The Closer Information

The Closer is an American television police procedural, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and CIA-trained, Brenda has a reputation as a Closer—the nickname given to interrogators who not only solve a case, but obtain confessions that lead to convictions. Deputy Chief Johnson sometimes uses deceit and intimidation to persuade a suspect to confess. The series ran on TNT from June 13, 2005 to August 13, 2012.

Brenda Leigh arrived at the LAPD to lead the Priority Murder Squad (PMS), quickly renamed Priority Homicide Division (PHD), a team that originally (Seasons 1"4) dealt solely with high-profile murder cases.

During Season 4, after an embarrassing tangle with the press over just what was the criteria making a homicide a priority, Brenda manipulated circumstances so the division was reorganized into a much larger Major Crimes Division with a wider scope, though the majority of plots still involved and focused on homicides like most any detective series. Most importantly to the show's plot lines, Commander Taylor's role was also changed from "rival and in-house adversary" to that of "unambiguously loyal subordinate", so that he was thereafter reporting directly to Deputy Chief Johnson and noticeably helpful as he coordinates interaction between the MCD and other units.

Season five introduced Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor, who went on to star in The Closers spin-off, Major Crimes.

In season seven Brenda finds herself in civil legal difficulties, and the characters conclude that there must be a disloyal subordinate generating information leaks from within MCD. Taylor and Raydor take an active role in attempting to combat the leaker and the legal matters do not reach a final resolution until the series' end, in the episode "The Last Word".

On December 10, 2010, TNT announced that the upcoming seventh season of The Closer, which began production in the spring of 2011, will be the show's last. The channel said that the decision to retire the show was made by Kyra Sedgwick.

On January 30, 2011, the media announced that the final season would add six episodes to the usual fifteen episode order, the final six being the build toward a possible spin-off series. On May 18, 2011, TNT announced that the spin-off, entitled Major Crimes and starring Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor, had been picked up for a 10-episode season.

The Closer was created by James Duff and the Shephard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television. On Monday, July 11, 2011, the series began its seventh season, scheduled to be its last, despite finishing its sixth season as cable's highest rated drama. The Closer 's final six episodes began airing on Monday, July 9, 2012, with its finale airing on Monday, August 13, 2012. Following the finale, The Closers spin-off Major Crimes premiered.

Characters

See List of The Closer characters for more information

The cast consists largely of an ensemble of detectives who make up the LAPD's fictional Major Crimes Division. It is led by Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Some observers have noted strong similarities between Johnson and Jane Tennison, the lead character in the British crime drama, Prime Suspect, played by Helen Mirren, with an article in USA Today calling The Closer "an unofficial Americanization" of the British series. In interviews, Sedgwick has acknowledged that the show owes "a debt" to the British crime drama, and that her admiration for that show, and for Mirren, were factors that first interested her in the role.

Other main characters include Johnson's superior officer, Assistant Chief Will Pope (J.K. Simmons), Robbery-Homicide Commander Russell Taylor (Robert Gossett) and her FBI agent husband Fritz Howard (Jon Tenney). The remainder of the cast makes up Brenda's squad, each with expertise in a specific area such as crime scene investigation or gang activity. The first departure from the cast occurred in Season Five when actress Gina Ravera (Irene Daniels) left and her character was transferred to another division in the LAPD.

Actor	Character	Rank	Unit	Seasons
Kyra Sedgwick	Brenda Leigh Johnson	Deputy Chief	Major Crimes Division	1"7
J. K. Simmons	Will Pope	Assistant Chief for Operations; Interim Chief of Police (Season 7)	Los Angeles Police Department	1"7
Corey Reynolds	David Gabriel	Detective Sergeant	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Robert Gossett	Russell Taylor	Commander	Robbery-Homicide Division	1"7
G. W. Bailey	Louie Provenza	Detective Lieutenant	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Tony Denison	Andy Flynn	Detective Lieutenant	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Michael Paul Chan	Michael Tao	Detective Lieutenant	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Raymond Cruz	Julio Sanchez	Detective	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Phillip P. Keene	Buzz Watson	Civilian Surveillance Coordinator	Major Crimes Division	1"7
Jon Tenney	Fritz Howard	Special Agent	Federal Bureau of Investigation	1"7
Gina Ravera	Irene Daniels	Detective	Priority Homicide Division	1"4
Mary McDonnell	Sharon Raydor	Captain	Force Investigation Division	5"7

Mary McDonnell, a recurring cast member in seasons five and six, joined the cast full-time for season seven, continuing her role as Captain Sharon Raydor.

Episodes

See List of The Closer episodes for more information Each episode of The Closer deals with an aspect of the Los Angeles culture as it interfaces with law enforcement in the mega-city. The show deals with complex and subtle issues of public policy ethics, personal integrity, and profound questions of good and evil. The rather large character ensemble explores the human condition, touching on individual faiths, traditional religious influences in the lives and communities of contemporary society, and the breakdown and dysfunction of family systems, work teaming, and government responsibility.

Cultural impact

Both gender researchers and members of the media have claimed that the series has "expanded the vocabulary of what is acceptable for women as seen through the lens of popular culture."

"We've certainly seen women in powerful positions before," says author and gender researcher Maddy Dychtwald, pointing out Angie Dickinson in 1974's Police Woman, and Cagney & Lacey from 1981. But those women were largely token in a sea of dominant males, and most important, strove to be like the men that surrounded them." In contrast, Dychtwald says the former CIA interrogator played by Kyra Sedgwick, "retains (and revels in) her femininity, keeps her composure, can handle the two 'sexist pigs' who bait her due to their jealousy and insecurities, and not lose her head."

