TNT - Have a Blast With These Fun Shows

TNT is on fire with two shows, one of which I have been with since its premiere, the other I have heard of but only recently watched and liked.

This show was a winner for me from the get-go.

Here's the lowdown:  Based on characters created by best-selling crime novelist Tess Gerritsen, Rizzoli & Isles stars Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry and strong working relationship that has helped them bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals.

The series co-stars Lorraine Bracco as Jane’s demanding and intrusive mother, Angela, Lee Thompson Young as Detective Barry Frost, Jane’s somewhat green partner, Bruce McGill as Detective Vince Korsak, Jane’s seasoned former partner who resents her being paired with Frost, and Jordan Bridges as Jane’s brother, Frankie Jr., a patrol cop who hopes one day to become a detective.

I love the unlikely, how-on-earth-are-these-two-women-friends? friendship because Harmon and Alexander really pull it off.  Their chemistry is undeniable and I really like the way the show usually bookends each episode with them, the opener just a small vignette in their lives/relationship, the closer wrapping up with a nod to what's happened in the hour and how they've been affected. 

The show does have moments of real drama, from Jane dealing with trauma caused by a criminal from her past (who recurred over several episodes) to Maura dealing with having a mob boss for a biological father to a real falling out between the two friends.  They eventually made up and are back in fine, fun, banter-filled form.

This show has been on for a while but I wasn't really drawn to it.  It did have actors I've seen on other shows I love (Angel, Supernatural) but wouldn't necessarily follow over to this show.  But the other day I had it on in the background and little by little I caught moments that had me laughing out loud.  Plus I love the heist genre, and so I gave another episode a viewing.  Now, me likey.

The lowdown:  The Leverage crew is led by former insurance investigator turned thief, Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton). His cohorts include Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a brilliant grifter; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane, Lindsey on Angel), a retrieval specialist; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge, Jake on Supernatural), a gadget and technology wizard; and Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings. The quintet uses their skills to fight corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens.

Again, great cast chemistry is key and each character fills an important role to the overall team, making it a solid unit.  It's a great balance of action and humor, a combination I love in other shows I watch, including Hawaii Five-0, Castle and Psych.

That's my opinion.  Now give these series a watch and see if you agree.  Way to go, TNT!

Both shows happen to air on Tuesday nights.  Catch new episodes of Rizzoli & Isles at 9 p.m., followed by new episodes of Leverage at 10 p.m.