Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar

2008
Raising the Bar
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Raising the Bar
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Raising the Bar

7.3 | TV-PG | en | Drama

The lives and cases of young lawyers who work on opposite sides - the public defender's office and the district attorney's office - as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases.

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Seasons & Episodes

2
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7.3 | TV-PG | en | Drama | More Info
Released: 2008-09-01 | Released Producted By: ABC Studios , Steven Bochco Productions Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

The lives and cases of young lawyers who work on opposite sides - the public defender's office and the district attorney's office - as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases.

...... View More
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Cast

Mark-Paul Gosselaar , Gloria Reuben , Currie Graham

Director

Jesse Bochco

Producted By

ABC Studios , Steven Bochco Productions

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Reviews

betwana What a shame that Raising the Bar was canceled after the second season! It is by the far the most nuanced, well-written legal show I've ever seen. Most shows in its genre pander to the fantasy that the world is divided into good and evil, where the bad guys are cunning and unremorseful and the good guys are always law enforcement. Raising the Bar is one of the few shows that show the defense side, but it doesn't do that at the expense of the prosecution side. Even the show's initial villains are rehabilitated as complicated, nuanced characters. As a lawyer, I can vouch for how close the show gets to reality (except for how attractive and well-dressed the characters are, of course!) it is also incredibly entertaining without sacrificing its complexity. I can't say enough good things about this show - I actually shelled out money to buy the DVDs, which I almost never do. Highly recommend!
drarthurwells The reviews of "Raising the Bar", totally miss the point of this series. This series offers great insight into the politics of justice as opposed to the principles of justice, whereby personal agendas of judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers intrude into the judicial process to over-ride the truth of a case. This is the reality of "justice" which is generally ignored or brushed aside. No other series exposes this reality as well as "Raising the Bar", if they try do it at all.The inner workings of behind the scene trading of favors in "deals" is fully exposed. The truth of a case is often a secondary consideration with judges and opposing attorneys. Such political skewing of principle is the corruption that exists in all human transaction - economic, political, or judicial. However, we often ignore this and wish it away, as a part of our ignoring much of reality that is uncomfortable to us. This series can shake up your perceptions of the law and government.
michael_cure This show is well thought out and succeeds and falters simultaneously in the early episodes, but gets stronger as it continues into the second season. Although the writing and acting are a bit disjointed at moments, the fundamental plots are excellent and very well put together. Most people's expectations of a legal drama will be exceeded. The series touches on many moral and ethical issues that face western societies, particularly the United States. Every episode provokes thought and discussion about issues that do not have simple answers and which the American system of justice is ill-equipped to resolve. The acting and writing are not perfect, and there are cheesy/campy moments, but there are also moments where you can see that the acting and writing could really click. Having been a fan of Boston Legal, the Practice and The Good Wife, I feel very comfortable recommending this series to anyone who enjoys legal drama. The series is more serious than Boston Legal but less fun and sexy; and is more fun and sexy than the Practice but less serious. It also has a distinctly different aesthetic than either of those shows and outcomes are less predictable. The cast is strong and there are many familiar faces from ER. I hope the show continues. Not perfect. Not a 10/10, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.
bkoganbing The mostly young cast of Raising The Bar and the performances they give will probably interest more young people into going into the law than any other show since Perry Mason. It's also a lot more realistic than Perry Mason.The real test for this show and perhaps it's a bit unfair to compare it with Steven Bochco's last big NYPD Blue in terms of staying power, is to see if the premise carries it beyond the attractive cast. It certainly sustains Law And Order despite cast changes that have completely eliminated the original members now. That's what happened with NYPD Blue, but they did have Dennis Franz to anchor that show.Bochco got his cast from a variety of sources from daytime and nighttime television, in some cases the players have experience in both. There are role models aplenty here.My favorite is Mark-Paul Gosselaar who shed the Zack Morris image in NYPD Blue has now gone on to a different idealistic character in the person of Legal Aid lawyer Jerry Kellerman. There was an episode where his supervisor at the panel criticized him for being unable to watch an injustice being persecuted. Now that's someone I can always admire. Gosselaar as Kellerman is charming, mature, and idealistic and looking a whole lot better since he shed the long hair from the first season.For those who like hard as nails prosecutors, Currie Graham also from NYPD Blue is supervising bureau chief assistant district attorney Nick Baldo. Hard to believe that Jack McCoy and Baldo work for the same office. They think they're doing society a service, but it's also a numbers game with them, to rack up a collection of scalps so to speak. Baldo shows why the Kellermans of the world are really needed.And you have to love Mary Jane Kaczmarek as the tough female judge who's succeeded in what was a male dominated profession. Remember it was only 28 years ago a woman finally made it to the Supreme Court. She's had to be tough to survive. It's also twisted her somewhat, in many ways she's the most complex character on the show.Shows that have as long a run as NYPD Blue are few and far between, but I'm hoping this one has a real long 7 to 8 year run. The scripts are literate and factual and the players make you care about their characters. What's not to like?