Cable television has certainly come a long way in recent years. With groundbreaking shows like “The Shield,” “Damages” and “Mad Men” making a positive stir in the world of entertainment, cable TV is becoming quite a force to be reckoned with. TNT’s drama series “The Closer,” is one such example, which ended with a triumphant fourth season this past Monday.
Since the summer of 2005, “The Closer” has continued to captivate viewers and score substantial ratings, making it one of the highest rated shows on cable television. A part of the ethnically diverse cast of characters is Golden Globe winner, Kyra Sedgwick, starring as the central character, Brenda Leigh Johnson, a strong-minded detective with a heavy southern accent, who relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to Los Angeles, California.
When it comes to cracking the toughest of cases, Brenda is undoubtedly the person to call on. Brenda’s skills are flawless and her talents unblemished, earning her the name, “The Closer” a la the title of the series.
Time and time again, she has taken on a number of mind-boggling cases as well as manipulative villains and has continued to come out on top. In fact, the only thing bigger than her drive to solve problems may just be her intense addiction to sweets.
Sedgwick’s strong character, combined with the show’s puzzling stories and strong cast is what helps transform the TNT series from a mundane show into a character driven drama.
Created by clever screenwriter James Duff, “The Closer” broke records last September when its third season finale garnered a whopping 10 million viewers. Needless to say, the show does have a dedicated legion of fans. It also has a hilarious confluence of characters.
Along with the talented Sedgwick is the handsome Corey Reynolds known for his portrayal of Seaweed J. Stubbs from the Broadway production of “Hairspray.” As Sgt. David Gabriel, Reynolds shares the bulk of his screen time with Sedgwick as her patient sidekick.
Also along for the ride is the versatile J.K. Simmons, known to “Spider-Man” fans as foulmouthed newspaper editor, J. Jonah Jameson. In “The Closer,” Simmons portrays Assistant Police Chief Will Pope, Brenda’s ex-husband and new boss who is secretly harboring feelings for his former love.
Jon Tenney stars as FBI Agent Fritz Howard, Brenda’s new beau, and the dashing Robert Gossett provides continuous drama as Commander Taylor who always seems to butt heads with the show’s main character. Along with the central cast members are Phillip Keene, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Gina Ravera of “Soul Food” fame and the hilarious duo of G.W. Bailey and Tony Denison who star as a pair of cops who always manage to get into trouble.
Since it’s debut, the cast of “The Closer” has garnered two nominations for Screen Actors Guild awards. Sedgwick herself has been nominated for three SAG awards, three Primetime Emmy awards, two Satellite awards and three Golden Globes, winning one in 2007.
Naturally TNT has capitalized on the success of its series by releasing DVD sets of the first three seasons as well as showing marathons on its network sporadically. And who could blame them?
When TV is this good, its definitely worth bragging about. Case closed.