Media experts have also noted that the series has helped to redefine the place of basic cable channels alongside network programming:

Beyond gently tweaking the popular image of women in power, "The Closer" has helped redefine the power balance between basic cable and broadcast networks, says Fordham University media expert Paul Levinson. Just glance at the equal number of recent Emmy nominations for basic and premium cable shows is confirmation, he adds. Beyond that, says More Magazine Entertainment Director Kathy Heintzelman, the off-season placement"?the show launched in the summer and continues to air its seasons in counter-balance to the traditional network schedule"?has helped redefine viewing habits. "It's helped people get used to the idea that summer is a time to watch original series on televisions," she adds.

U.S. television ratings

Viewer numbers (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Closer on TNT. The debut of The Closer was seen by more than 7 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research and was the top-rated premiere episode ever of any original scripted series on basic cable. The second (8.28) and third season (8.81) premieres broke the previous record.

Season	Season Premiere			Season Finale
	Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers Households (in millions)	Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers Households (in millions)
1	June 13, 2005	7.03	5.26	September 5, 2005	6.39	4.61
2	June 12, 2006	8.28	6.04	September 4, 2006	7.60	5.45
3	June 18, 2007	8.81	6.38	September 10, 2007	9.21	6.84
4	July 14, 2008	7.81	5.91	September 15, 2008	7.63	5.00
5	June 8, 2009	7.14	5.35	August 24, 2009	7.40	5.50
6	July 12, 2010	7.66	5.72	September 13, 2010	7.20	5.43
7	July 11, 2011	7.23	TBA	August 13, 2012	9.08	TBA

At the end of Season Three, The Closer became ad-supported cable's most-viewed scripted series of all time, ending the season with a live + same day audience of 9.21 million viewers in 6.84 million households. The third season finale holds the record for the largest live + 7 day audience for a single episode of an ad-supported cable series with 9.55 million viewers in 6.88 million households. Live + 7 day (DVR) data for the season reflects 30"40% audience growth in three key age-based demographic groups. Season Four's premiere slipped slightly from the Season Three opening, with live + same day ratings showing a 3% decline in audience from the previous year's opener. For its Season Six premiere, on July 12, 2010, the show reached an estimated 7.66 million viewers.

DVD releases

Warner Home Video has released the first six seasons of The Closer on DVD in Region 1.

Awards and nominations

Up until the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2011, Kyra Sedgwick had made history as being the only female actor in the history of television to be nominated for an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award every year that the show aired in the eligibility period. However, that came to an end in 2011.

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2006 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2006 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2007 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2008 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2008 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2009 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2009 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2009 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)
• 2011 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2011 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Regular Cast)

Saturn Awards

• 2006 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2007 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2007 Nomination for Best Actress on Television (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2008 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2008 Nomination for Best Actress on Television (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2009 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2009 Nomination for Best Actress on Television (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2010 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2010 Nomination for Best Actress on Television (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2011 Nomination for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
• 2011 Nomination for Best Actress on Television (Kyra Sedgwick)

Primetime Emmy Awards

• 2006 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2007 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2008 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2009 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2010 Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Beau Bridges)
• 2011 Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Mary McDonnell)

Golden Globe Awards

• 2006 Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2007 Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2008 Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2009 Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2010 Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2011 Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)

Satellite Awards

• 2005 Award for Best Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2006 Award for Best Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2007 Nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)
• 2008 Nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series: Drama (Kyra Sedgwick)

PRISM Awards

• 2008 Nomination for Best Drama Episode ("Till Death Do Us" Parts 1 and 2)
• 2011 Nomination for Best Drama Series Episode ("Old Money")
• 2011 Nomination for Best Performance in a Drama Episode (Anthony John Dennison)

Imagen Foundation Awards

• 2006 Award for Best Supporting Actor (Raymond Cruz)
• 2006 Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Gina Ravera)

Writers Guild of America Awards

• 2008 Nomination for Best Episodic Drama (Michael Alaimo, for the episode "The Round File")

Gracie Allen Awards

• 2006 Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Drama Series (Kyra Sedgwick)

People's Choice Awards

• 2009 Award for Favorite TV Drama Diva (Kyra Sedgwick)

NAACP Image Awards

• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Corey Reynolds)

GoldDerby SNUBBEE Awards

• 2011 Nomination for Outstanding Snubbed Lead Actress (Comedy or Drama) (Kyra Sedgwick)

International distribution

• GEM (Australian TV channel)

  Space

  ORF, ATV

  2BE, VIJF, 13th Street

  SBT, Space

  Nova Television (Seasons 1-3)(New Seasons 6), Diema 2 (Season 4-present), Fox Crime (Repeats)

• English: Super Channel
• French: [[Séries+]]

  HRT 2

  Kanal 2

  MTV3

  TVNorge

  France2

  Georgian Public Broadcaster (Currently Running)

  VOX

  Star Channel

  RTL Klub, VIASAT3

  Channel 6 now 3e/TV3 (Currently showing season 3)

  Yes Action

  Mediaset Premium (pay); Italia 1, Rete 4 (free)

  LaLa TV

  NET 5, 13th Street

  TV One

  Jack City (coming soon)

  TVP2

  Fox Crime (Currently showing season 6)

  DTV

  WarnerTV

  TV Avala

  Kanal A (Seasons 1"4), POP Brio (Season 5"present)

  Story on (Currently showing season 6), OCN Series (Currently showing season 4)

  Calle 13, Cuatro, FDF

  TV3

  CNBC-e

  More4

  DSTV (Channel 113)