Just Legal | |
---|---|
Genre | Legal drama |
Created by | Jonathan Shapiro |
Starring | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Production locations | Venice, Los Angeles, California |
Camera setup | Single-Camera |
Running time | 43 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | The WB |
Release | September 19, 2005 – September 10, 2006 |
Just Legal is an American courtroom drama television series that stars Don Johnson and Jay Baruchel as two courtroom lawyers in Venice, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005, and was canceled on October 3, 2005, after three episodes had been aired. Almost a year later The WB burned off five additional episodes following a repeat of the pilot on August 6, 2006. The series concluded on September 10, 2006. This is the last show on The WB to end its run before its rebrand to The CW.
Don Johnson and Jay Baruchel star as two "amusingly mismatched lawyers" [1] that "comes at you unassumingly." [2] David "Skip" Ross (Baruchel), 18, is a legal genius who graduated from law school at the top of his class, but now can find no one to hire him. Enter Grant Cooper, a washed-up middle-aged lawyer who has made one too many bad choices in his career, leaving him a jaded court-appointed attorney, rejected by his peers. Skip is Grant's golf caddy, and he convinces Grant just to let him write a legal brief for him; but when they arrive at the courthouse, Grant is told he needs a "second chair" (an attorney to sit at the second seat at counsel's table), and he gives them the only one he has: Skip Ross. Grant has no intention of actually bringing Skip into his practice, but his charm, enthusiasm, intelligence, and most of all, ability to actually win a case, win Grant over.
There are a variety of cases featured on the show, from murder cases to botched plastic surgery. Many of the storylines are based on real-life cases. Grant and Skip do their own "dirty work" for their cases, going to crime scenes and interviewing witnesses, as Grant teaches Skip more about what it means to be a “real lawyer” and Skip teaches Grant more about what it means to trust in people. The series is set in Venice and neighboring Santa Monica, California.
The scores by Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic differ greatly as the former gave a 77% 'fresh', but the other a mere 53% 'yellow'.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Pilot" | Andrew Davis | Jonathan Shapiro | September 19, 2005 | 475279 | 3.44 [3] |
After graduating from law school at 18, David "Skip" Ross finds his dreams of becoming a great trial lawyer thwarted when he is rejected by a prestigious law firm due to his age. After caddying for Grant Cooper, a once great lawyer now burnt-out by the pressures of life who runs his own less than respectable firm, Skip is offered a job with the promise to get trial experience. Skip's parents have concerns about his decision to work with Cooper. As they work Skip's first case, a woman accused of killing her boyfriend's rival drug dealer, Skip helps Cooper regain a belief in himself and the cases they are working. | ||||||
2 | "The Runner" | Dwight H. Little | Jonathan Shapiro | September 26, 2005 | 2T7001 | 2.96 [4] |
When a liquor store is robbed and the store clerk is killed the police arrest Zeke Rawlins (Jocko Sims), an African-American man fleeing the scene. Skip, believing Zeke's claims of innocence, builds their case around the police arresting the "nearest person of color". Cooper and Skip are caught off guard by the final witness in the trial. Skip and Cooper also meet Kate, a former classmate of Skip's, who is working at the law firm that rejected Skip. | ||||||
3 | "The Limit" | John Badham | Rob Bragin | October 3, 2005 | 2T7002 | 2.88 [5] |
4 | "The Body in the Trunk" | Tim Matheson | Craig S. O'Neill & Jason Tracy | August 13, 2006 | 2T7003 | N/A |
5 | "The Heater" | Dennis Smith | Nick Thiel | August 20, 2006 | 2T7004 | 1.59 [6] |
6 | "The Rainmaker" | Dwight H. Little | Rama Laurie Stagner | August 27, 2006 | 2T7005 | 1.12 [7] |
7 | "The Code" | Oz Scott | Alfredo Barrios Jr. | September 3, 2006 | 2T7006 | 1.34 [8] |
8 | "The Bar" | Kevin Dowling | Jonathan Shapiro | September 10, 2006 | 2T7007 | 1.48 [9] |
Just Legal was cancelled in October 2005 after only three episodes aired due to low ratings; the program lost a large portion of its lead-in 7th Heaven ’s audience and came in last place among the six major broadcast networks in its Monday night timeslot. After almost a year off the air, the series returned on August 6, 2006 with a rerun of the pilot episode, followed by the network burning off the final five episodes on subsequent Sundays. The final episode aired on September 10, 2006.
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American legal drama television series about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the fourth series in Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation for trial, as well as the trial itself. The series was first announced on September 28, 2004. The series premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2005, and ended on January 21, 2006. Its regular time slot was Fridays 10/9 p.m. ET on NBC. The last episode aired on Court TV months after the series' cancellation.
Joey is an American sitcom created by Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan. It is a spin-off to Friends, with Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani. It premiered on NBC on September 9, 2004. Midway through the second season, the show was placed on a hiatus but returned on March 7, 2006. Only one more episode aired before the show was pulled. NBC canceled the series due to low ratings in May 2006.
