Netflix has unexpectedly revived a highly praised TV show that hasn’t been on television for thirteen years. Considering the success of other shows like Friends, Seinfeld, NCIS, The Office, and Suits on the platform, this could make the series popular with a whole new generation of viewers.
Between the mid-2000s and early 2010s, The Closer was a hugely popular and critically praised TV show. It launched the careers of its main actors – we’ll talk about them later – and also proved that basic cable shows could achieve high artistic quality, consistently earning nominations for major awards like Emmys, SAG Awards, and Golden Globes throughout its run.
The Closer Was A Unique Police Procedural (With A Perfect Cast)
The TV show The Closer featured Brenda Leigh Johnson, a former Atlanta police officer and CIA interrogator, who leads a special unit within the Los Angeles Police Department. Known for her unique, and often unconventional, methods of getting confessions, her disregard for political maneuvering, and her distinctive Southern accent, Brenda often finds herself in challenging situations. Despite the controversy surrounding her approach, she remains a highly effective and respected officer, earning her the nickname ‘The Closer’.
The show The Closer featured a fantastic cast, and many of those actors have become even more well-known since then. You might recognize names like J.K. Simmons (from Spider-Man and Whiplash), Corey Reynolds (Resident Alien), Michael Paul Chan (U.S. Marshals), Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Gina Ravera (Kiss the Girls), and Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica). Still, the success of the show really depended on its lead actress, Kyra Sedgwick.
Kyra Sedgwick became a major pop-culture star during the seven seasons of The Closer, arguably becoming one of the most recognizable faces on television at the time. Her character, Brenda Leigh Johnson, appealed to a wide audience: her Southern charm resonated with viewers in the heartland, while the show’s Los Angeles setting and focus on a working woman attracted those on the coasts. The Closer successfully combined the procedural crime-solving of shows like Law & Order with a character-driven story, similar to Ally McBeal, exploring a professional woman whose work life often clashed with her complicated personal relationships.
The Closer Changed TV (For the Better)
For seven years, the TV show The Closer consistently drew at least 7 million viewers for both the premieres and finales of each season (with the exception of its first season). This was a significant achievement for a show on basic cable at the time, and it changed how the industry perceived the potential of these channels. Before The Closer, television was largely divided into two categories: traditional network TV, which featured mainstream sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows under FCC guidelines, and premium cable channels like HBO, known for more daring content. The Closer pioneered a new space for basic cable, successfully combining familiar network TV formats with more innovative ideas, ultimately enriching the television landscape.
Now, the streaming generation can rediscover The Closer, as it’s now available on Netflix.
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2025-12-25 01:41