Customer Reviews

The Commish - Season 1

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This DVD-set leaves me with very mixed emotions. On the one hand, the series was very nice. It's a cop-show with intelligent stories, a lot of humour and fine actors (with a great lead in Michael Chiklis, who has recently played a very different kind of cop in The Shield). It's particularly interesting since it depicts a cop who's trying to solve crimes and deal with people with compassion and intelligence instead of violence. That this character and some of the incidents depicted in the series are based on a real cop makes the show all the more fascinating to me. So if it were just for the series, I'd give it 4 points for being very enjoyable and nice in an "I'm having a good time" sort of way. But then there's the DVD set. I never had the chance to see the series on TV, but even so it's very obvious that it's been severely cut. In 2 episodes the complete teaser is missing, in 2 more the resolution. In one case that's already been described by another reviewer, that means that the lead, Scally, suspects a group of men of being criminals until they prove that they're singers by performing by the side of the road. In this DVD, he demands proof, then grins happily and tells them they can go. In another case, a cop's just explaining why they haven't kept a criminal in prison when the episode stops in the middle of his sentence. We never find out if the rapist the cops were looking for during the whole episode gets caught, what happens to the victim, or even the resolution to a gag in which Scally left a trap for his brother-in-law in the bathroom closet. With the missing teasers, I can only guess that the crimes these episodes deal with would have been shown. The cuts are up to approximately 4 minutes in length, so we're not talking about minor missing pieces. For me that pretty much ruins 4 out of 22 episodes, and who knows if there aren't any more cuts that aren't as easily noticed since they don't ruin the show completely by doing away with the beginning or ending. This set is only part of a trend where the company that publishes a series on DVD can't be bothered with (or is uncapable of) purchasing the soundtrack copyrights and either replaces the original music with some awful replacement, thereby ruining the atmosphere (Quantum Leap), or simply leaving out scenes or even whole episodes (Profiler, The Commish). Apart from the fact that the Commish-set is expensive enough that you could expect to get the complete show for your money, I'd generally be more than willing to pay a little more to actually get the complete show. And if they do sell it like this, I think they shouldn't advertise selling the "complete series" when it's actually a mutilated version of it. This is simply cheating the customer. Being from Germany, where it's unlikely that I'll be able to see this series on TV (and even if it's broadcast, it will be the dubbed version only), I can say that I at least got to see large parts of it by buying this box set - as opposed to none. But if you're from a country where you can get a decent (and uncut) recording from TV, I would recommend that you save the money Anchor Bay want for this cut version and record it from TV. If the DVD companies realise that they can't cheat customers out of their money with their rip-off versions, maybe in the future they'll think twice about cutting out scenes to save on copyright fees or avoid going to the trouble of finding who has the rights to the music. And one last information: Sometimes a non-US version has the complete episodes and music (e. g. Quantum Leap series 1, 2 and 3 from the UK or Profiler Season 1 in the Dutch DVD-set). But the only non-US version that I know of in the case of the Commish, which would be a Chinese set, contains exactly the US-version, only in a cheaper package and at a lower price. So unfortunately, there's no alternative there.

I bought the first two seasons of The Commish because I really liked this show when it was on the air.


I wanted these DVD'S because they were a chance to relive the series again and while I have watched some of the episodes more than once I too was disappointed that these episodes are not uncut. I did write an emial to Anchor Bay expressing my disappointment at this but they just gave me the same tired company line about how they are only putting on dvd what is given to them by the licensor. Well okay I suppose I can understand that but they should at least but a disclaimer on the DVD packaging that states Some episodes may differ from that of the original broadcast versions so that the consumer can choose for themselves if they would like to purchase these dvd's. I for one will not be buying any future DVD releases of this show. Sorry for the long review and the lack of punctuation I have never understood when or where to use it in a sentence.

I just about fell out of my chair when I saw this classic show from the eary 90's was going to be released on DVD, because while I hoped for it, I really never expected it to be released. There are plenty of reasons not to remember Michael Chicklis as "Tony Scali" of the Eastbride Police Department either because you were watching "Walker Texas Ranger" at the time, like so many other people, or you weren't home on Saturday nights where they stuck the series, but it was able to build up a fine and loyal fan base for five seasons, and ABC has not had a hit in that time slot since the Commish was cancelled in 1996 so that says something. Scali was a cop who solved problems with brains instead of braun, something totally different than his character does now on "The Shield." If you remember the show or are seeing it for the first time, either way it would be a great series to own and I can't wait until it comes out in November. Trust me, if you are tired of graphic, gruesome, cop shows, you will love this one and will not be disappointed.

What's cut is essentially scenes with certain music that the production company couldn't secure the rights to by the time the DVD was released. Yeah... I know it sucks, but don't blame anchor bay for this one. Blame it on the copyright holders of the songs for either wanting too much royalties or just not wanting to participate on the DVD release.

Anyway I loved this show when it aired. Michael Chiklis is in rare form as an intelligent, yet comical police commissioner in this series. The show never failed to impress me each time to stretched to new ground. This show had heart AND brains. I even love this series more now that Chiklis is grabbing attention as a totally different kind of cop on that TV series The Shield.

If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the deleted scenes. They might make a scene or two a little confusing with its omission, but what you do get more than makes up for the losses. However IF an uncut version comes out by all means run for that one (not likely to happen). Until then get charmed by the most lovable and committed police commissioner you will ever meet.

I am the person who wrote on of the reviews posted here and I am back with more comments since I have now seen all the episodes on the DVD season one. First, I am just so happy to own the series that if the shows are indeed cut, it is a small price to pay. To own such a wonderful series that as far as I know is shown no place on television is a treasure. Next, I don't think these shows are cut, simply because I have a few on tape from the first airing and they are complete. Perhaps the reviewer who claims that there are missing scenes viewed the overseas versions, which are 90 seconds longer in some cases. Anyway, the DVD's are terrific quality and the first season sold so well that season 2 is due out next month, a record 3 months after the first release. Everyone that has seen this series since I purchased it loves it right along with me, and if you have not seen it, it is a great investment.

I have read on the reviews about the cut scenes. Especially the scene with the singers on the roadside. Why that was cut out, I don't know. And yes, it did pull an, "Aw, man, what's up with that?" out of me. I noticed it in another episode too, although I would be hard-pressed to tell you which one.

What struck me was how good the episodes still are, even today in the advent of such crime classics as Millennium(Seasons 1 and 2 on sale. Tony Scali is even mentioned in a Millennium episode. "Hand of Saint Sebastion"). The show is a testament to what great writing along with great casting can do.

Already have my order in for the Commish Season Two. Yeah, the cuts are annoying, but the series is worth buying regardless.

I have always been a big fan of the "The Commish" I had purchased seasons 1&2 but I thought the rest of the series would have been released by now. I had contacted Anchor Bay entertianment and they have informed me that they do not have plans to release the reamining seasons of this great show due to low sales. I always enjoyed it and I still do inspite of all this reality crap on TV. I just did not think that all the fans of this great show would be left out in the lurch.

I am glad this series came out on dvd finally. Good, less violent, series.

I got confirmation from Starz that they are not releasing the remaining seasons 3-5 on DVD. So don't waste your money on buying season 1 and 2

I have searched for this for months now and each time, the search found "0 results for The Commish". I thought it would never be released to DVD as it doesn't fit with the popular and more violent and "sleezy" cop shows out there today. But finally, "The Commish" comes to DVD! Hooray! Much prefer the character Chiklas played in the cop show the whole family could watch than the one he portrays on "The Shield". Can't wait 'til it's released and shipped in November! Thanks to the powers that be for this release:-)