The Commish

ザ・コミッシュ
Slightly offbeat television police comedy-drama. Tony Scali is the Police Commissioner in a small town, where solutions to difficult situations often require considerable creativity. Tony's easygoing manner and clever intellect are much more useful to him than weapons or brute force in his fight against crime.
The Commish set a new tone for early-’90s police procedurals by centering its storytelling on a police chief who relied more on experience, empathy, and unconventional thinking than brute force. As Tony Scali, Michael Chiklis brought warmth, humour, and humanity to the role, creating a law-enforcement character who could tackle sensitive social issues, resolve crimes creatively, and still mentor and develop the officers under his command. The show’s blend of drama, moral complexity, and family-friendly tone paved the way for later series such as Monk (2002) and Blue Bloods (2010), both of which also explore character-driven policing with heart and intelligence.
What’s striking in retrospect is how drastically Chiklis later reinvented himself as Vic Mackey in The Shield, trading The Commish’s wholesome integrity for corruption and brutality—highlighting his incredible range.
As a procedural, The Commish remains charming, thoughtful, and ahead of its time, offering a refreshing alternative to the darker police dramas that would follow.
The Commish set a new tone for early-’90s police procedurals by centering its storytelling on a police chief who relied more on experience, empathy, and unconventional thinking than brute force. As Tony Scali, Michael Chiklis brought warmth, humour, and humanity to the role, creating a law-enforcement character who could tackle sensitive social issues, resolve crimes creatively, and still mentor and develop the officers under his command. The show’s blend of drama, moral complexity, and family-friendly tone paved the way for later series such as Monk (2002) and Blue Bloods (2010), both of which also explore character-driven policing with heart and intelligence.
What’s striking in retrospect is how drastically Chiklis later reinvented himself as Vic Mackey in The Shield, trading The Commish’s wholesome integrity for corruption and brutality—highlighting his incredible range.
As a procedural, The Commish remains charming, thoughtful, and ahead of its time, offering a refreshing alternative to the darker police dramas that would follow.



















