Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Review

Reality of 'Law Firm' is recycled

By CHASE SQUIRES
Published July 28, 2005

In his first venture into reality TV, lauded writer-producer-creator David E. Kelley does something totally unexpected.

He copies someone else.

The Law Firm, debuting on NBC tonight should probably credit reality pathfinder Mark Burnett. From the thumping music to the use of a catch phrase to the zoom-in-from-long-range camera work, everything about Law Firm smells of Burnett's The Apprentice, The Contender, and even Survivor.

It's a shame, because Kelley has created some remarkable, fresh shows. He devised Boston Legal, a show that makes William Shatner look good; he created the quirky Picket Fences where the strangest things seemed to happen in the smallest of towns; he brought those funny daydream sequences to Ally McBeal; he made ethical quandaries the center of law show The Practice.

So it's hard to understand why he brought nothing new to reality TV.

In eight one-hour episodes, The Law Firm pits 12 real attorneys against each other, either in teams or as individuals, to try "cases" before a judge or a jury. They strategize, study, investigate and plan, taking time to snarl at each other and cuss frequently (always bleeped out). At the end of each episode, they go into a boardroom (sound familiar?) to face "managing partner" Roy Black, the Miami superlawyer who has represented William Kennedy Smith, Marv Albert and Rush Limbaugh and done analysis for NBC News.

The attractive young lawyers are gunning for a $250,000 top prize, which is kind of cheap for a big-budget reality show. Black's role is to evaluate their performances and eliminate the worst. His catch phrase: "You are out." Snore.

Is this kickball?

Kelley, who graduated from Princeton University and Boston University School of Law, was a lawyer for three years before a script he wrote caught the attention of producer Steven Bochco and he was hired to write for L.A. Law.

He said he has always hated reality television, but this new show, of course, is an exception.

"I was particularly drawn or fascinated with this one show," he told reporters at the Television Critics Association gathering on Tuesday. "It's more an extension of my fascination with the world of law than anything else. I really tend to loathe reality shows that disrespect their contestants. This show, hopefully, endeavors to be smart and gives its contestants a chance to showcase talent. It doesn't exist to exploit them."

Well, maybe. But it sure doesn't exist to entertain viewers.

[Last modified July 28, 2005, 01:09:17]