According to the Hollywood Reporter, both JUSTICE and VANISHED will be moving to new timeslots when they return after Baseball. JUSTICE will move to Monday’s after PRISON BREAK, and VANISHED is sent to the graveyard that is Friday night. In other TV news, sadly, KIDNAPPED has been cancelled. But if there’s a silver lining to this cloud, NBC is committed to airing all thirteen episodes, and the writers were given enough notice to craft an actual ending (FOX take notes, for when you next decide to cancel REUNION 2!)
What I’ll be Watching Tonight (a lot of TV)
Way too much to watch tonight, God Bless my PVR! Tonight, I’ll be tuning into JERICHO at 8PM in the hopes of learning more about that mysterious ‘nuclear cloud’ that has wrecked havok on the small town of Jericho? As long as it’s not a cloud of nano-bots I’ll be happy! Following JERICHO, I’ll be spending the 9PM hour with the coolest lawyer on TV, Victor Garber (aka Ron Trott) with the last new episode of JUSTICE until November (due to baseball). Folks, if you’re bored with the endless episodes of LAW & ORDER, do me (and Victor) a favour by tuning into JUSTICE – it’s the most entertaining legal procedural on television. Following JUSTICE is NBC’s KIDNAPPED. I thought last week’s premiere was interesting enough for me to tune into episode 2, let’s hope the writers don’t disappoint. Also on my PVR’s agend is episode four of WEEDS, sadly in Canad we’re behind, as well as the season premiere of ONE TREE HILL.
Fall TV Preview: Wednesday Schedule
LOST (9PM ABC, Returns Oct. 4) Ancient ruins? A hatch explosion? A really cold (Antarctic?) listening post? Not surprisingly, last season’s LOST finale left most viewers, well lost. With that in mind, showrunners Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse promise that season three will focus more on character, romance and action with less of an emphasis on the ‘mythology.’
Uncovering spoilers for the new season of LOST is as challenging as deciphering the secrets of the island itself, but here’s what we’ve found out. Three new castaways join the island: ER’s Elizabeth Mitchell, RELATED’S Kiele Sanchez, and the ‘Brazilian Tom Cruise’ Rodrigo Santoro. More importantly though, an event will occur midseason that will apparently ‘change everything’. As Lindeloff put it to EW, “Something’s going to happen in the middle of season 3 that blows the doors off the show again. You’ll look at [the Penny scene] again and say, ‘Sixty percent of what I thought I saw was dead-on, but the other 40 percent I never event considered!”
THE NINE (10PM ABC, Debuts Oct. 4) Although the title of this new drama refers to the number of people caught up in a life-changing bank robbery, it might just as well refer to the number of minutes it took for me to be sucked into this compelling new series.
With an all-star cast led by Tim Daly (WINGS), Scott Wolf (EVERWOOD), Kim Raver (24) and Chi McBride (BOSTON PUBLIC) — not to mention a new twist on the storytelling gimmick which has helped turn LOST into a cultural phenomenon — ABC would seem to have a can’t miss show on its hands. Throw in the fact that THE NINE will air in the much-coveted post-LOST timeslot, and it’s safe to assume that this show is like money in the bank.
30 ROCK (8:00PM NBC, Debuts Oct. 4) For the past few years, Tina Fey’s ‘Weekend Update’ was the only reason to flip on the [highly unfunny] SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. With 30 ROCK, you’ll not only get a little more sleep on Saturday night, you’ll also get to watch Tina Fey for a full half hour each week (okay 24 minutes minus commercials). Tina Fey stars (and created) 30 ROCK — a comedic look at a behind the scenes (SNL-type) show called ‘The Girlie Show’. Historically, viewers have rejected behind-the-scenes shows (see: ACTION, SPORTS NIGHT and GROSSE POINT), but thanks to Tina Fey and a highly likable supporting cast including Alec Baldwin, Rachel Dratch and Tracy Morgan, 30 ROCK looks to be a winner.
JUSTICE (9:00PM FOX, Debuted Aug. 30) Thanks to the success of HOUSE, the cantankerous yet brilliant professional is all the rage on TV – and nobody does ‘icy stare’ like Victor Garber. Fresh off his five year stint as TV’s coolest Dad (ALIAS), Garber returns to series television as Ron Trott, a brilliant, yet ego-driven attorney who will take on any case (as long as it’s high profile and ensures him a spot in the media limelight). Each week, viewers can watch Trott and his team (including DAWSON’S CREEK alum Kerr Smith) prepare for trial using the latest and greatest forensic (read: CSI-esque) technology. Already two episodes in, the show has featured some fascinating stories and top-notch acting. If there’s any ‘justice’ in TV land, Garber will remain on the small screen for years to come.
