The Evidence

The Evidence One Hour Crime Drama Premiered 9pm Wednesday, March 22, 2006 on ABC *

"Not since NCIS has their been a more idiotic rip off of CSI" "CSI: San Francisco is the weakest of the CSI's this is a CSI isn't it?"

That's what I have to say in a nutshell about The Evidence.

The only thing that intrigues me about this new crime drama is that it's not on CBS like all the other who-done-it crime dramas on television these days (except for NBC's Law and Order).

Orlando Jones (Make 7 up yours) and Rob Estes (Gilmore Girls) star as crime fighting buddies in The Evidence, a crime drama that brags of only one original idea: present the evidence at the beginning of the show. Sounds potentially interesting right? Sure, but try as they may, The Evidence is all they have.

The first downer I noticed about this show was that the cinematography was out of whack in an NCIS kind of way- jump cuts from one side of a person's face to the other, very distracting and very un amusing for the eye. The other bad thing I noticed, and this is a big bad thing, they copied CSI (and all its many clones) right now to the fuzzy flash backs and helicopter establishing shots. OK?

To make things worse, the dialog is awful, the acting stale and uncomfortable; Jones is still breathing his 7 up days and it's hard to ignore. Estes does little better, his incompetent, sober character (I lost my wife to a killer I can't find) is clinched and played by an actor who should be kicking Jones's ass by now. Where is the feeling? No one grits their teeth or cares about this dead girl's killer. The realism is not there!

Original, die hard CSI watchers know what a good crime show looks and feels like, and will probably be unamused by this ABC wannabe and go back to their CBS chalk lineup. My prediction is that this show will be about as successful as the remake of Dragnet starring Ed O'Neil and Ethan Embry. However, NCIS is still on the air, and The Evidence is just as idiotic so you never know what America will sucker into.

Check out more reviews at my blog: blog.myspace.com/51407065

I was so excited to see this show since I like both Rob Estes & Orlando Jones. The first time I watched the show I was sucked into the way you get to see all the evidence and how it's pieced together by the inspectors. I also enjoy seeing Martin Landau's character on screen. He always manages to provide a little humor as well as history lesson. The only concern I have is that this great show will end up alongside "Firefly" at the end of it's first season.If you enjoy two hot guys who can also act with interesting back stories - Rob's character has a wife who was murdered, the case is still open and he can't get answers through the station; Orlando is trying to help his ex-gang banger brother get a fresh start after jail - then this is THE show for you.

Caught this show between TIVO'd versions of SVU. I kind of liked it. SVU is my favorite Law and Order ...I like the fact that instead of just catching criminals they have some personal stuff going on with Bensen and Stabler... That's what I liked about this show...It's more like CSI in video effects, but the main characters seem to have back stories and personal lives. Personally I need more shows like SVU I've almost seen every episode and CSI just doesn't do it for me...I hope this one, turns out to be good. It also reminds me of that old Orson Welles Radio show the Black Museum, where the talk about the murder weapons or evidence at the beginning and then tell the story... Does anyone know who plays the dead wife? She's looks hot...is she in anything else????

A so-so CSI style show. Lot of quick cut edits and saturated hues. Locations (with some name changes) appear to be fairly accurate; e.g., main hospital in the pilot episode was SF General, and was on the correct street in the right neighborhood (22nd St.in the Mission). I do have one gripe concerning the portrayal of SF homicide detectives. As any SF resident over the past couple of years will attest to, SF cops don't actually solve homicides. The amount of cases brought for prosecution is very low and the DA and SFPD are pointing fingers at each other. Acting is OK, Orlando Jones' voice is a little soft, needs to speak louder. In this current cut and run network environment, not sure if ABC will stick this one out a while and re-order for fall. On the other hand, they don't have much in the way of cop shows in their present lineup.

When watching "The Evidence" series premiere this week, I forgot I was at home watching a one-hour TV show. The writers, direction and acting are very big-screenish (if you know what I mean) looks like something I'd see on the big screen. It's COLUMBO meets CSI - very modern, edgy, action-packed, suspenseful and even funny!! They have slow motion, stills and fast past pans and I felt like I was there, not at home watching it on TV.

The only thing I didn't like about the show was the "garage scene" with Rob Estes. Reminded me of A Beautiful Mind. Creepy. I know they had to give his character a back storyline, but please. I hope they finalize his own personal case and focus on current day happenings - not the past.

Other than that, very entertaining and cinematic. It's Columbo meets CSI - we see how the murder is done and the evidence and then hope that the detectives figure it out. Very creative and modern! Makes you wonder how they do it!!