TNT | 2007 | 430 mins | PG-13
Steven Bochco has been an integral part of the television landscape for more than thirty years. As creator or co-creator of hit shows such as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and N.Y.P.D. Blue, he has created some of the most groundbreaking work in the history of history of television. Bochco’s latest series, an hour long drama called Raising the Bar, is a surprisingly bland entry on his resume. The series (at least the initial ten episodes of the first season), feel like their missing the edginess that is a characteristic of Bochco’s work. Instead, it’s replaced by a feeling that we’ve seen it all before but done better, on L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues.
The plot focuses on Jerry Kellerman (N.Y.P.D. Blue veteran Mark-Paul Gosselaar), as a long-haired public defender who believes so passionately in his client’s innocence, he not afraid to end up in contempt of court and be taken off in handcuffs. Not helping matters is the fact that there is no love lost between Jerry and no-nonsense Judge Kessler (Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle). Also in the Public Defender’s office is Richard (Teddy Sears, Ugly Betty), who functions as everyone’s buddy. On the other side, in the D.A.’s office, the prospect of a wrongful conviction in a rape trial has the office in a uneasy mood, and Michelle (Melissa Sagemiller, Sleeper Cell) finds herself in the lead position. After hours, they all hang with each other, kind of like a fraternity; Hill Street Blues did it with more passion and more distinctive characters. I imagine this is where it’s a problem with being Steven Bochco. Everyone compares all that you do, to your earlier successes.
While the writing is solid and the idea is a good one, everything just seems like we’ve seen it all before. Dick Wolf has made countless millions over the last twenty years with his Law & Order franchise and Raising the Bar has some characteristics of his 2006 ill-fated offering Conviction, in which a youthful cast filled the Public Defender and District Attorney’s offices with characters who acted and interacted in ways that complicated things both inside and outside the courtroom.
Unlike Conviction, with a bit of retooling, Raising the Bar could be a fine show. During the first season, the series had a lot of good energy, sort of like Boston Legal without the cheekiness. Also spotlighting several cases throughout the course of an episode and letting the story follow the characters on both sides of the aisle keeps things interesting. In season two though, let’s hope they make some changes: Let’s see more of Gloria Reuben; the E.R. alum is sorely underused as Rosalind Whitman, executive director of the Public Defender’s office, the cases need more substance, television audiences today want to see more than the surface stuff that would suffice back in the 1970’s and 1980’s and though the writing was generally solid, I might suggest reeling Jerry in a bit; some of his idealistic ranting was to over the top to be believed.
Raising the Bar is presented in 1.781 widescreen, and the colors are bright, black levels are strong and the level of detail for a DVD TV show is very good. There’s slight graininess, along with indistinct edges in low-lit or overly lit scenes but otherwise the picture is fine.
The show is presented with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, with French and Spanish subtitles. But it’s mostly front speakers that are active, and it’s far from a dynamic soundtrack.
Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season does have a few special features:
• Audio Commentaries – Audio commentaries from the cast and series creators are available on several episodes. tTese commentaries are surprisingly orderly and good time is spent covering production, writing, performances and achieving the ‘right’ tone of the show.
• Sworn Testimony: True Stories Of A Public Defender – (13:43) – Producer and Public defender David Feige talks about the book he wrote and sent to Stephen Bochco which set in motion what eventually became Raising the Bar. Interviews with the actors are interspersed, talking about shadowing David on a tour of the Manhattan and Bronx courts.
• Behind The Bar: An After Hours Roundtable With The Cast – (13:15) – The main cast talk about coming aboard the show, working day to day on the show and with each other. They also discuss how the show breaks some new ground dealing with the Public Defender’s office. The cast clearly interact well together and that camaraderie comes through on screen.
• Mistrials: Bloopers from Season One – (1:53) – Nothing very funny here.
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