Raising the Bar is a somewhat predictable law show, but it manages to stay entertaining thanks to its cast. The series is from Emmy-winning producer Steven Bocho, but it seems to lack the bite of some of his past television success – most notably NYPD Blue.
The series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Gloria Reuben (ER), Currie Graham (Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue), Melissa Sagemiller (Sleeper Cell), Teddy Sears (Ugly Betty), Natalia Cigliuti (All My Children), and J. August Richards (Conviction).
All 10 episodes from Season One get collected on a three-disc set that also comes with several features to take fans behind the scenes.
The series follows a group of young public defense attorneys and prosecutors as they work their way through the legal system, and try to uphold their own beliefs in American criminal justice. The two sides of the bench are friends out of the courtroom and often clash over who is right and who is wrong – which provides some good drama plots with the characters trying to find a balance in their personal and private lives.
Although it is an ensemble cast, Raising the Bar is Gosselaar’s show. His character, public defender Jerry Kellerman, is a believer in the criminal justice system, and fights for his clients with every ounce of his energy. He doesn’t think twice about going up against a close-minded judge (often Kaczmarek’s Judge Trudy Kessler) or trying to call in a favor with his prosecuting friends to get his client a better deal.
At times the series seems all about Gosselaar, the creators and writers make sure to fill the cast with great supporting characters that matter to the series. Public defense lawyer Bobbi Gilardi (Cigliuti) struggles to find a balance between her career and a bad marriage. She also has to deal with the beginnings of a relationship with Kellerman.
Prosecutors Michelle Ernhardt (Sagemiller) and Marcus McGrath (Richards) have to balance their college friendship with Kellerman and their jobs in the District Attorney’s office. They also have to deal with their sexist and brash boss Nick Balco (Graham).
It is easy to see that we aren’t supposed to like Balco, but Graham is so great in this role it is hard not to enjoy seeing him on screen. I hated how little time he got on NYPD Blue, and love watching the actor at work in this series.
His character is the complete opposite of the NYPD Blues’ reserved Lt. Thomas Bale, and seems more in tuned with Graham’s Desperate Housewives character Ed Ferrara (who also stole the show whenever he was on screen).
Kaczmarek’s Judge Trudy Kessler also gives the audience that same love/hate flavor. At times, her character just seems plain evil, but it is so entertaining watching her push Kellerman’s buttons. You also have to love the storyline following her secret romance with her assistant Charlie Sagansky (Jonathan Scarfe) – who has a few secrets of his own.
If the series has any flaws, they are in the short episode count for Season One, and the fact that it seems way too familiar. The season only had 10 episodes, and was over just as it was starting to get good. Granted, this short count made you want to keep watching, but also kept you from getting too invested in the characters.
The plots also feel too familiar to any fan of legal dramas, and the writers need to push the envelope (as Bocho’s NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues did) to give it a fresh feel and look.
The DVD set comes loaded with special features including Behind the Bar: An After-Hours Roundtable with the Cast; Sworn Testimony: True Stories of a Public Defender; Mistrials: Bloopers from Season One; audio commentaries with the cast and crew.
Raising the Bar has a solid first season, and I was happy to see the series got picked up for another round.
It does feel formulaic at times, but the cast makes the characters entertaining and interesting to watch.
I am interested to see where Bocho and company take the series with Season Two and to see if they can get it to have anymore teeth. Right now it is just a little too light, and suffers if you compare it to harder legal dramas like The Practice or even Bocho’s LA Law.
Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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