Philly

While I enjoyed the show, what bothers me the most is seeing people make comments about it when they've only seen one episodes and five minutes of another. Please, be a little more educated before you start telling other people what was wrong with the show.

Since "NYPD Blue" premiered, a lot of new shows from Steven Bochco Productions have come and gone (from "Public Morals," Bochco's ill-advised foray into the world of sitcoms, to the medical drama "City of Angels" - one of the few Steven Bochco series not as yet shown in Britain). "Philly" wasn't the one to break his losing streak, but this legal drama still deserves a bit better than it's been getting ;at the time of writing it's airing on Channel 4 in the UK late at night in single or double-bills over the Christmas period. Can you say "filler"? Come on - it's no classic, but it's not "Mortal Kombat: Conquest" either.

A vehicle for Kim Delaney, the late Bobby Simone's equally late girlfriend is reincarnated as Kathleen Maguire, a Philadelphia lawyer and divorced mother of one (her ex happens to be a DA, with all that implies). She has trouble with the circuit judges she argues her cases in front of and is given to wearing suspiciously short skirts (Bochco always did have a weakness for strikingly attractive legal reps on his shows), but fortunately the resemblance to Ally McBeal ends there; her legal life is loaded with difficulty from the first episode onwards, in which her load is doubled when her partner [Joanna Cassidy, last seen as Brenda's mother on "Six Feet Under"] has a breakdown in court and winds up in psychiatric care... like I said, this ain't no Ally.

Kathleen's characterised as dedicated and idealistic, but her rival lawyers aren't set up as the enemy - they're all people trying to do a job. Her new partner (Tom Everett Scott) is set up as looser than she is, but just as set on doing a good job. Plus the series is set in one of America's less exposed cities... so far so competent. And that's the show's problem - there's nothing really WRONG with it; the writing doesn't stink, the acting's decent (especially Rick Hoffman as one of the Commonwealth's lawyers), the stories hold the attention, the different setting is a change, the kid isn't too annoying, and Mike Post rises to the occasion yet again in terms of themes. But like "Brooklyn South," "Philly" lacks that extra something that could put it over the top - although at least the characters here are slightly less anonymous.

If it didn't carry the legend "Executive Producer: Steven Bochco," this show might have gotten a chance to show its legs were as good as Kim Delaney's. But in any event, it's a decent time-passer; more "Equal Justice" than "Murder One," but none the worse for that.

This was a terrific binge-watching experience, with excellent writing meeting outstanding acting and directing. It's one of the best legal dramas that I've seen.

Works within this genre -- books, movies or TV series -- are at their best when they focus on philosophical discussions about the unintended consequences of particular laws and ethical issues; including both the "low-hanging fruit" variety -- defending those who commit heinous acts, Constitutional issues like the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th & 8th amendments, etc -- AND the more exotic like attorney- client privilege, pre-trial discovery, etc.

Philly *clearly* embraced these philosophical discussions and the show felt like the *early* seasons of Law & Order in this regard; before L&O's trite, crappy writing and melodramatic plot lines took hold.

In fact, my one criticism of this show's design was that it crammed far too many of these topics into each episode; leaving a *lot* of unexplored drama on the table as a result. Nevertheless, there is a whole lot to love about this dead-before-its-time series so if you like legal thrillers, give it a go when you find it. You won't be sorry.

In one way, I'm glad I didn't find Philly until ten years after it was canceled. I knew it wouldn't last from the outset, so was saved from being disappointed when it was taken away.

I think every one of the 22 episodes was a gem; the cast was wonderful and the stories intelligently and realistically presented.

Kim Delaney was perfect as the idealistic but determined and smart defense attorney, making a difference in a seedy system.

Tom Everett Scott played her less idealistic, but equally determined partner beautifully.

Rick Hoffman played prosecutor Terry Loomis very well, but one wonders how he could remain on of the top lawyers in the DAs office when he lost so often to Delaney and Scott.

Kyle Secor as the Asst. DA and ex to Delaney was a great foil.

And Dena Detrich as the judge with a dog she brought into court supplied comic relief, but also realistic counsel to the attorneys. Much more successfully than did Robert Harper as the buffoonish Judge Haws.

I imagine after 911, audiences weren't sympathetic to legal defense. I think this show was a victim of the time it came to air.

I wanted more, that's high praise.

I am still praying that they will bring back this show. I thought it was going to flop right away, but it lasted a whole season. I expected it to be back. Instead my viewing habits have turned more to NBC to watch SUV, Law and Order, etc. The only thing that ABC has to come close is "The Practice" and the plots are getting old. "Philly" seemed "realer" than "Practice", not as canned.