Pilot Review: Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar (TNT)
Premiered September 1 at 10pm

This show never really looked good. It's from an esteemed showrunner whose series I've honestly never watched, but there's no rule that says a good creator translates to a good show. This show is heavily disappointing in its absolute lack of creativity or effort to be original. The actors are tired and putting nothing into their performances. The show thrives on supposed big surprises that are painfully obvious from the start (the lawyers are sleeping together! the judge's pawn/lover is actually gay!). Jane Kaczmarek, who doesn't belong in drama (and who I never liked in comedy), portrays one of the most annoying characters on television as a stubborn judge more concerned with her impression of lawyers than with the actual merits of a case. The show might be trying to make some point about the current justice system, but its trite nature makes everything fall flat. I hate to suggest it, but both the writers and the actors would do well to watch an episode of "Boston Legal" for some legal inspiration. Don't quote me on that.

How will it work as a series? I couldn't bear to tune in for a second installment. All the cards are on the table, and it's true that law shows like "The Practice" and especially "Law & Order" have managed to proceed almost endlessly without losing too much steam (just barely in many cases). I see this as more of a "Shark" - an attempt to be edgy which fails miserably because no one cares enough.
How long will it last? Cable channels give their shows a better shot than the regular networks, and USA just renewed its equally underwhelming freshman series "In Plain Sight". If this is a ratings success, I'm fairly certain it will be back. I can't imagine it going along for too long, but it's possible the general public will be swayed by it far more than I was.

Pilot grade: F