# The Commish (1991)

> A former Brooklyn cop runs a small upstate city police department with offbeat humor and unorthodox rule-bending.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3654

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 94
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, comedy
- Created by: Stephen J. Cannell, Stephen Kronish
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Michael Chiklis, Theresa Saldana, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Geoffrey Nauffts, Melinda McGraw, Gina Belafonte, Jason Schombing, John Cygan
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101069/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: offbeat, witty, warm, street-smart, cozy

## What critics say

Viewed as a warm, witty police drama carried by its lead performance, though often considered formulaic within the network crime genre.

## Synopsis

The Commish (1991-1996) is an American network police drama created by Stephen J. Cannell and Stephen Kronish for ABC. Michael Chiklis plays Tony Scali, a former Brooklyn cop who now serves as police commissioner of a small upstate city. Theresa Saldana plays his wife Rachel Scali, and Kaj-Erik Eriksen plays their son David, grounding the show in a loving household that competes for his time. Scali's engine is simple and constant: he wants to run his department fairly and personally, while politics and bureaucracy stand in his way. Each episode gathers a fresh case, from sex crimes to murders, and Scali works it hands-on, often bending procedure to get results. Across five seasons the show moves between police work and family life in a case-of-the-week format rather than a single continuing arc. The tone is warm and witty, with offbeat humor balanced against real stakes and street-smart investigation. Set in a fictional upstate American city in the 1990s, it has the feel of classic network crime television. Fans of Hill Street Blues, Murder One and The A-Team will find familiar pleasures in its mix of procedure, humor and domestic warmth.

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