View source for The Commish

{{short description|American comedy-drama television series (1991–1996)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Commish title screen.jpg
| caption              = Intertitle
| genre                = [[Comedy drama]]
| creator              = {{Plain list|
* [[Stephen J. Cannell]]
* Stephen Kronish
}}
| starring             = {{Plain list|
* [[Michael Chiklis]]
* [[Theresa Saldana]]
* [[Kaj-Erik Eriksen]]
* [[John Cygan]]
* [[Melinda McGraw]]
* Geoffrey Nauffts
* [[Nicholas Lea]]
* [[Gina Belafonte]]
* [[David Paymer]]
* [[Babz Chula]]
}}
| composer             = [[Walter Murphy]]
| theme_music_composer = [[Mike Post]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 5
| num_episodes         = 94
| list_episodes        = List of The Commish episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plain list|
* Stephen J. Cannell
* Stephen Kronish
* David Levinson
}}
| producer             = {{Plain list|
* [[Robert Cochran (TV producer)|Robert Cochran]]
* John Peter Kousakis
* [[David Greenwalt]]	
}}
| camera               =
| runtime              = 46 minutes per episode
| company              = {{Plain list|
* Three-Putt Productions
* Stephen J. Cannell Productions
* [[ABC Productions]]
* [[New World Entertainment]] (1995–1996; season 5)
}}
| network              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1991|9|28}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1996|1|11}} 
}}

'''''The Commish''''' is an American [[comedy-drama]] television series that aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in fictional Eastbridge, [[New York (state)|New York]]. The show was filmed in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]].<ref name="Variety">{{Cite web |date=22 October 1993 |title=The Commish Set Up |url=https://variety.com/1993/tv/reviews/the-commish-set-up-1200433583/ |access-date=26 May 2024 |publisher=Variety}}</ref>

==Premise==
The series stars [[Michael Chiklis]] as Anthony Joseph "Tony" Scali, a former [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] detective who is now the police commissioner in the small fictional suburban New York town of Eastbridge, and tends to work through problems with humor and creativity more often than with violence or force. [[Theresa Saldana]] plays Rachel Scali (née Metzger), Tony's wife, and [[Kaj-Erik Eriksen]] plays their young son, David. Also living with the family in the first season was Rachel's freeloading brother, Arnie Metzger, played by [[David Paymer]]. A daughter, Sarah Lou, named after her maternal grandmother Sarah Metzger (Rachel's mother) and Lou Donello (an old friend and former partner of Tony's), and played by twins Justine and Dayna Cornborough, was born to Tony and Rachel in the eighth episode of the second season, "A Time to Be Born".

Focusing both on family situations and police drama, the series tackles a wide range of topical social issues such as [[police corruption]], [[racism]], [[homophobia]], [[addiction|drug addiction]], [[disability|disabilities]], [[child abuse]], [[illegal immigration]], and [[sexual harassment]].

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of The Commish episodes}}
{{:List of The Commish episodes}}

==Cast==
In addition to Commissioner Scali's family, the cast included police working under his command.

Scali had three different lieutenants at his precinct during the show's run; Lt. Irving "Irv" Wallerstein (Alex Bruhanski), his longtime buddy and second-in-command, was killed in the line of duty in the eleventh episode of Season 1, "The Fourth Man", after appearing in only a few episodes and was replaced by Lt. Paul "Paulie" Pentangeli ([[John Cygan]]), his childhood best friend. At the start of the second season, Pentangeli shot an unarmed suspect who was reaching for a cigarette case.

Although Pentangeli was acquitted, Scali nonetheless fired him, suspecting that Pentangeli knowingly shot the suspect on whom they had insufficient evidence to prosecute. Pentangeli had said that it felt like real police work. He was replaced by a female lieutenant, elegant former FBI agent Cydavia "Cyd" Madison ([[Melinda McGraw]]), who continued through to the end of season three before leaving the Eastbridge department to work as a commissioner in another city at the start of season four, when jean-wearing Pentangeli returned to the series despite his continuing disagreement with Scali regarding the nature of the shooting in season two.

The star cops who also worked closely with Scali included Stanley Oliver "Stan" Kelly (Geoffrey Nauffts), Carmela Theresa Antonia Pagan ([[Gina Belafonte]]), and hot-headed Richard "Ricky" Caruso ([[Nicholas Lea]]). Series regular Kelly was killed off at the end of season three, whereas other characters such as Pagan would simply disappear for longer stretches inexplicably.

==Production==
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2020}}
Chiklis' character, Tony Scali, was at least ten years older than Chiklis' age at the time. At one point, the network, worried that Chiklis' weight loss would affect the ratings, reportedly asked him to stuff his clothing. He also was encouraged not to shave his head to look older.

