No matter what era where television has existed that you look at you will be certain to find a myriad of detective shows. There is just something about a man standing alone against criminals searching for clues to bring the heinous evil doers to justice that strikes a chord with the audience. Sure, the methods that are employed may vary from the old school hit the streets and shake down informants to the use of ultra high tech devices but the basic premise hasn’t changed in fifty years. One series that proved popular towards the end of the last century was ‘Nash Bridges’. It had a respectable six year run between 1996 and 2001 and has remained a favorite for millions of fans. This was a transition for CBS who was trying to shake the image of the creators of senior citizen mysteries like ‘Murder She Wrote’ and ‘Diagnosis Murder’ and their current series such as the CSI franchise, ‘Numbers’ and other shows geared to a younger demographic. ‘Bridges’ was a return to the classic detective shows that many of us grew up watching. It featured a middle aged man who had to wear out the shoe leather and use his street smarts to solve the crime. Almost all crime dramas employ some sort of hook to pull in the audience but the gimmick here was there is no gimmick. It is a straightforward action oriented crime show and the brilliance was it never lost sight of that simple yet effective fact. The only true concession to the more modern demands of the viewers was to portray the title character as a fully fleshed out and flawed human being. Bridges was not shown as some super detective instead he was a regular sort of a guy with the problems that a man his age typically endured. This was enough to allow the audience to identify with him and understand a little of what motivated him in his work and life. The show began its life as a mid season replacement with only six episodes to prove itself. The second season under consideration here was its first full, twenty three episode season so there was more of a chance to develop the characters and continuing story arcs. CBS Paramount has the DVD distribution rights to this series and last year begun their release schedule. We are now up to season two when the cast and crew where really starting to gel and work together as a cohesive unit. This is a solid crime show and will be able to stand the test of time due to the quality that each episode exhibits. If you missed this one when it was on the air now is your chance to get into it and enjoy.

The creator of the series was Carlton Cuse who should be known to the legion of fans of the strange yet popular series ‘Lost’. He is a writer who cares about the characters he creates as people and uses that as a springboard to infusing true to life characteristics to them. This allows him to draw his characters with details that make the series seem more realistic in nature. This permits the audience to accept the circumstances of the stories but also come to care about the plight of the heroes. This gives the show the feel of a good murder mystery where you can’t wait too turn the page and find out what happens next. Most detective series had an ensemble cast but it the ultimate success hangs on the charisma of the leading character. In this case the producers made a wise choice. Bridges is played by Don Johnson. In the early eighties he helped to revolutionize the detective genre with his portrayal of Sonny Crockett in ‘Miami Vice’. There was never a series like it and it changed the look and feel of many shows that would follow. He was a proven actor familiar with this type of weekly show and he pulled it off again here. As he did with Crockett a decade before Johnson brought his easy going touch guy personal to life again with Bridges. In this series bridges is an inspector with the San Francisco police force and heads up the Special Crimes division. This ploy does give a lot of latitude to the writers in the variety of crimes that the team gets to investigate. Bridges may be aces in his job but he has considerable trouble in keeping his personal life in order. He is twice divorced and has a daughter in her early twenties, Cassidy (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). She has a personal relationship with one of her father’s subordinates, Detective Evan Cortez (Jamie P. Gomez). Naturally enough this results in some uncomfortable times at home and in the office for Bridges. His best friend is Joe Dominguez (Cheech Marin) who had retired from the force to open his own detective agency but came back to Bridge’s squad in the first season. Joe is easy going and an optimist who is usually looking for a get rich quick scheme. Another member of the team Harvey Leak (Jeff Perry) is a throw back to the sixties as an avid fan of the Grateful Dead. He is also the team’s expert in all electronic matters.

The stories presented in each episode are admittedly run of the mill for the genre and demonstrate the usual degree of variety in the type of crime and criminal depicted. The fun in watching this series is definitely in the journey not the destination. Each week Bridges and his relentless team are pulled into a crime of great urgency. It is the panache that is shown that makes for the entertainment. In the first episode of the season Nash and the team are looking into reports of renegade detectives in the Internal Affairs division. It is up to them to investigate the officers who normally investigate other cops. The men involved have the ability to bring pressure on Bridges and his men but they are determined to save the day. One plot device that has been around forever is the ticking clock. This comes in to this series when Joe is exposed to a chemical and given only three days to live. Bridges has to track down the ones responsible and find a cure for his friend. The past comes back to haunt Bridges when a childhood friend turns out to be a professional hit man charged with killing a key witness to a major crime. Another favorite theme is the crime that the team just falls into. Bridges and the SIU just happen to be on a train as it is being robbed. It falls to them to foil the thieves and save the passengers. A little San Francisco history is pulled into the mix when it looks like the infamous Zodiac serial killer has returned after a twenty year absence.

CBS Paramount offers more than just the episodes in this DVD set. There is the second part of a cast and crew roundtable that began in the first DVD set. Some pivotal episodes are also given a commentary track with Johnson, Marin and Cuse to add a little background and trivia for the series. This is something that you will watch for many years to come.