Body of Proof in good hands

The new ABC medical/detective drama Body of Proof is a well put together family version of all the CSI forensic investigative shows on television, melding together the work life of Megan Hunt Medical Examiner (Dana Delany) with her complicated family life.

The personality of the Hunt character itself though is very much Gregory House like in that she far more knowledgeable than her colleagues and arrogant, often very abrasive with those around her, particularly the detectives she works with. She is partnered with a former cop turned medical investigator in a relationship that is reminiscent of Brennan and Booth on Bones. The Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop) will undoubtedly be caught in an insinuated love triangle with Hunt and her supervisor Kate Murphey (Jeri Ryan) as the show develops.

Delany, at the age of 55 is still very attractive and arguably better looking than her 43-year old co-star Ryan, expertly balances the scientific and medical aspects of the show, which do not overwhelm like its CSI counterparts, with the challenge of trying to re-establish her relationship with her 12-year old daughter, who blames her for the divorce and resents how absent she was as a mother. Her partner, whom they have not revealed any background to yet, provides sage advice along the way while also serving to those above them as the person reigning her in out in the field while they investigate.

As she said in the show, she lost her marriage and custody of her daughter to her work, and then she lost her job. Hunt is a former neurosurgeon that according to Hunt spent 18 hours a day working – which seems the opposite of nearly every stereotype of specialists like that – until a car accident caused damage that affects the use of her hands.

The medical problem with her hands led to the end of her career following the accidental death of a patient. The autopsy of the patient proved to be an awakening to her that she had been a very impersonal doctor previously, leading her to her current profession as medical examiner where Hunt as she says, “can’t kill somebody if they are already dead” and, in essence, speaks for the dead, finding out who they were.

This new work philosophy first appeared early in the pilot during a pissing contest with a snotty detective, played well by John Carroll Lynch, when she gave an over the top cheesy speech designed to provide the premise of the show’s concept and name – the only part of the first two episodes that was a little off key.

It is a good show, but is definitely more appealing for a female demographic and I will likely not watch it much here on out, especially given that it airs on Tuesdays.

Two episodes have aired in the first week. You can view them free here: Hulu [+]

One final note on these detective shows: Judging by the number of murders on television involving affairs, you would think that the number of homicides related to affairs in the United States was greater than those killed in car wrecks or cancer – just sayin!