Da Vinci's Inquest: The Complete First Season

The crackling Canadian police procedural Da Vinci's Inquest combines the best elements of popular U.S. police procedurals like CSI, Crossing Jordan, and Law & Order--with a little throwback to Quincy for good measure. What makes Da Vinci's Inquest so compelling is the performance of lead actor Nicholas Campbell, a cop turned coroner who tells anyone who'll listen, and lots of people who won't, that his job is to represent and look after the dead. Season 1, which debuted in 1998, follows Campbell's Dominic Da Vinci through the gritty side of Vancouver, navigating serial murders as well as extreme dysfunction in his own life. The focus on Da Vinci's personal life--his tumbles off the wagon, the torture of his ex-wife's involvement with a colleague--gives the series more heart than most blood-and-guts crime series. The show and Campbell have won several Gemini Awards (the Canadian Emmys) for the nuance and intellect that keep viewers engaged, even as they sense ominous turns of events about to unfold. Mystery fans can't ask for more. --A.T. Hurley