Major Crimes (2012–)
	Rating: 7.6/10 (6,185 votes) Director: N/A Writer: James Duff Stars: Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan Runtime: 60 min Rated: N/A Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery Released: 13 Aug 2012
Plot: 'The Closer' spin-off series which follows Capt. Raydor of the Los Angeles Police Department.

I never watched The Closer, but a couple of weeks ago I read a glowing recommendation for its follow-up show, Major Crimes. It lauded the show’s diversity and the laudable way it handles the serious topics covered. I’m a big fan of crime procedurals, but I’m not blind to the many, many faults of the genre (from sexism to “ripped-from-the-headlines” sensationalism) – and Major Crimes is definitely ahead of the curve.

Not only is it female-led (by the great Mary McDonnell), but the cast is indeed very diverse, with only two straight white guys in the big ensemble – and these are both older, as is the leading lady, a rarity in age-conscious tv land. Even the ubiquitous teenager hanging out at the police station is not annoying but rather quickly became one of my favourites. I also like that this is not one of those “family of choice” situations – the characters are too different, they live their own lives outside of the office, although of course they are very connected, with varying levels of intimacy.

But while it’s the ensemble and their chemistry that make or break a show, the crimes they solve are of course essential. We encounter all the usual subjects – sex crimes, serial murder, gang warfare – yet the issues are usually sensitively handled, not dwelling on the violence. This is not the show for torture porn. Which is not to say it isn’t at times harrowing to watch, on the contrary. However, there are also incredibly funny episodes.

Another thing I enjoy is that the show isn’t afraid of leaving blanks sometimes. It doesn’t feel the need to always hold the hand of the audience, things happen off-screen and important information isn’t endlessly hammered home. Altogether this is recommended to anyone who enjoys their crime shows smart and with a good heart.