Product Description

Join a quirky team of misfit coroners willing to put their forensic skills to the test as all 23 Season One episodes of Crossing Jordan, including the memorable pilot, arrive on a 5-disc DVD set for the first time ever! Smart, conflicted and unconventional, Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) is a forensic pathologist whose obsession for solving homicides goes beyond the autopsy table. But the driving force behind her hard-core, unorthodox investigative style is the one crime she hasn't been able to solve—her mother's murder. Relive some of your favorite Crossing Jordan moments from this first season, including her battles with her boss, Dr. Macy (memorably played by Miguel Ferrer), the first appearance of Detective Woody Hoyt, music by Wendy and Lisa, amazing special effects, and Jordan and her police detective father putting themselves in the roles of victim and killer. From the creator of Heroes comes the fast-paced and funny mystery series that critics rave "is marked by crisp, clever dialogue, and a brassy lead performance" (Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8450 in DVD
• Brand: HENNESSY,JILL
• Released on: 2008-05-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 1017 minutes

Amazon.com
Equal parts CSI, Profiler, and Law & Order, Crossing Jordan is a procedural drama with plenty of action and lots of heart. Jill Hennessy stars as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a brilliant medical examiner with issues. Still haunted by her mother's unresolved death and enabled (to a certain extent) by her police detective father's drive to solve crimes, Jordan spends as much time outside of the lab with the police officers as she does dissecting her dead clients. She is amazing in the lab, reconstructing crime scenes from the evidence left by the bodies. But she is less graceful with live people. Headstrong and unbending, she mouthes off one time too many and is fired. The pilot episode sets up Jordan's return to her hometown of Boston, where her former mentor Dr. Garret Macy (Miguel Ferrer) reluctantly gives her a job. He knows she doesn't play by the rules, but he's willing to accept that because she is one of the best. Hennessy--who made her name as a by-the-book assistant district attorney on Law & Order--is wonderful as Jordan. Intense, but also unexpectedly funny, Hennessy adds warmth and depth to a character who isn't always likable. She has wonderful chemistry with co-stars Ferrer and Ken Howard, who plays her father Max. When the two re-enact murders, it's easy to understand where Jordan gets her drive. But it's her scenes with Jerry O'Connell that add a welcome dose of comedy to the series. As Detective Woody Hoyt, O'Connell is charming and earnest--if a tad too overeager at first--and a perfect straight man for Jordan's wry one liners. All 23 episodes are included on this 5-disc box set, which includes commentary on four episodes and interviews with the primary actors, as well as series creator Tim Kring (Heroes). Some deleted scenes also are included, but their main purpose seem to be reinforcing that the editors made the correct decision with the episodes that aired during the 2001-2002 season. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews

The Dark and Light
It took some time for this show to find its footing and decide exactly what it wanted to be. Many expecting it to be very dark like "Profiler" or intricately technical like "C.S.I." gave up on it too soon. The pilot episode offered a lot of background and insight into Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessey). She was smart and pretty, and terribly messed up, haunted by demons from her childhood. She was also relentless in her pursuit of justice.

Once she left L.A. for Boston, joining the M.E.'s office, she gradually found a home. By the middle of season one, the show knew what it was and many were glad they'd hung around. It became this wonderfully cool show about a small group of people in the medical examiner's office, Jill Hennessy at its center, who had formed a kind of familial bond as they dealt with crimes and their personal problems. In Jordan's case, who was searching for her mother's killer, the two often intertwined.

There was a lot of quirky humor and fun mixed in with the darker elements, making for a great show. There was also a fine ensemble cast. Miguel Ferrer as Jordan's boss, Katherine Hahn as the always "glass half full" Lily, and Jerry O'Connell as Woody, the cop often at odds with Jordan, but sort of loving every minute of it, all brought something to the show's dynamic. Ken Howard was also good as Jordan's estranged father. But it was really Steve Valentine's Nigel and Ravi Kapoor's "Bug" and their interactions with Jordan which made the show special.

They bickered, got in trouble, covered for each other, and generally had a life and a family thanks to each other. Crossing Jordan really hit its stride with the two-part "Digger" story arc. It cemented the show to its core audience, who stayed from then on. Followed by the very good "Blue Christmas" episode, it had finally discovered the perfect mix of crime and quirky humor and personal woes. It was both the dark and the light.

One of the great things about the show was the music. An eclectic mix of songs was often used for atmosphere, which could run from noir to hilarity in less time than it took to make a fun reference to Elvis. From the middle of season one to the end of season two, this was great television. You could never put it in in a nice little box, pegging it as this kind of show or that. It was simply Crossing Jordan.

Here are the episodes for season one: Pilot, The Dawn of a New Day, The Ties That Bind, Born to Run, You Can't Go Home Again, Believers, Digger, Part I, Digger, Part II, Blue Christmas, Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Blood Relatives, Miracles & Wonders, Four Fathers, Acts of Mercy, Lost and Found, Crime & Punishment, With Honor, For Harry, with Love and Squalor, The Gift of Life, Someone to Count On, Secrets & Lies, Secrets & Lies, Part II

With everything on television seeming the same, Crossing Jordan was different. Many episodes and story lines were interconnected. You never got the full story from just occasionally tuning in for a peak. It required some attention and time. It was what made the show work, and its downfall in later seasons when it tried to fit in more. Seasons one and two were terrific, however, and something a bit different for TV fans to own.

A Show That Still Had Staying Power
Crossing Jordan is one of the few series that was ended while it still had stories to tell. The early seasons developed complex characters with complex relationships and the stories kept you engrossed. Sadly, the show seemed to have fallen off its Network's radar in the last two seasons and ended with a disappointing episode. The cast was amazing and their characters deserved a better closing.

One of the Greatest shows
Crossing Jordan is one of the greatest shows ever made. As a video editor, I don't say this lightly. All of the characters are 3 dimensional and fully developed, the plots are always interesting and the show is shot beautifully. Add to that the wit and charisma of Every Single Person in the cast and you have yourself 'one of the greatest shows ever made'. I'm quite sad at the abysmal treatment Crossing Jordan received towards the end by NBC, and feel the show should be brought back as there are so many fans who want to be watching it.