Although set in the fictional town of Eastbridge in the [[Hudson Valley]], New York, the show was filmed in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]].<ref name="Variety" />

The character Tony Scali was based on the real-life 30th Commissioner of New York City's Department of Correction, Anthony Schembri, the son of an Italian immigrant, who grew up in Brooklyn.<ref name=HTVenice>{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20190705/venice-man-appointed-to-law-enforcement-committee-in-india |title=Venice man appointed to law enforcement committee in India |publisher=Herald Tribune |date=5 July 2019 |access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref> Schembri recalls incidents such as his deflecting a man intent on suicide from wanting to jumping off of a roof: “I asked him if he had a permit to jump off.”<ref name=HTVenice /> This means of diversion, used in the series premiere, characterizes Scali’s [[modus operandi]]. Schembri later served as the Secretary of the [[Florida Department of Juvenile Justice]] under Governor [[Jeb Bush]], as the [[Citrus County, Florida|Citrus County]], [[Florida]], County Administrator, and later still as an advisor to India’s Centre for Criminology and Public Policy Committee.<ref name=HTVenice />

Schembri was "discovered" after being a technical consultant for the TV series (while serving as the Police Commissioner of Rye, New York). The show was unrealistic in that Tony Scali the police commissioner, working as Schembri had done while he was a Brooklyn detective, would do many things a real-life police commissioner doesn't (such as personally chase criminals and investigate crimes).

Though the series was originally slated to air on CBS, unresolved casting differences led [[Stephen J. Cannell]] to cease pre-production with that network. Eventually, Cannell took the series to ABC and it won the [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] war with CBS for that time slot (Saturday nights at 10pm).

Actor [[Jason Alexander]] said he had been offered a role on the show, but turned it down as the TV show he was already cast in — ''[[Seinfeld]]'', where he played [[George Costanza]] — got picked up for another season and went on to become one of the most successful [[sitcom]]s in history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/jason-alexander?clip=2#interview-clips |title=Jason Alexander|date=22 October 2017 |publisher=Television Archive Foundation|access-date=19 October 2022}}</ref>

==Home media==
[[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released the first two seasons of ''The Commish'' on DVD in Region 1 in 2004–2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish/2215|title=The Commish DVD news: Press Release and Cover for 1st Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816104952/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish/2215|archive-date=16 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish/2642|title=The Commish DVD news: Cover art for Feb.'s Season 2 Release - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816105042/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish/2642|archive-date=16 August 2016}}</ref>  Because of poor sales, these releases were discontinued and no further seasons were made available.

In 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to several [[Stephen J. Cannell]] series, including ''The Commish''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Site-News-Cannell-Mill-Creek-Distro-Deal/12817|title=Site News DVD news: Cannell and Mill Creek Ink New Distribution Deal - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123091128/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Site-News-Cannell-Mill-Creek-Distro-Deal/12817|archive-date=23 November 2011}}</ref> They subsequently re-released the first two seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-Season-1/13210|title=The Commish DVD news: Early Box Art for The Commish - Season 1 - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816104400/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-Season-1/13210|archive-date=16 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-Season-2/14302|title=The Commish DVD news: Announcement for The Commish - The Complete 2nd Season (Mill Creek) - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816104031/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-Season-2/14302|archive-date=16 August 2016}}</ref>

On October 12, 2010, Mill Creek released ''The Commish: The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1.  The 17-disc set features all 94 episodes of the series on DVD for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-The-Complete-Series/14316|title=The Commish DVD news: Announcement for The Commish - The Complete Series - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411090931/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Commish-The-Complete-Series/14316|archive-date=11 April 2016}}</ref>

In August 2022, [[Visual Entertainment]] released ''The Commish: The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visualentertainment.tv/products/copy-of-21-jump-street-the-complete-series-dvd-7047?variant=40249361891433|title= The Commish - The Complete Series}}</ref>

In Region 4, [[Beyond Home Entertainment]] has released the first four seasons on DVD in Australia.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"|DVD Name
! rowspan="2"|Ep #
! colspan="2"|Release Dates
|-
! Region 1
! Region 4
|-
| The Complete First Season
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| November 16, 2004<br><small>March 9, 2010 (re-release)</small>
| July 16, 2008<ref>[http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/800052 Commish, The – Complete 1st Season (6 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD]. Ezydvd.com.au (2008-07-16). Retrieved on 2010-12-28.</ref>
|-
| The Complete Second Season
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| February 22, 2005<br><small>September 14, 2010 (re-release)</small>
| October 15, 2008<ref>[http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/801316 Commish, The – Complete 2nd Season (6 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD]. Ezydvd.com.au (2008-10-15). Retrieved on 2010-12-28.</ref>
|-
| The Complete Third Season
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| N/A
| June 10, 2009<ref>[http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/805660 Commish, The – Complete 3rd Season (6 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708202158/http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/805660 |date=2009-07-08}}. Ezydvd.com.au (2009-06-10). Retrieved on 2010-12-28.</ref>
|-
| The Complete Fourth Season
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| N/A
| October 7, 2009<ref>[http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/808411 Commish, The – Complete 4th Season (6 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008012419/http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/808411 |date=2009-10-08}}. Ezydvd.com.au (2009-10-07). Retrieved on 2010-12-28.</ref>
|-
| The Complete Series
| style="text-align:center;"|94
| October 12, 2010<br><small>August 2022 (re-release)</small>
| N/A
|}

==Awards==
Theresa Saldana received a [[Golden Globe]] nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 1994.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0101069|title=The Commish}}

{{Stephen J Cannell shows}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Commish, The}}
[[Category:1990s American comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:1990s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:1991 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1996 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company comedy-dramas]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series by Stephen J. Cannell Productions]]
[[Category:Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in Vancouver]]
[[Category:Television shows set in New York (state)]]
[[Category:American detective television series]]
[[Category:Television series created by Stephen J. Cannell]]