In the last few years, there has been an obvious lack of courtroom dramas on primetime television. And with the exception of "Judging Amy," it is even more difficult to think of a successful law show with a female protagonist.
The most famous shows, such as "Law and Order," focus primarily on the presented case. Meanwhile, other shows that involve the law, such as "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace," usually portray the investigative nature of a crime, focusing on detectives rather than lawyers.
"Canterbury's Law," which airs on FOX on at 10 p.m. on Mondays, is a new courtroom drama that focuses on an incredibly tough defense attorney, Elizabeth Canterbury.
In the first episode the audience meets the protagonist (played by Julianna Margulies). Some call her Liz, some Beth and some Canterbury. She is an intense lawyer who is well known for her work with criminals, as well as her shocking beauty, a trait that she uses to her full advantage when charming her male colleagues.
The pilot episode presents the case of the Jasper family, whose 10-year-old son has disappeared. A disturbed man is accused of the boy's kidnapping and murder. Elizabeth takes up the side of the disturbed man, claiming that he is innocent and that the father of the boy is the real culprit.
The show does not simply focus on the case, though.Instead, the show splits its time between Elizabeth's work and her personal life. The plot slowly reveals that while her career is top-notch, her personal life is less than perfect, and at the end of the pilot episode the viewer is led to believe that her life is in shambles. She has an affair with a mysterious colleague named Frank, struggles with her new employee, Russell, who is still unsure if her side is the right side, and becomes more estranged from her husband (Aidan Quinn), due to the mysterious death of their son.
For a pilot episode, there is little to say about this show that is negative. Not everyone is attracted to a courtroom drama, but the massive number of viewers "Law and Order" has attracted suggests that a majority of people appreciate a good "whodunit" mystery. Also, Canterbury's drama goes through, not only in her line of work but in her personal life should draw in a fairly large amount of women viewers, especially with the lack of female-centric shows on TV with the exceptions of the drab "Sex and the City" copies like "Lipstick Jungle" and "Cashmere Mafia."
The acting is superb, especially from Margulies and Quinn, although the latter only makes limited appearances in the pilot. The character of Elizabeth Canterbury is unlike any on television today. She is strong and determined, and she cares about her clients with incredible patience. However, she is not below rising above the law. In the pilot, she coaches her client to lie on the witness stand so that the Jasper patriarch will take the stand as a rebuttal witness.
She resembles a female lawyer version of Dr. House. She is good at what she does and devotes herself entirely to her job, but she lacks any sort of moral compass outside of the lines of law and justice.
The writing is funny yet dramatic, but the scope of the Jasper case is a little vague, leaving some crucial details a little fuzzy. The script also threw the viewer directly into Canterbury's defense of the disturbed man without any background or explanations. This is only a problem because the show is brand new and the audience is not yet familiar with the show's premise and its characters. A little more attention to these elements would likely draw a more dedicated following.
The show provides a fresh take on the sometimes overdone courtroom drama, combining a feminist protagonist with interesting criminal cases. It will be interesting to see how Canterbury deals with defending criminals who are actually guilty, an act that can potentially take a toll on the human conscience. The unfolding drama of Canterbury's life will be a necessary part of the show.In order to succeed, "Canterbury's Law" must either keep from revealing too much too soon, or continuously create new drama in her life.
