Official Synopsis:
Join a quirky team of misfit coroners willing to put their forensic skills to the test as all 23 Season One episodes of Crossing Jordan, including the memorable pilot, arrive on a 5-disc DVD set for the first time ever! Smart, conflicted and unconventional, Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) is a forensic pathologist whose obsession for solving homicides goes beyond the autopsy table. But the driving force behind her hard-core, unorthodox investigative style is the one crime she hasn't been able to solve - her mother's murder. Relive some of your favorite Crossing Jordan moments from this first season, including her battles with her boss, Dr. Macy (memorably played by Miguel Ferrer), the first appearance of Detective Woody Hoyt, music by Wendy and Lisa, amazing special effects, and Jordan and her police detective father putting themselves in the roles of victim and killer. From the creator of Heroes comes the fast-paced and funny mystery series that critics rave "is marked by crisp, clever dialogue, and a brassy lead performance" (Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune).

Disc 1:
- Pilot
- The Dawn of a New Day
- The Ties That Bind
- Born to Run

Disc 2:
- You Can't Go Home Again
- Believers
- Sight Unseen
- Digger, Part I
- Digger, Part II

Disc 3:
- Blue Christmas
- Wrong Place, Wrong Time
- Blood Relatives
- Miracles & Wonders
- Four Fathers

Disc 4:
- Acts of Mercy
- Lost and Found
- Crime & Punishment
- With Honor
- For Harry, with Love and Squalor

Disc 5:
- The Gift of Life
- Someone to Count On
- Secrets & Lies, Part I
- Secrets & Lies, Part II

Our Take:
It seems like almost all major television producers have to start off with a minor hit show before they can really break into mainstream success. JJ Abrams had the somewhat popular Felicity before striking it big with Alias and Lost. Ryan Murphy created cult hit Popular before launching FX’s successful Nip/Tuck. And Heroes creator Tim Kring started off with Crossing Jordan, a show that never really gained any major ratings success but was popular enough to stay on the air for a few years. I guess it’s a good way for talented people to get their feet wet before they go on to create their signature shows.

So why does it seem like CBS can do the crime procedural show in its sleep and make it great, while other networks struggle with the exact same formula? Nowhere is that more evident to me than with Crossing Jordan, which follows the exact same formula as so many other, better shows, but never quite hits home. It’s odd, because I can’t exactly put my finger on what it is that doesn’t work for me about the show; it’s not like it’s terrible, it just doesn’t impress. Despite Kring’s presence, there’s none of the excitement or originality you find in Heroes.

If I had to point out one flaw with the show, it’s lead actress Jill Hennessy. I don’t dislike her and she’s quite attractive, but she has this odd manliness to her voice that really throws her character in a loop for me. It almost seems like she’s trying to fit in as a lead forensic investigator by acting more butch, but I think that’s really just the way her voice is. That’s probably not the case, but I’ll be honest, I found it very distracting throughout the episodes in this first season collection.

Crossing Jordan: Season One includes a nice array of extra features:

* Deleted Scenes.
* A Conversation with Series Creator Tim Kring, Producer/Director Allan Arkush and Producer Dennis Hammer.
* JillHennessy and Allan Arkush talk about Jordan.
* Steve Valentine, Ravi Kapoor, and Kathryn Hahn talk with Allan Arkush.
* Allan Arkush and Tim Kring talk with Miguel Ferrer.
* Audio Commentaries - With Creator Tim Kring, Producer/Director Allan Arkush and Composers Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin.

Crossing Jordan: Season One is not a bad show, it’s just average in every way. While I enjoy Miguel Ferrer’s performance (as always), the forensic crew that anchors the show just doesn’t win me over, while the show itself doesn’t have enough substance or style to really set it apart from its competition. Fans of the show will be pleased with this solid first season collection, but I don’t know that it’s going to make any converts out of procedural fans in general.

Overall Picture:
Show: C+
DVD: B+

- Mike Spring

Editor