Good acting was the leaven that made the “Father Dowling Mysteries” rise above banality. The show's 1987 first season, out Feb. 7 on DVD, features the endearingly personable performances of veteran Tom Bosley (Mr. Cunningham from “Happy Days”) as the amiable Father Dowling and Tracy Nelson as his scrappy young sidekick, Sister Stephanie. The American network remake of a British series based on the novels of Ralph McInery was unique for its setting: the often icy, snow-covered streets of Chicago with many landmarks familiar to Midwesterners. The DVD also includes the series' TV-movie pilot, Fatal Confession.