ONE TREE HILL (9:00PM CW, Returns Sept. 27) Television’s biggest mystery isn’t why audiences still enjoy 7th HEAVEN, it’s how on earth Chad Michael Murray (Lucas) and Sophia Bush (Brooke) can still act on the same show after their marriage collapsed amidst headlines of infidelity on CMM’s part. Aside from watching CMM and Sophia act as if they’re still in love (to their credit, they do an excellent job), viewers will also learn who didn’t survive the big limo crash in May’s finale and which of the women on OTH are pregnant. The show that parental supervision forgot returns September 27.
JUSTICE Premiere Review
Whether it’s LAW & ORDER or CSI, I’m traditionally not a huge fan of procedural dramas. Sure the stories are slick, and the crimes are shocking – but the emphasis is generally on the crime, not character. I much prefer my TV drama filled with characters I can invest in. Give me a spunky teen detective, a spy in a red wig, or a group of island castaways and I’ll follow their adventures for seasons on end.
That said, I tuned into last night’s premiere of JUSTICE for one reason, and one reason only — SPY DADDY. Better known to ‘normal’ TV viewers as VICTOR GARBER (see stalker-esque photo of myself and Victor above!). Garber plays Ron Trott — a brilliant, ego-driven attorney who, along with his team of equally smart lawyers (including DAWSON’S CREEK alum Kerr Smith) — uses jury manipulation, focus groups, CSI-style forensics, media spin and pretty much any other tactic to ensure the verdict is in their client’s favor.
In last night’s premiere, Trott and his team helped defend Kevin O’Neil – a man accused of killing his wife. Naturally, the case is all over the news and has captured a nation’s attention (Think O.J.). With the help of snappy cutaways, fast-paced dialogue and really cool computer re-inactments, Trott and his team attempt to re-create their version of what happened, ensuring that O’Neil’s ‘story’ plays well with the jury. Obviously the odds are stacked against Trott and his team, but this being TV, it’s not hard to predict the episodes conclusion.
Yet here’s the hook – and frankly the reason JUSTICE stands out from the long list of legal dramas currently on TV. In the final scene of every episode, after the verdict has been delivered, viewers will get to see how the victim actually died. This spin on the standard LAW & ORDER is what kept me interested the entire hour. Did Tom O’Neil actually kill his wife? Or is Trott and his team defending an innocent man? The answer may surprise you, it certainly did me.
JUSTICE Premiere’s Tonight on FOX
In anticipation of FOX’s premiere of JUSTICE, check out the TV addict’s early pReview by clicking here. Aside from the fact that the TV addict is ALWAYS excited by new TV (so-long Reruns), JUSTICE looks highly entertaining.
Featuring Victor Garber as a ‘Dr. HOUSEesque’ lawyer, and also starring DAWSON’S CREEK alum Kerr Smith what’s not to Love? Be sure to tune into JUSTICE tonight at 9pm on FOX (Following the second season premiere of BONES).
Fall TV Preview 2006: Justice
theTVaddict.com is thrilled to welcome a new contributing editor onboard, Richard Michaels. Richard is theTVaddict’s newest TV Insider, a man so ‘in-the-know’ that he’s already seen most of the Fall 2006 TV pilots. That said, here’s the first of his Fall TV Previews for 2006.
You’ve seen the ads. You’ve heard the hype. Now there’s only one thing you want to know: Which of the new fall shows are worth watching and which should be avoided at all costs? In this continuing series, we’re going to give you the scoop on some of the most highly anticipated shows coming down the pike. Which will be the next Gilmore Girls or Lost?And just as importantly, which will be the new Joey? This week, we sneak a peek at the new Fox drama, JUSTICE.
When it’s on: Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox, debuting August 30
What’s it about: The Art of War, courtroom style
Who’s in it: Victor Garber (Alias), Kerr Smith (Dawson’s Creek)
The twist: Only after the verdict renders a verdict will the audience see – via flashback – what really happened when the crime was committed.
Hit or miss: Based on the pilot, this is a show which could become very addictive. Garber’s character – Ron Trott – is an obvious attempt to recreate the acerbic “man you love to hate” dynamic which has turned House into a ratings dynamo for the network. Unfortunately, this is a character we tend to hate more than love… which isn’t the ideal way to win over an audience. Smith’s Tom Nicholson — described to us in the opener as “the good-looking, all-American face of not guilty” — helps the bitter taste a lot sweeter with his puppy-dog face and smooth, jury-friendly demeanor. This show won’t be mistaken for another in the Law & Order franchise and is, in fact, more CSI that SVU (which is not particularly surprising as it comes from the former’s executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer). It’s flashy, a tad trashy and more than a little fun. The cast is appealing and the pilot features a fun sub-plot regarding a Nancy Grace-like character and her show, American Crime. By the end of the initial episode, sparks are flying between the journalist and Garber’s attorney, and their future interaction just might be the key to helping audiences develop their own sort spot for the lawyers of TNT&G.
The competition: Facing off against Lost, Criminal Minds, One Tree Hill and The Biggest Loser, it may all come down to how long Fox is willing to wait for this show to pay off. If it can hold on until January – at which point it will be put in the odd position of leading into the seemingly unstoppable American Idol there just might be room for a little Justice in this world after all.