracking skulls as Vic Mackey on The Shield, Michael Chiklis was Tony Scali, the Commissioner of the East Bridge PoliceLong before he was cracking skulls as Vic Mackey on The Shield, Michael Chiklis was Tony Scali, the Commissioner of the East Bridge Police Department. The show launched Chiklis's career and when you've seen both The Commish and The Shield, you really get the sense that this guy could play any role. Scali was the complete opposite of Mackey, whereas Mackey solved his problems through violence and intimidation, throwing the book out the window, Scali solved crime by using the book to his advantage. Scali would use his cleverness, his charm, and even his wit to get the answers he needed and was the true opposite of Vic Mackey in every sense of the word. The Commish was so much more than just a simple cop show, it was a family show, and during it's five year run on ABC it was way ahead of it's time. The show ran from 1991-1995 and even then was exploring such topics as bullying, gay marriage, the emergence of the internet, and in one first season episode, way back in 1991, Tony states that reality TV was the wave of the future! Scali wasn't just the clever cop who ran a large police department and solved crimes through extremely clever and unconventional methods, he was a family man. Much of the show intertwines his work with his family and he's just as clever, witty, and delightful at home as he is in the station. As I said earlier, this show launched the career of Michael Chiklis who now is a multiple Emmy Award winner and one of the best people you could have on board for a new series. Veteran actress, Theresa Saldana, plays his wife Rachel, and she's more than just a housewife. She's just as intuitive as her husband and is a working mom, another aspect of the show that was ahead of it's time. Their son David, was the first major role for Kaj-Erik Eriksen, who has seemingly been in everything. You may not recognize his name, but you'll definitely recognize his face from one thing or another. I have been watching the Commish regularly for about 3 months now and I can tell you honestly, this show never gets old. No two cases or personalities are the same, and you'd be hard pressed to find award winning novels that are better written. This is one of the most clever, fun, and heartwarming shows I have ever seen, and even though it's been off the air for nearly 20 years, it's still as relevant today as it was then and I can not possible recommend it enough.… Full Review »
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