Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling

 ((Wed. (25), 9-11 p.m., CBS))

By TONY SCOTT

Filmed in Toronto by the Rosenzweig Co. Producer, Barney Rosenzweig; director, John Patterson; writer, Michele Gallery, based on characters created by Barbara Avedon, Barbara Corday; camera, John Connor; editor, David Handman; sound, Doug Ganton; music, Ron Ramin; production designer, Peter Grundy. Cast: Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Molly Orr, George Coe, Lynne Thigpen, Chip Zien, Sandra Oh, Mark Melymick, Richard Bradford, John Karlen, Dwight Bacquis, Glenn Bang, Nigel Bennett, Tyrone Benskin, Kirsten Bishop, Wally Bolinad, Matt Cook. Nell Crone, David Eisner, Richard Fitzpatrick, Angela Fusco, Dawn Greenhalgh, Jack Jessop, Patti Karr, Leigh Lewis, Doug O'Keefe, Brenda Robins, Mishu Velani, Gary Wong, Caroline Yaeger, Doug Ganton. Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly) and Christine Cagney (Sharon Gless) chase in for a third vidpic, a psychological study of two longtime friends finding out surprising things about one another. Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless play out Michele Gallery's script with such finesse they make it look easy; they're more interesting than the plotline. Program starts off with the gruesome tracking of a corpse during an autopsy and works its way into the women's lives. Chris is divorcing her husband, and Mary Beth learns that her estranged father, Martin (Richard Bradford), who neglected her all her life, is sick and has no one to care for him.
 

She tells Chris nothing about Martin for several reasons, but the pertinent one is that Chris's personality is changing.

Like Mary Beth, Chris still works for the D.A., but has taken an interest in the upcoming mayor's race involving her boss. Politics is hardening Chris, and she doesn't recognize it. Mary Beth works out her own problems. Daly again demos her mastery of nuances, and Gless plays her role with a becoming edge.

The secondaries are all good. Mark Melymick plays a man eyeing Chris, and Sandra Oh is a cop who cares for a police officer with no future. Big winner is Lynne Thigpen playing captain of a besieged precinct; the ensuing betrayals are surprising.

Mary Beth's loyalty and Chris' integrity are all but undone by Chris' ambitions. But the telefilm plays well, and their camaraderie remains a pleasure.

The telefilm, ably helmed by John Patterson, looks good, thanks to John Connor's polished lensing, and the other tech credits in Barney Rosenzweig's production are again A-plus. Ron Ramin's pro score is strong.