Major Crimes

TNT will soon begin airing the second season of its hit show Major Crimes.  A direct spin-off of The Closer, the program features actress Mary McDonnell filling in as boss after the departure of Kyra Sedgwick from the series.  Having avoided The Closer mostly due to Sedgwick's terrible attempt at a Southern accent, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a satisfying police procedural that may have won a place on my DVR schedule.

Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves) serves as the head of the LAPD Major Crimes Division.  The series follows Raydor attempting to solve important criminal cases alongside a crew of detectives, medical examiners, and district attorneys.  A long-term storyline carried over from the last episode of The Closer involves a serial killer known as Stroh.  Raydor currently has parental custody of Rusty Beck (Graham Patrick Martin, TBS's Bill Engvall Show), a key witness in the case against Stroh.

The second season premiere "Final Cut" airs Monday, June 10th at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT on TNT.  A famous Hollywood director calls for authorities upon arriving home and discovering his wife stabbed to death in their pool.  As always, it's up to the team to crack the case.  Working under the orders of Captain Raydor are Detective Provenza (G.W. Bailey, Police Academy), Dectective Flynn (Tony Denison, NBC's Crime Story), Detective Tao (Michael Paul Chan, Falling Down), and Detective Sanchez (Raymond Cruz, AMC's Breaking Bad).
 
Perhaps the most refreshing thing about the show is that unlike the majority of dramas on television today the cast doesn't entirely consist of young models - making the characters that much more believable.  Bailey provides the humor on the show playing an experienced, stubborn detective who doesn't believe a thing most people say.  Denison serves as his comic partner at times - this episode he was stressing about an upcoming physical.  Filmed in a traditional style, Major Crimes is your classic procedural drama devoid of glitz and glamour.  Recommended for viewers who would enjoy a solid detective program with a talented cast.  Those interested in catching up with the show so far can also pick up the first season on DVD next week.