Hey, Matt! I love your column ...

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Question: Hey, Matt! I love your column and read it all the time. I fell in love with
The Closer while watching its first season repeats on TNT. Do you think that a show like this will ever get a chance to run during the traditional season, or will it always be stuck in the summer season? Also, what's your opinion about the cast and its chances for a third season? Thanks!
Answer: Later this week I'll be sitting down to watch the first two episodes of
The Closer's second season, and I'll be sharing my thoughts before the show's premiere on June 12. I thought the first season was solid, and that if it weren't for
Edie Falco,
Kyra Sedgwick would have a decent chance at an Emmy (she'll certainly get a nomination). For a show built around such a strong character, the bench strength of the supporting cast is exceptional (
J.K. Simmons,
Jon Tenney,
Tony Denison,
G.W. Bailey, to name just a few). It's one of the better crime dramas on TV, and given the glut in that genre, that's saying something. Even so, I think TNT is wise to keep first-run episodes out of the "traditional season" mix. June is a perfect month for TNT to rebrand itself as a drama destination with
The Closer and its new companion piece,
Saved. While
Saved may suffer by comparison with FX's
Rescue Me, I'm confident that
Closer will do just fine this summer and will be around for however many seasons Sedgwick is willing to make the commute.