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Primetime Show Reviews

"Raising the Bar" Review by Eva 9/14/08

Raising the Bar TNT Mondays (10 Eastern 9 Central, with an encore presentation of Eastern 11 Central time)

"Raising the Bar" is the latest in a string of shows by producer Steven Bochco. He has made himself known over the years for shows "Hill street Blues", "L.A. Law", "NYPD Blue", and many others. I always thought that his shows were too gritty and realistic, so I didn't watch them. I tend to watch shows which offer me a bit of an escape from the real world. I don't watch any of the Law and order series which other people enjoy because it is a little bit too real for me.

I gave this show a chance because I recognized some actors which I enjoy. I have to admit that this is the first Steven Bochco show that I liked because it features a great young cast, and the stores have you rooting for the lawyers to win their cases. The show highlights the battle between the prosecuting attorneys and the defense attorneys in two or sometimes three cases a week. The lawyers are friends away from work, which creates interesting conflicts every week.

The cast is headlined by Gloria Ruebens (formerly of ER), who plays Rosalind Williams, the head of the public defenders office. "Roz" is a tough but compassionate boss to her young staff of lawyers. Mark Paul Gossalaar (who was on Bochco's NYPD Blue) plays Jerry Kellerman, a young idealistic public defender who will do whatever it takes to prove that his clients are innocent. Jerry knows that the system is flawed, but he can't see that sometimes to win a case, you must compromise. Jane Kaczmarek (from Malcolm in the Middle), plays a no-nonsense judge who goes by the book and will not allow lawyers to take shortcuts around the system.

The show is compelling to watch, although at times it can get a little slow in its story-telling. Since there stories of the lawyers personal lives continue each week, even though the cases change, this can be overlooked. I give this show a 4 out of 5 because it is worth the time to watch it.

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