Jack & Bobby is an American drama television series created by Greg Berlanti, Vanessa Taylor, Steven A. Cohen, and Brad Meltzer. It aired on The WB from September 12, 2004, to May 11, 2005. The series’ title is a reference to real-life political brothers John and Robert Kennedy.
Commander in Chief is an American political drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen, the first female president of the United States, who ascends to the post from the vice presidency after the death of the sitting president from a sudden cerebral aneurysm.
Twins is an American television sitcom that first aired on The WB in the United States and on CTV in Canada from September 16, 2005, to March 3, 2006. The series was produced by KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show was cancelled on May 18, 2006, unchosen to move onto The CW following the merger of The WB and UPN.
Reunion is an American drama television series that aired on Fox in late 2005. The series was intended to chronicle 20 years in the lives of a group of six high school friends from Bedford, New York, with each episode following one year in the lives of the six, beginning with their high school graduation year 1986. Each episode also featured scenes in the present where Detective Marjorino is investigating the brutal murder of one of the group during the night of their 20-year class reunion in 2006. The identity of the murder victim was not revealed until the fifth episode, "1990".
The sixteenth season of Law & Order premiered on NBC on September 21, 2005, and concluded on May 17, 2006. This was just the second season in which the show's principal cast remained unchanged from the previous season. Annie Parisse had joined the series during season 15, following the departure of Elisabeth Röhm.
The fifth season of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 29, 2005. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The fifth season comprises 22 episodes and concluded its initial airing on May 11, 2006, marking the final season that aired on The WB. Regular cast members during season five include Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, Allison Mack, John Glover, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider.
In Justice is an American legal drama television series created by Michelle King and Robert King. The series began airing on Sunday, January 1, 2006, on ABC as a midseason replacement and assumed its regular night and time on Friday, January 6, 2006, at 9 p.m. EST. It ended after its 13-episode run on March 31, 2006. The series was simulcast in Canada on CTV. In the UK In Justice was shown on UKTV Gold beginning September 17, 2006 and was later repeated on ABC1 in 2007.
The seventh cycle of America's Next Top Model started airing on September 20, 2006 as the first to be aired on The CW network. The season's catch-phrase is "The Competition Won't Be Pretty." The season's promotional theme song is "Hot Stuff " by Pussycat Dolls.
The eighth season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 19, 2006 and ended May 22, 2007 on NBC. The series remained in its 10pm/9c Tuesday timeslot. With the introduction of a new partner for Detective Stabler, early episodes of season 8 took on a significantly different focus when compared to those of previous seasons.
The seventh season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 20, 2005 and ended May 16, 2006 on NBC. It aired on Tuesday nights at 10pm/9c. Critically the show's most successful season, both lead actors received nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards with a win by Mariska Hargitay.
The second season of CSI: NY originally aired on CBS between September 2005 and May 2006. It consisted of 24 episodes. Its regular time slot continued on Wednesdays at 10pm/9c. The season introduced a new regular character, Lindsay Monroe, after regular Aiden Burn was fired. Vanessa Ferlito, who played Burn, wanted to leave the series to pursue her film career.
The third season of The O.C. commenced airing in the United States on September 8, 2005, concluded on May 18, 2006, and consisted of 25 episodes. The first ten episodes of season three aired Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET in the United States on Fox; however, from January 12, 2006, onwards, The O.C. was shifted to a later time of Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The second season of the American dramedy-mystery television series Desperate Housewives commenced airing in the United States on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 21, 2006. The season continues the story of the Wisteria Lane residents, while their seemingly perfect lives in the suburban neighborhood are shaken by the arrival of the mysterious Betty Applewhite. Broadcast in the Sunday night time slot at 9.00 ET, the season aired twenty-four regular episodes, including a two-part season finale. In addition, three clip shows were produced for the season, in order to put the previous events of the show in perspective. "All the Juicy Details" aired before the eleventh episode, detailing the most memorable events of the season's first half, whereas "The More You Know, The Juicier It Gets", which aired before the twentieth episode, prepared the viewers for the highly anticipated season finale. "Time to Come Clean" aired three weeks before the inception of the third season, and reviewed the previous mysteries of the series before introducing the new story lines. The second season had fourteen roles receiving star billing, out of whom eleven were part of the first season's main cast. The main story lines of the season were Susan Mayer's relationship with her former husband, Gabrielle Solis' upcoming motherhood, Lynette Scavo's return to work and the death of Bree Van de Kamp's husband.
The eighth and final season of Charmed, an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, premiered in the United States on The WB from September 25, 2005 through May 21, 2006.
The fifth and final season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 1, 2003 on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season and its television run on May 19, 2004. The season aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET. This is the only season of Angel to air following the finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The sixth season of Gilmore Girls, an American comedy drama television series, began airing on September 13, 2005, on The WB. The season concluded on May 9, 2006, after 22 episodes. The season aired Tuesdays at 8:00 pm. This was the final season to air on The WB, before the network and rival UPN merged to form The CW in September 2006.