Darrow & Darrow

This pilot for a proposed Hallmark Channel series features a strong cast. Though it is listed under the Crime, Drama, and Mystery genres, it has strong comedic undertones, which has a lot to do with its stars: Kimberly Williams-Paisley ("According to Jim"), Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me") and Tom Cavanaugh ("Burn Notice").

Williams-Paisley plays Claire Darrow (I wonder where they found that name?), a small-town attorney who has revived the law firm formerly run by her father. Malick plays mother Joanna, a successful New York City attorney who used to handle big cases, but is now down on her luck and jobless, looking for a place to land. Cavanaugh plays Miles Strasberg, a pragmatic attorney who faces Claire in court, despite his attraction to her. He asks her out every week, and she always declines.

The pilot revolves around a smash-and-grab jewelry burglary. When a local merchant is accused of the crime, Claire defends him. Miles thinks he has an open and shut case, but Claire's instincts tell her the guy is innocent.

As a crime procedural, the writing is mediocre. Claire is not shown to be insightful or decisive in defense of her client. But she is caring and empathetic, which is more important in a Hallmark offering.

This first episode sets up conflicts between Claire, her mother and her daughter. Years of resentment and the teenage temperament must be overcome if these three are to coexist in harmony. This could have made a good series---especially given the acting talent---but Hallmark instead made some follow-up films in subsequent years.

All I can say is that I really enjoyed this! Darrow & Darrow! Really hope this will kick off a series. All the characters are splendid. I enjoy a lot of Hallmark movies, mainly because they make me feel good in the end. But this one offered more. For me, it never got too silly or trivial. The plots and sub-plots kept my interest peaked. Just give us a series! Like Garage Sale Mysteries or The Gourmet Detective, The Flower Shop Mysteries ...... This is way too good to end here!

Something is "off" with these movies, that something is Tom Cavanaugh. There's no chemistry between Cavanaugh and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. He's not quirky, he's annoying!

The show would have been so much better if Kimberly's character had no love interest. The focus should have been on the mysteries, along with her employees and her family. She's rebuilding her life, her relationship with her mother and her family's law firm, the character of Miles wasn't needed.

However, since it's Hallmark and therefore, a romantic interest is more or less mandatory, they could have had different potential suitors some of the episodes. No need for a regular and no need for that dweeb Miles.

This tv pilot/movie was well done and set up for a running series. The characters are likable and real. The plot moved along nicely. The direction was exeptional. I keep searchng for more episodes to see if it's been picked up. I'm intrigued by the characters and their possible development. This series could use more diverse characters, however, it's rare to see something this well directed/photographed on tv anymore. Either it's done cheaply with poor output or it's a mega production with expensive cast. This production is well crafted, and one of those potentially beloved series that became another "missed opportunity" by Hollywood.

Darrow & Darrow is a great addition to the regular Hallmark line-up. The pairing of Kimberly and Tom is a good one, both a little geeky, but in a good way. The tension between Claire and her mom, not unlike so many other mothers and daughters, adds to the believability of the situation. Wendy Malik's dry/sarcastic humor is on point and without it in the mix, the show might just bog down to just another courtroom drama.