THE DARK SIDE OF KELLEY David E.Kelley’s new primetime series on NBC, Harry’s Law, has just turned bleak. Fans of Ally McBealwere initially delighted by the idea of a sacked patents lawyer (‘Harriet Korn’/Kathy Bates) setting up a storefront law firm in an abandoned shoe shop.

John Ellis

# THE DARK SIDE OF KELLEY

David E.Kelley's new primetime series on NBC, *Harry's Law*, has just
turned bleak. Fans of *Ally McBeal*were initially delighted by the idea
of a sacked patents lawyer ('Harriet Korn'/Kathy Bates) setting up a
storefront law firm in an abandoned shoe shop. She recruits an unlikely
team of a naïve corporate lawyer, the black college kid who was her
case, and an assistant more interested in the shop's remaining stock of
shoes than the law. It looked like a network show that would skate
across serious issues. Granted, Kathy Bates was an intriguing choice of
lead, and plays the role with absolute conviction. But she is balanced
by the blonde glamour of Brittany Snow as Jenna and the preppy looks of
Nate Corddry as Adam.

Then things went awry. Harry had clearly set up in the wrong part of
town. Her cases involved real suffering and genuine moral dilemmas.
Although the location is by no means clear, this is obviously a city
with its fair share of urban problems, many of which drift into their
storefront.  By episode 5, Harry faces disbarment for throwing a case:
failing to defend properly a client she knew had murdered his wife. Soon
after, the firm is forced to mediate in a gang war. There are few of the
laughs and none of the whimsy of *Ally McBeal*. Instead there are the
weighty moral dilemmas which come to a head in the courtroom
interrogations and summing-up. The cases are finely balanced. Harry
pleads for a landscape gardener fired after more than 40 years service,
citing ageism. "Our society hates old" she says, convincingly. The
defence fires back: "who would you fire? The employee who is financially
secure and owns his home outright, or the younger one for whom losing a
job would be catastrophic?" We wait for the (predominantly grey) jury to
decide as the commercials grind relentlessly on, proving the point,
stridently made by both Harry and the prosecution in the case that the
old are "dead to the networks".

This is a show that does not mince its critiques of contemporary
America. In episode 7, Harry takes on the case of four Tanzanian
albinos, illegally in the US for two years, who fear gruesome
dismemberment if they return to their country where gangs hunt them for
their limbs which have 'magical' properties. Would it spoil the plot to
know that Harry loses the case? Because that's the real surprise. After
Harry's impassioned appeal to the ideal of America as the home for "your
tired, your poor, your huddled masses" the judge nevertheless agrees
with the opposing argument that America can no longer act as the world's
asylum. His sentencing speech depicts a broken America that cannot feed
its own people. No wonder the online poll on the show's website ('You Be
The Judge') has 82% of participants agreeing with the proposition that
this is the worst time in America's history to be an immigrant. And 58%
disagree with the proposition that the American dream is alive and well.

In the same episode, just to take our minds off all these speeches,
Harry and Jenna enter into an office feud because Harry thinks Jenna has
overreacted to the theft of her car (it's a red one). You'd think this
would yield some comedy. But Jenna sulks spectacularly, and their
attempts to make up escalate into a full-blown debate about lookism.
Harry is forced to admit that she has always had to "rise above" the
slights that she has suffered as a result of not conforming to
conventions of glamour.

What is this show doing on NBC, the network that brings you a whole
evening of comedy on Thursdays? Perhaps they aren't that sure
either. *Harry's Law* plays at the comparatively late slot of 10pm
Eastern time on a Monday night, but this means that it hits the Midwest
at 9pm. How will they cope? It's not at all clear whether the network is
fully behind this series as its website is highly parsimonious with
episode catch-ups. So is this another of those edgy shows that actually
works but is a bit too dangerous... or will this prove to be the moment
when the darker, more complex and pessimistic  view of the US finally
breaks out of its HBO compound?


THE DARK SIDE OF KELLEY

David E.Kelley’s new primetime series on NBC,

 Harry’s Law

, has just turned bleak. Fans of

 Ally McBeal

were initially delighted by the idea of a sacked patents lawyer (‘Harriet Korn’/Kathy Bates) setting up a storefront law firm in an abandoned shoe shop.

Letter from America

At last its time to re-launch CST Online. Things move fast in the online world. While the old site did its job, long have I yearned for a slick, clean looking site. That day has now come.

Kim Akass

At last its time to re-launch *CST Online*.

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Things move fast in the online world. While the old site did its job,
long have I yearned for a slick, clean looking site.

That day has now come.

This long overdue overhaul is thanks to the support of Royal Holloway,
University of London, and I give grateful thanks to Prof John Ellis and
the School of Media Arts for finding the necessary sponsorship money to
allow this re-design.  No mean feat in these cash-strapped times.

As usual the site design and hosting is supplied by mediacitizens who
have graciously reduced their fees to enable the redesign and
administrative support for the next two years.

Some of the features from the old site have been brought up to date.  We
are retaining David Lavery's column *Telegenic*, with his insightful and
humorous look at all things televisual.  *In Primetime* stays and so do
the regularly updated sections -- Calls For Papers, upcoming
conferences, workshops and study days (listed monthly), postgraduate
funding the (very) occasional job vacancy and my favourite TV story of
the week (or sometimes day) complete with moving pictures.

New additions?  Our *Guest Blog* (to which everyone is cordially invited
to contribute) with Prof John Ellis taking the helm for the first few
months, writing from his chilly garret in Philadelphia giving us a
British TV scholar's take on American TV.

Another new addition is the *CST blog*.  A shameless excuse for CST-ers
to share their opinions on television shows, television studies, or
anything else televisual that takes their fancy.  This first blog is
being written by Dr Janet McCabe, in her chilly London garret, while
editing the [hard copy
journal](http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?id=16).

Lists are still being uploaded to the new site.  TV Courses will be
added over the next few weeks and months.  Links checked and new lists
added.  TV Journals, Useful Sites and TV Archives will all gradually
come over to the new site.  But, all of this will take time and until we
manage to build the new site completely the old one will remain and can
still be accessed [HERE](http://www.criticalstudiesintelevision.com/).

This is a worrying time in academia.  With cuts evermore swingeing and
the Arts and Humanities increasingly under the cosh, television studies
is hanging on.  I hope that *CST Online* will remain central to the TV
studies community not only in Europe but globally.  Please feel free to
post comments and suggestions.   We welcome original writing.  We want
input.  We are committed to representing your voices, providing a
critical hub for research and information and a website that will
continue to grow and expand into the future.

Thank you for continuing to support *CST Online*.

 

You can now follow our tweets as well as signing up to the *CST
Online* google group to receive regular updates.

 

Please contact kimakass@hotmail.com.


At last its time to re-launch

 CST Online

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Messaggi di Rogue Scholar

Letter from America

CST Online Relaunch