Dana Delany's Body of Proof: Two Pollexes Up

Back in the late 1980s when she was in her early 30s and co-starring in China Beach, who would have thought Dana Delany would still be going strong at 55? Well, she is. And, at 55, she's still looking pretty good. I'm sure some Botox is involved, but, at least, she doesn't have any of that catwoman stuff going on.

When I first heard about Body of Proof, this new series on ABC, I immediately thought to myself "channeling Kay Scarpetta," the world's foremost fictional female medical examiner. And, even though I'm a big Patricia Cornwell fan, I wasn't enthusiastic about the prospect. The last book in the series I read, The Scarpetta Factor, was so steeped in melancholy and depression that I have yet to recover. Thankfully, three episodes in, I'm happy to report Body of Proof isn't anything like that. Sure, the characters have some emotional issues, but their brooding is interrupted often enough with light-hearted quips that we are pleasantly distracted from the murder and death that TV M.E.s characteristically deal with.

Also in the cast are Jeri Ryan, a soap opera veteran, and John Carroll Lynch who has successfully played many roles but who for me will always be duck-painting Norm Gunderson, Margie Gunderson's husband in the classic film Fargo.

Anyway, I've seen three episodes so far and enjoyed each one of them. I only hope this series doesn't get whacked by those network geniuses who knock promising new shows off the air.