Raisng The Bar – The Complete
First Season (2008/Disney DVD)
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: B- Episodes: B-
Raising the Bar came onto the TV scene in 2008 as
one of seemingly many crime and legal-based dramas inundating viewers. Surprisingly, and somewhat refreshingly,
executive producer Steven Bochco managed to take on an angle that allows for
viewers to feel immersed in the drama of courtroom without much drama at all. The storylines are not flashy;
indeed, it is the day-to-day, real-life struggles and successes of not only the
public court system, but of the public itself, that make this series enjoyable.
Essentially, each episode presents court
cases that are real and believable, giving the viewer the sense that this is an
accurate representation of how the legal system really works.
Plotlines
primarily follow public defender Jerry Kellerman, portrayed by Mark-Paul
Gosselaar, as he attempts to help the helpless in situations that are true to
life. Gosselaar, who reached his claim
to fame in the 1990s as Saved by the
Bell’s Zack Morris, has traded his teenage heartthrob image for a grittier
persona.
Unfortunately, he has essentially traded one cliché for
another. Kellerman argues for his
clients’ rights with a fervor and a passion that at first seem admirable, but
quickly become the norm for him, and while he continues to defend both the
innocent and the guilty, his reaction is much the same to any and all clients
in any and all situations. Rounding out
the cast are Gloria Reuben, Jonathan Scarfe, J. August Richards, Teddy Sears,
Natalia Cigliuti, Currie Graham, Jane Kaczmarek as career-driven judge Trudy
Kessler, and Melissa
Sagemiller as prosecuting attorney Michelle Ernhardt.
As Raising the Bar
progresses throughout the season, each episode strives to further delve into
the backgrounds of each main character, attempting to get the audience to form
a bond with these characters and inviting them to continue watching. While this
gets off to a somewhat slow start, it does connect the viewer to these
characters, who grow and develop throughout the series, and it accomplishes the
task of giving each one of them depth, dimension, and value; each character is
flawed in ways in which the average audience member can relate, and each
character also possesses redeeming qualities.
Narratively, Raising
the Bar transitions through time and progresses through a scene by fading
in and out people in any given location, demonstrating that time has elapsed
and recreating the natural progression of people entering or exiting a room and
the actions associated with them. This quirky twist allows the viewers to focus
on something other than the characters or the plotline and is a fun way to set
this series apart from others that may mimic its concept.
The anamorphcially enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is not bad for
DVD, while its Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is not bad for a TV show. Extras include Behind The Bar roundtable discussion with the cast, Sworn Testimony about true prosecutor
tales, audio commentaries on select shows and Mistrials, which is a bloopers
reel.
Overall, while Raising
the Bar lacks some of the freshness one would hope for with a new-on-the
scene legal drama, it demonstrates the potential for growth and development as
a series, not unlike its characters.
- Christen Stroh
