Pilot Review: Murder in the First

Murder in the First (TNT)
Premiered June 9 at 10pm

Nineteen years ago, ABC premiered a series that would cover just one case over the course of an entire season. I remember discovering and being excited about “Murder One” about a decade later, and then watching the pilot and being disappointed by its dated nature, never managing to finish the show. Now, TNT is set to revive that concept, when such things are far more common, as seen on “The Killing” and other series. What this show has which the others didn’t is an unfortunate sense of humor and lackluster writing, which makes its characters seem annoying and make them much more difficult to take seriously. I was particularly excited about this show because of its female star, Kathleen Robertson, who I thought was excellent in Starz’s short-lived “Boss” as the astute, power-hungry confidante for Kelsey Grammer’s corrupt mayor. This role doesn’t offer nearly the same opportunities for quality acting, though she does stand out as one of the stronger members of the cast. Steven Weber appears in a small but surely relevant role as the pilot for the private jet of one Erich Blunt, portrayed by Tom Felton, best known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. There’s definitely something sinister about him, and I think that this case could prove to be interesting as it unfurls throughout the season. I’m not sure the same can be said of the show, which tries to be edgy but fails, especially in scenes like the one where Taye Diggs’ Detective English (what a name!) scares the kid drug dealers by telling them they’ll be murdered in jail.

How will it work as a series? This is a high-concept show in many ways, mainly in its construction, and it’s just a question of whether its scene-to-scene antics will prove enticing enough, or if it’s going to end up contrasting its serious and less believable moments too much. I’m not sure I’ll watch, but it might get interesting over the summer.
How long will it last? This showcase of TNT’s BOOM drama lineup is airing along with “Major Crimes,” one of the network’s flagship hits. That didn’t work out so well for “King and Maxwell,” which netted similar ratings for its pilot last year and is now off the air. I think this could go either way, but it’s not looking too terrific right now.

Pilot grade: C+