'The Closer' opened doors for women – and for basic cable

Ratings for the show have hit record highs – some 8 million – a whopping number for a basic-cable program. Series star Ms. Sedgwick just received her fifth Emmy nomination this past week. The drama’s success has helped usher in a wave of opportunities for mature actresses over the past half decade, including Holly Hunter in “Saving Grace,” Mary McCormack in “In Plain Sight,” Jada Pinkett Smith in “Hawthorne,” and Glenn Close in “ Damages.”

Being in the basic cable universe has allowed the genre to develop “away from the rating pressures that drive the broadcast networks,“ says Robert Thompson, founder of the The Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. At the same time, he notes, this splintering of the viewing universe into so many platforms on basic, premium, and broadcasting channels, “means that no single show will ever have the kind of widespread cultural impact that such era-defining shows as Mary Tyler Moore and even Murphy Brown were capable of having,” he adds.

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.

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