Crossing Jordan

Some people say that "Crossing Jordan" is a rip-off of CSI but even though there are some similarities it is not trying to be the same. There are cases and forensics involved, but "Crossing Jordan" is far richer in character development. This show is my favorite because it has both; I don't watch CSI or CSI:Miami because when I want just cases and the forensics involved in solving them, I watch "Forensic Files" and other true crime shows on DSC or TLC. But since I enjoy these things as well as drama and character development (not to mention Jill Hennessy is my favorite actress), I love "Crossing Jordan." Also, the fact that the lead character is a little screwy is fine by me...I prefer it! Makes things interesting.

"Crossing Jordan" is the ONLY medical drama that doesn't bore me to death. I tried watching shows such as "CSI" and "CSI: Miami" but they don't seem to have entertaining qualities that a good television show should have. And "ER" has gone downhill in recent years.

What I love about "Crossing Jordan" is the interesting characters and the plausable scenarios. These characters form their own family of friends, which is hard to find in today's medical dramas.

Characters such as Nigel, Bug and Woody give the drama much needed comedy. Who says that drama has to be such a downer? Why not laugh a little? With Jordan being the strong female lead, gives the show much needed respect.

Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) is a top Boston medical examiner despite her checkered past and aggressive nature. Dr. Garret Macy (Miguel Ferrer) is the chief medical examiner who helps her start over. Bug, Lily Lebowski, and Dr. Nigel Townsend are some of her other fellow workers. She often works with police detective Woody Hoyt (Jerry O'Connell). The earlier seasons have her bouncing off ideas with her ex-cop father Max.

Tim Kring brings us Jill Hennessy and a good cast. It is a solid standard police procedural. The group has good chemistry. It lasted 6 seasons, but it did get convoluted in the last few years. As the show went on, the characters' back story started to conflict with the flow of the show. Eventually it cracked under the weight of the back story.

I saw this show just last night and I wasnt exspecting much but I have to tell you it was very good. I just watched Law and Order with her in it right before the show started and I thought it wont make it. I thought it would never be as good as Law and Order but I was wrong. This show is a little easier to understand. Its not all Drama, there is alot of humor in it. I think Jill Hennessy is a very pretty girl. She is coroner in it and she try's to investigate how the person died. She gets advice from her dad who used to have that job. I definitly recommend this show! I give it 10 stars out of 10. I will watch this show every week. Great show! Matt, CA

The greatest thing about "Crossing Jordan" is that it never, for even one moment, ceases to make us care about its characters. It seamlessly gives us a mix of tragedy and comedy, as well as humanity and warmth, which is no mean feat, considering the profession all of the main characters have.

With the abundance of shows cropping up in the last few years with a theme of "investigation", the profession of Medical Examiner has been thrust into the limelight of the public's eye that it never has been before. One needs to look no further than the ratings of all of the "CSI" shows to find proof; the minutiae and drudgery of police and forensic work, once thought to be bland, boring and completely without entertainment value, now has viewers glued to their sets.

But "Crossing Jordan" is much more than that. While I applaud shows like "CSI", and to a small extent, "Law & Order" for their ingenious writing and convincing story lines, none of those shows has ever really developed its characters to an extent where we care more about them than about the details of whatever case they happen to be working on at the time. "Crossing Jordan" has developed it's characters very, very well. Consider:

The main character, Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy): when the show first started, we knew her to be a mouthy, bitchy, seat-of-the-pants, lives-by-her-own-rules kind of girl, who would always be in trouble but somehow, always gets to the truth. And while the appeal of such a character is undeniable, such a routine would have gotten old really fast, as well as the "haunted-by-her-mother's-as-yet-unsolved-murder" story line. I understand that early on, we knew that this is what drove Jordan to be the person she was, but it felt like that particular story line was used as a crutch to hold the series up. I think her character is now sufficiently developed to get past it now. She's still mouthy, and still lives by her own rules, but not as often as before. She's truly grown up.

Dr. Garret Macy (Miguel Ferrer): Originally played up as the crotchety, curmudgeonly boss, who walked around with the "how-in-hell-did-I-end-up-in-this-line-of-work" look on his face. Despite his somewhat abrasive character, there's no doubt that he possesses a tremendous inner warmth to go with his incredible intelligence. It's those rare occasions when he shows his softer side that make for some of the series' best moments.

Lily Lebowski (Kathryn Hahn): In the beginning, she seemed like a fragile dandelion of a person, nursing a not-too-subtle crush on Dr. Macy. I was afraid that her character would never expand beyond two dimensions, but she has become the moral center of the show.

My two favorite sidekicks, Nigel and Bug (Steve Valentine and Ravi Kapoor): it was these two that kept me coming back, week after week, during this show's growing pains. The tall, lanky Brit and the diminutive entomologist from Bangladesh are without a doubt the best on-screen duo in prime-time. One smiling and ebullient, one moody and sullen, they play off of each other so well... I can't aptly describe it in words.

Det. Woody Hoyt (Jerry O'Connell): Though his character hasn't really developed much, beyond the on-again, off-again relationship he seems to have with Jordan, it's nice to see him get more and more screen time now.

Several other characters have come and gone: Jordan's father (Ken Howard) and M.E.'s Trey Sanders (M. Ali), Peter Winslow (Ivan Sergei), Elaine Duchamps (Lorraine Toussaint), and Dr. Devan Mcguire (Jennifer Finnigan), have all contributed during their brief stints on the show.

Every single character has experienced tragedy and loss, in various degrees, all while helping total strangers deal with their loss, and that has made them all bond together into a very tightly-knit group... almost a family, if you will. It is a family that I wish I could be a part of... and that is the TRUE yardstick of a great show.

Always fresh, never dull. I hope that "Crossing Jordan" will continue to draw the audience it deserves.