NASH BRIDGES is a different type of cop show. It's characters are front and center and the cop stories are secondary. It was always the intention of star Don Johnson when the series was created. Inspector Nash Bridges (Don Johnson) may be a great cop, but his personal life is screwed up with a teenage daughter he hardly sees, two ex-wives and a Dad with memory problems. Even his fellow cops of the Special Investigations Unit (S.I.U.) have their ups and downs like Nash's parter, Joe (Cheech Marin), has problems with his married life and ends up back as a cop after being a private investigator. The first season is only eight episodes long (with episode 9 held over for season 2).

Yet it is very interesting as they search to find the direction for the show. It has humor, action, character drama, Ru Paul and Udo Kier as guest stars, and some of the best moments in the show's history (too bad they didn't keep the first actress who was Inger). The series showcases San Francisco and uses it to it's advantage. The writers used the Cuda (a car that Nash's presumed dead brother left Nash) scenes as the way to reveal things the characters wouldn't say anywhere else. NASH BRIDGES (CBS) was a lighter series than the darker HOMICIDE (NBC) which played against it in the same time slot. Don Johnson and the writers wanted to show a fun side to Don and not the darker tones that MIAMI VICE showed. The series did stumble along the way during it's six season run, but it had some gems and fine moments of character development for the cops and Nash's daughter Cassidy (Jodie Lynn O'Keefe).

SPECIAL FEATURES:
two audio commentaries-
GENESIS by series creator Carlton Cuse and actor Cheech Marin
HIGH IMPACT by Don Johnson
The second commentary has some dead space and Don Johnson gives some info on the episode and the season 3 (to season 6) barge HQ set.

Three featurettes-
NASH BRIDGES WRITERS ROUNDTABLE SEASON 1 (DISC 1)- the writers talk about the first season, Cuda stories, and reflect on the series in general. Joe was originally an Irish character before they decided to cast Cheech and make Joe a Hispanic character.
ON-SET INTERVIEWS WITH DON JOHNSON AND CHEECH MARIN (DISC 2)- 2 1/2 minutes of promo fluff
DON JOHNSON AND THE ORIGINAL GONZO IDEA (DISC 2)- Don Johnson talks about the original idea he thought up with dead Gonzo author Hunter S. Thompson about off duty cops who are private investigators (which ended up being part of the show from season 2 on) to setting up the series in San Francisco to a shout out that he met his current wife while filming the show in SF.

Wrapping up disc 2 extras is a Season One Promo.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Season 1 is interesting and I hope CBS DVD brings the other seasons to DVD with interviews from the other cast members.

this DVD review is (c)10-20-2008 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com  

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