Steven Bochco’s Raising the Bar premiered on TNT tonight. The cable network has spent a great deal of time building up the latest small-screen drama from the creator of Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue. It even aired without commercials.
If you missed it, or like me originally had no intentions of watching it, here’s the gist of the premiere.
After mouthing off to the cougar older judge (CJ) who’s sleeping with her on-the-downlow clerk (DLC), a pretty long-haired white boy public defendant (PPD) serves a contempt charge in jail beside his black client who was falsely accused of rape (FABC). The pretty blonde Assistant District Attorney (PBADA) and the PPD (who also happen to be banging each other) had agreed upon a plea due to an unfairly coerced witness identification, but the calloused, power hungry judge rejected it. Because all the 20 something ADAs , public defenders, and clerks are part of an after hours drinking circle, PPD was able to get DLC to exert some strategic pressure on the CJ. Not only was PPD’s contempt charge vacated without an apology to the CJ, but his FABC’s illegal weapon charge (using a pocket knife in commission of a felony) was commuted to time served. Crisis averted, drinks all around, smug judge’s reputation saved, and a happy gay tryst for DLC.
Could you stuff more here I come to save the day smarm into 40 minutes? I know we’re a paucity of voices in the media world, but is it too much to ask for a show that features a minority saving the day for other minorities? Out of fairness, I decided to watch the show. And sure, this is only the first one, but if I’ve somehow missed some grand revelation, please, someone enlighten me.