TNT has picked up a sixth season of the crime-drama Major Crimes, from Warner Bros. Television, which has consistently ranked as one of cable’s most-watched drama series since its chart-topping debut in 2012. The show’s ensemble cast – including two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, Kearran Giovanni, Jonathan Del Arco and Graham Patrick Martin – will return for the 13-episode Major Crimes Season Six. Major Crimes will close out its fifth season with an eight-episode run that begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).
Major Crimes reached an average of 10 million viewers per episode across TNT’s multiple platforms and finished the third quarter ranking as one of cable’s Top 10 dramas with adults 18-49. Initially launched as a follow-up to TNT’s long-running hit The Closer, Major Crimes quickly established itself as a must-see drama in its own right. In its first season, it ranked as cable’s #1 new drama of 2012, and it has remained among the most-watched dramas on cable ever since.
Major Crimes centers on a special squad within the LAPD that deals with high-profile or particularly sensitive crimes. Led by Captain Sharon Raydor (McDonnell), the squad includes Lieutenant Provenza (Bailey), Lieutenant Andy Flynn (Denison), Lieutenant Michael Tao (Chan), Detective Julio Sanchez (Cruz), tech expert and reserve officer Buzz Watson (Keene) and Detective Amy Sykes (Giovanni). Collaborating on many of their cases is medical examiner Dr. Morales (Del Arco). The squad’s work has also become a source of inspiration for Rusty (Martin), Sharon Raydor’s adopted son, who hopes one day to have a career as a lawyer.
In addition to the main cast, Major Crimes features recurring appearances of Emmy winner Camryn Manheim as Deputy Chief Winnie Davis, Jon Tenney as Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Bureau Fritz Howard, Kathe Mazur as DDA Andrea Hobbs, Jeri Ryan as Linda Rothman, Ransford Doherty as Coroner’s Investigator Kendall, Rene Rosado as Gustavo Wallace, Leonard Roberts as Commander Leo Mason, Dawnn Lewis as Patrice Perry, Daniel DiTomasso as Detective Wes Nolan and Jason Gedrick as former Detective Mark Hickman.
In the upcoming run of episodes, the squad will move inexorably to fill the vacant Assistant Chief post that Fritz Howard has been temporarily filling, a position that Sharon is considered for as well – whether she likes it or not – creating tension within the department. In addition, Sanchez will try once again to become a father; Flynn and Sharon will continue down the path to matrimony; Provenza will consider retirement; Rusty will intern for DDA Hobbs as he looks toward attending law school when he graduates from UCLA; Buzz will attempt to help the family of the man who murdered his father; Sykes will confront an old foe in Mark Hickman; Tao will be instrumental in solving a case dealing with plastic explosives; and Dr. Morales joins the squad for the entire investigation of a very personal mystery.
This spring, Major Crimes will mark a significant milestone for members of the cast and production team who have been working together since the very first episode of The Closer. With the Major Crimes season finale in April, they will celebrate their 200th episode together.
Major Crimes was created by James Duff, who also serves as executive producer with Greer Shephard & Michael M. Robin, Rick Wallace, Adam Belanoff, Mike Berchem and Duppy Demetrius. The series is produced by The Shephard/Robin Company and Walking Entropy, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.
