CANTERBURY'S LAW is the show that SHARK, DAMAGES and many other courtroom dramas want to be when they grow up. Think of this as what HOUSE would be like if he were a lawyer.
Witty and sophisticated with a top-notch cast lead by an energetic Julianna Margulies. Here's an actress I'm not particularly familiar with (I never watched ER) -- I don't think she's pretty -- yet she grabbed me by the unmentionables and gripped tight til the end.
Oh, there were slow and way-too-familiar spots -- especially the revelation at the end. But everything revolving around the trial seemed about to explode. And, does it ever!! The line "the Defense rests" never seemed so right or funny.
This is another example of a show whose promos, ironically, didn't interest me. I just hope the quality continues past the premiere.
I missed the second episode but I caught the third, in its new timeslot on Friday where it was placed after disappointing reviews (obviously the network discounted my enthrusiastic review) and poor ratings for the second episode.
The third episode had two cases. One being led by a rookie in Canterbury's office who can't seem to ask questions in the correct format. I don't know if this was being played for laughs cuz I didn't.
What seems ever more clear is that CANTERBURY'S LAW is an examination of the ethics of contemporary law since Canterbury seems to get people off who are explicitly or possibly (but never revealed) guilty. And, whereas, unethical practices are ignored in most law shows (and in the medical show HOUSE) if its done "for the greater good", Canterbury is being investigated for certain decisions made during episode 1. This is a good thing.
I'm massively unhappy that her personal trainwreck of a life has come to the foreground. It's like the little sister in BIONIC WOMAN -- an uneeded extra conflict in an effort to heighten the drama. However, it is made tolerable here by the extraordinarily good acting by Margulies and Aidan Quinn as her husband -- and by the degree of honesty in its depiction.
I still plan to tune in as long as they make the court cases interesting giving Canterbury a chance to 'Dr House' the system.