Pilot watch ‘08: Raising the Bar

Premieres 9/1/08 at 10PM. From the TNT website:

RAISING THE BAR not only looks at courtroom battles but also the relationships among people on different sides. “The primary characters are a group of young public defenders and prosecutors who go up against each other during the day, but they’re friends and hang out with each other at night,” Bochco says. “They argue and negotiate with each other. They are dedicated players within what we feel is a broken criminal justice system.”

I say: Do not let the Steven Bochco influence fool you into thinking this show is going to be good, because it is not. Seriously, this is a legal drama whose hook is “sometimes the law suuuuucks!” The drama barely carries you through the pilot, so I can’t imagine how this show can eke out a compelling season. Watch NYPD Blue reruns instead.

The good news: The cast is good, if only by name. Most of the people in it have shined in other shows, but no one stands out here. While the promos love to remind us that “Emmy nominee Jane Kaczmarek” is starring, she is absolutely insufferable. Oh, and I don’t think the show could get any worse…so that’s good, right?

The bad news: It sucks.

Watch it in the fall?: No. You’re better off sticking with the other TNT newbie drama Leverage, which is pretty awesome. (Really, cable channels have had NO problem lately pumping out amazing dramas that rival the best stuff on network TV… I have no idea how something like Raising the Bar made it through.)