I am no fan of network programming. I rarely watch anything but sports, and the various news/ ‘non-fiction’ channels. (Don’t call me if Deadliest Catch is on- I won’t answer!)
Alas, I have sinned!
One night Sam rolled over on the remote, and changed the channel. It flipped the channel to NBC, where a show was winding down – some hefty chick making closing remarks on why a young man shouldn’t be convicted for dealing. Watching the last part of that show intrigued me. Whipping out my ever-present pad of little post-its, I wrote the time and channel down, and pasted it to the bottom of my TV.
Harriett Korn (played by Cathy Bates) is a fallen six-figure salaried former patent attorney, who became bored with patents- and was fired from her firm. Reality hits even harder when she finds herself leasing a former shoe store in a rundown neighborhood in Cincinnati- complete with abandoned inventory from the shoe store. “Harry'” opens her law office/shoe emporium.
Her staff: Jenna Backstrom (Brittany Snow) was her assistant at her former firm, and has taken on running the ‘Shoe Emporium’ as well. Jenna is the requisite blond, who loves ‘pretty things’ and displays her irritation with Harry, by slowly dropping law books off the shelf one at a time. She is the stereotypical blond but she is funny and expresses her opinion freely-(after an appropriate amount of time spent in a snit.)
Adam Branch ( NateCorddry) is a young attorney who ran into Harry one day- Literally He decided to join Harry’s staff, without Harry’s blessing. He refuses to leave, wanting to practice with Harry- driven probably by the lure of danger of practicing in the ‘hood’, and an elevated sense of idealism.
Malcolm Daviess (Aml Ameen) is a young man who is serving as Harry’s paralegal, after he fell on Harry- trying to commit suicide.
I am prepared to admit this is a formula show. I am prepared to accept that it is predictable. I am also prepared to admit that Christopher McDonald as Thomas ‘ Tommy’ Jefferson is a gold plated, arrogant pain in the ass. I willingly accept that it is rote, it’s been done before- (think Magnum as portly 60- something female attorney;) and the plot reaches for credibility sometimes.
I am a sucker for weird humor- tough old broads, semi-sappy plots, and a well written script. When Harry saw a rat just after moving into their ‘new’ office, she calmly shot it- without dropping a word in her sentence. It was almost slapstick in the presentation- and I loved it!
Harry’s Law is difficult to find because NBC keeps moving it around- this week it’s scheduled to be on Mondays at 10p. Fortunately, you can watch episodes online at NBC.com. It’s been a long time since NBC has had anything in their line up that was worth watching, but this is a pretty good place to start.
David Kelley is the producer, and he’s a bit of a squirrel. However I find myself falling into his trap every now and then. He has produced LA Law, Doogie Houser,MD, Chicago Hope, and Boston Legal, among others.
As I said before, I don’t watch MSTV but I find myself turning Harry’s Law on with regularity. The only defense I can offer is that several friends have confessed they are watching too!
So, load up and take aim- I’m ready for it!
Related articles
- ‘Harry’s Law’ Review: An Imperfect Practice (buddytv.com)
- “Harry’s Law” is a crime against good television (reuters.com)
- TV: No defense for clichéd ‘Harry’s Law’ (boston.com)
I’ve watched this show since it’s first episode, and I think it’s the best new show on television. I don’t care if the “formula” has been done before. The first thing that struck me was how it doesn’t glorify the legal system like so many others do. As much as I enjoyed watching it, twenty years of “Law & Order” has done a lot of damage to how the average person perceives our court system. The idea that the letter of the law is somehow more important than the intent of the law, and the humans that are caught up in it are somehow less important than the system itself, is a dangerous idea. The concept that the judge is all powerful — instead of just being a senior lawyer that has been charged with administering proceedings — and the lowly, stupid jury is a necessary evil forced upon the system, is a dangerous idea. So far, Harry’s Law has done a good job of addressing those ideas without openly demonizing the system itself. I hope it has a long run, ’cause I’ll be watching.
Thanks! Paradise 🙂
jkk, I may have to check this out. I haven’t really watched a network TV show since Lost’s 3rd season disappointed me.
I loved Boston Legal and I’m a big Christopher McDonald fan. He’ll always be Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore in my mind.
He’s a society attorney, Adonai, he might not measure up to your standards!One thing I have to admit, when he’s in character, I have the sneaking suspicion we are seeing the real Christopher McDonald.
Harry is a slum Boston Legal, I guess 🙂
Oh, hey comments are enabled again!
Yay!
Anyway, this sounds like an interesting show. Too bad I watch less than a miniscule amount of TV (if I need my intelligence insulted, I can go to my roommate).
There is nothing wrong with a “formula” show, as long as it is done right. Many people can not remember any of the “formula” angels-on-earth-helping-angels televisions shows except the two that actually tackled tough subjects and did it well: “Highway to Heaven” and “Touched By An Angel”. (one of the first episodes of TBAA that I saw regarded a gay man dying of AIDS, and the angels telling the father that neither homosexuality or AIDS were reasons for God not to love the son)
Harry’s gruff, no nonsense demeanor is always at war with her psyche.
As I said- it’s all formula and been done before, but it is funny, and confronts issues in certain subcultures that many might not realize exist.
Try it- at least once.
And if you don’t, I plan to fwd your remarks to your roommate! 🙂
You are assuming that my roommate has enough wherewithal to understand your email or my comments.
This is the guy who thinks Obama can veto a law passed in 1958.
LOL!
You are mean, 2ccp!
(which law?)
Some law that prevents hemp from being grown in the US, supposedly. My only recourse to sanity most days is to equate the noise from his mouth with the sound of the furnace kicking on.
2ccp, sounds like the household could use some white noise!!
And it’s not mean if it is the unadulterated truth.