02 December 2007

A look at Canterbury's Law and New Amsterdam

I need some cheering up today...so it was a mistake to try and watch Canterbury's Law and New Amsterdam for the first time. Because judging the merits of these series based on my drabby mood, I'd soon stop watching the episodes and won't even bother taking a second look.

These shows are mid-season replacements and will air during the first quarter of 2008.

Canterbury's Law stars Julianna Margulies (of ER). She plays Elizabeth Canterbury, a tough lady lawyer who defends those "wrongfully accused" while dealing with the tragic loss of her child, a boy who has gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Canterbury is the type of woman who has to prove herself in a man's world,by sometimes acting and behaving like them --- she's short-tempered, she's competitive, she's strategic, and she has an affair. This behavior, this rebellious streak, seems to have stem from the loss of her son. But it just doesn't quite mesh well in the story. The pilot episode, with Canterbury defending a sex offender who has murdered an 11-year old boy, has a classic confession scene. Whether that is an attempt to make this series compelling, didn't work for me because Margulies as Canterbury wasn't that effective. What I like about the show? Just Ben Shenkman.

New Amsterdam, originally scheduled to air last October, has been pushed to a February 2008 airing. John Amsterdam is immortal, he's about 400 years old. He has seen New Amsterdam (now New York City) change, and has pictures too prove it. How he survived this long is because of a gift (or a curse?) granted to him by a woman he has saved from death. The only way John can finally rest is if he meets his true love. Meantime, he conveniently works as a police detective (of course, this is New York). Everything about this series is like a poor copy of Highlander (90's TV Series) or Moonlight (currently airing in CBS) or this. Oh, there's a horse chase in the pilot episode, whoopee. :P And also early on, viewers will learn who his true love is. But of course, there wouldn't be any story if John learns of her identity right away.

Are there no new comedies airing soon? I need a laugh. :(

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