May 11, 2011

New Law and Crime Related Shows For Fall

The networks are beginning to hint at their fall line-ups (more news should come next week). As one should expect, lawyers and law-related dramas figure mightily in new shows for the coming season. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Fox is offering such fare as the spinoff "The Finder," (derived from the hit "Bones") from 20th Century Fox TV, and J. J. Abrams' mysterious crime drama "Alcatraz."  We won't be seeing a fourth season of "Lie To Me," based on the the work of psychologist Paul Ekman--it's cancelled. Law & Order: Los Angeles (nicknamed LOLA) is probably not returning on NBC, but stay tuned for a return of "Harry's Law," the Kathy Bates vehicle, and an adaptation of John Grisham's novel "The Firm." ABC is likely to bring back "Body of Proof," with Dana Delany as a surgeon who moves into a second career as a medical examiner), and a new "Charlie's Angels," a 21st version of the venerable Aaron Spelling series (1976-1981).

CBS will be topheavy with crime and criminals, with "The Mentalist," "Criminal Minds," twins "NCIS," and "NCIS: Los Angeles," and comedy "Mike and Molly" (well, Mike is a police officer!) all returning. "The Good Wife," a legal drama featuring the wonderful Julianna Margulies as an associate with a complicated home life and a cheating husband (Chris Noth) and Christine Baranski as a managing partner, will also probably return. Among new shows on CBS we are likely to see "The 2-2," (a new name: it was formerly titled "Rookies,") and another J. J. Abrams show, "Person of Interest," about a billionaire who helps fight crime (where do all these mysterious billionaires come from? Is he the same one who hires Charlie's Angels?) A show we may not see returning is "The Defenders" with Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell. Too bad; I have grown to like that show--the stars, including a much underused Jurnee Smollett, have good chemistry, and the writing is snappy. A better call might have been to move it to another night and let it find its audience.

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