It’s hard to believe that before Michael Chiklis starred as a bad-ass shady cop on The Shield, looking like a cross between Bruce Willis and Andrew Zimmern, he played a doughy, lovable, balding police commissioner of a sleepy town in upstate NY, whose biggest problem was finding his pen

(as it turns out, the network was unsure about casting Chiklis, and apparently later asked him to stuff his shirt and not shave his head in order to look older/schlubbier.  TV magic!)

As terrific as Chiklis was as Tony Scali, the anti-Tony Soprano meets the anti-Vic Mackey, perhaps the best part of The Commish was Melinda McGraw as tough as nails Lieutenant Cyd Madision.  Although, there was something about the fact that she went by a male’s name that both confused and fascinated me (but, then again, I was eight).  For me, she was also the best part of the second season of Mad Men.  I was absolutely delighted when I realized that Bobbie Barrett was Cyd Madison, just a little older, a little brasher and a little boozier (but again with an unorthodox spelling of a male name.  What’s up with that?!).

As The Commish was created by TV legend Stephen J. Cannell, it’s certainly no surprise it has a special place in my heart.  The man was a hit machine.  It’s no 21 Jump Street, of course, but even without the shirt stuffing I don’t think Chiklis could have passed as a teenager.

Catch The Commish on Hulu now, before it’s too late!!!