The Closer

CHICAGO – The producers of “The Closer” attempt a daring move tonight by pushing forward with a barely-altered version of their award-winning program mere moments after the series finale of the Kyra Sedgwick hit. I think that for some it will be too soon. Even people who claim to be massive fans of “Major Crimes” will mutter “but I miss Brenda” under their breath.

CHICAGO – Evil doesn’t take a break for Brenda Leigh Johnson to leave the Major Crimes Unit and Kyra Sedgwick to say goodbye to the show that turned her into one of the bigger TV stars of the last decade. TNT’s “The Closer” ends tonight, August 13, 2012 with a very strong series finale.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico appeared on “Down and Dirty Radio with Frank Fontana” on July 11, 2012 to talk everything from “The Dark Knight Rises” to “Mansquito” and we have the video of his appearance!

CHICAGO – Kyra Sedgwick is in the final act of her time as one of the most popular and acclaimed stars on cable TV, and, based on the premiere, “The Closer” is going to make sure this popular character is given a riveting send-off.

CHICAGO – If you’re not familiar with the name J.K. Simmons, you almost certainly know his face or maybe even just his voice. From “Oz” to “Juno” to “The Closer” to “Portal 2” and even the M&Ms commercials, the very-talented actor has been everywhere in the last few decades. The great character actor recently took time out of his busy schedule to give a call to HollywoodChicago.com on the eve of the release of his excellent drama “The Music Never Stopped” on DVD.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico guests on Bill Moller’s show on WGN-AM 720 Radio in Chicago on July 30th, 2011 to talk about upcoming programs including “Outnumbered,” “Bar Rescue,” and “Take the Money and Run,” along with recent news developments at TNT and AMC.

CHICAGO – Before getting too deep into what the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences did wrong this year, they deserve a few moments of high praise. First-time Best Series nominations for “Boardwalk Empire,” “Game of Thrones,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “Parks and Recreation” — those were stellar choices to fill those slots.

CHICAGO – The battle for summer cable dominance continues with another night of new programming on TNT as the very-popular “The Closer” and “Rizzoli & Isles” return for new seasons on Monday nights. With strong female leads and cleverly-devised mysteries, these are strong programs for what they are and they make a solid pair at the start of a long work week. They’re not going to change your life or be your favorite shows of the season, but they deliver what they promise.

CHICAGO – It’s nearly impossible to write about the details of the season premiere of “The Closer” as TNT has asked us not to discuss the shocking events that open the episode so we will have to talk around the specifics more than usual. You may wonder why or how we can review an episode with no details? We’ll give it a shot because this is excellent television and we wouldn’t want to leave it un-reviewed.

CHICAGO – While we all eagerly await the return of our favorite shows and wonder if the networks can top last season’s remarkable freshman class, there are a number of programs currently airing that are definitely worth considering when the heat index breaks 100 or you don’t want to risk another summer thunderstorm.