law

Once again, lots of things happen. Christina (Julianne Nicholson) is heartbroken over an emotional case involving a dead baby, Billy (J. August Richards) is trying to keep his perfect record in the courtroom, Cabot (Stephanie March) and Steele (Anson Mount) get it on, Potter (Jordan Bridges) grows some balls, and Peluso (Eric Balfour) hounds the beautiful but icey girl in the office. By the way, did anybody catch why the title of this episode is 'Savasana'? I don't get it.

Well, Billy is a jerk. In his personal life and his work life. He sleeps with a girl who turns out to be a clerk and then totally shrugs her off when he sees her in the courthouse. But, even worse than that was his attempt to get a woman to drop her 1974 rape case because it wasn't a slam dunk for him. He tells the rape victim, "I don't want to put you through any unnecessary pain." Grrrr.

Is anybody else wondering where this show is going? It's trying to balance a procedural drama, which is Dick Wolf's cup of tea, with a bunch of personal storylines, which are usually not included in Dick Wolf shows. It seems clumsy, fragmented, and packed with too much information. I still don't know any of the characters' names and I feel like I'm not getting any time to get to know them because the show jumps from character to character so quickly.

NBC was kind enough to make the new Dick Wolf procedural drama, Conviction, available for free on iTunes before it airs on Friday night. So, I took advantage. I'm just going to give you my general thoughts on the program. There will be NO SPOILERS HERE.

If you like Law and Order, you will probably like Conviction. There are a lot of characters on the show who will make for some great storylines that will no doubt be driven by the criminals and crime victims. It looks as though we'll be getting two storylines an episode, instead of just one, like the usual Dick Wolf procedural dramas.

I may have just died and gone to heaven. I'm only speculating here, because The Hollywood Reporter didn't exactly say for sure, but it's a pretty good bet that Alan Tudyk and Joshua Jackson have been cast in the same drama that's being created for CBS. Earlier this month, I reported on Jackson landing the lead in a Carol Mendelsohn law drama about a young lawyer whose career takes a turn when he takes a death row case. The Hollywood Reporter is now saying that Alan Tudyk (aka 'Wash' in Firefly) has been cast "in CBS' untitled Carol Mendelsohn drama". It describes the show as being about brilliant legal minds and that Tudyk will play "a competitive and arrogant Ivy League graduate." That sounds like the same show to me. Now, if only David Duchovny would join the cast.

Joshua Jackson just landed the lead role in a CBS legal drama that, so far, does not have a title. Jackson, also known as Pacey Witter (heart!) from Dawson's Creek, is fresh off the stage in England where he acted with Patrick Stewart in a David Mamet play. He also shot a couple of indie movies last year.

In the new series, Jackson will play a first-year lawyer, badgered by a firm partner, whose career takes an important turn when he is assigned the case of a death row inmate. The series is produced by Carol Mendelsohn, one of the producers of the CSI franchise.

Maybe 2006 is the year of the Dawson's Creek kids? Katie Holmes will allegedly give birth to Tom Cruise's baby later this year and Michelle Williams may or may not win an Oscar for her role in Brokeback Mountain. Now, where on earth is James van der Beek?

The new year brings a new law to California that punishes overzealous paparazzi (is there any other kind?). Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed the law, after numerous reports this year that people like Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johanssen, Paris Hilton, and Lindsey Lohan were being run off the road by photographers. The governator himself was even run off the road by photographers. The new law prohibits photographers and videographers from assaulting anyone in an attempt to get a photo. That includes the subject of the photo and the general public, which is usually forcefully pushed aside when a celebrity is walking down the street. If convicted, paparazzi will have to pay triple damages and give up any money made off the photos. The law also allows publishers who buy and print the photos to also be liable. The Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney started off the new year by putting out a call to all celebrities to contact his office when they are assaulted by paparazzi.