USA Network has a new original show premiering on January 20th at 9:00 central time. It’s called FAIRLY LEGAL and will air following ROYAL PAINS. The tag line phrase they are using is Less Lawyer, More appeal. And it seems to fit. As you may have guessed it is indeed a show with lawyers. From Universal Cable Productions, FAIRLY LEGAL is created and executive produced by Michael Sardo (“The American Embassy,” “Wings”) and executive produced by Steve Stark. Russ Bucholz serves as co-executive producer.
The San Francisco based show stars Sarah Shahi, who may be recognized from the all too brief run of the NBC show LIFE. Also on the program are Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica) , Virginia Williams ( One Life To Live) and Baron Vaughn (Cloverfield). Shaihi plays Kate Reed, a recovering lawyer who now works as a mediator in the family firm founded by her recently deceased father. The firm is now being run by her
step-mother played by Williams. Her soon to be ex-husband is Justin Patrick played by Trucco who works in the DA’s office. Other members of the cast included occasional appearances from a brother, a Judge who was friends with her Dad and a family friend played by Richard Dean Anderson.
So here’s the quick run down. Kate feels the law is too rigid and she stop practicing as a lawyer and instead turns her skills to mediating where she feels no one needs to lose to get justice. She has issues with
her step mother who is trying to keep the firm of Reed and Reed a going concern. She obviously still has feelings for estranged hubby Justin and everything seems to be held together by assistant extraordinaire Leo
Prince (Vaughn). Kate has a habit of trying to help the underdog and it causes problems with her relationships with others who see the world a little more black and white.
I had a chance to see a few episodes and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Normally law shows come off to self righteous for me but that really isn’t something I saw here. Kate wants to help people and finds a way to make it work. Like any truly good story telling what makes it work are the characters and the folks who populate this show are terrific. No one is too extreme in who they are and they are believable,
even if the situations occasionally go a bit further than they really might. I very quickly found myself rooting for Kate and Justin to get back together, and for Kate to come to terms with the lose of her Dad.
The cases she works range from simple disputes over parking spaces to to international disputes over custody of children and all manner of business problems.
FAIRLY LEGAL is engaging, entertaining and very enjoyable.
Less Lawyer, More Appeal.
I agree.
Jon Jordan
