Century City
Series Premiere

Though the law may change by the time 2030 rolls around, lawyers will still remain the same

	Century City Series Premiere
	"Pilot"
	Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Kristin Lehman, Nestor Carbonell, Viola Davis and Hector Elizondo
	Created by Ed Zuckerman
	Written by Ed Zuckerman
	Directed by Michael Lehmann
	CBS
	Premieres Tuesday, March 16, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

By Kathie Huddleston

t's Los Angeles 2030, and the lawyers who work at the firm of Crane, Constable, McNeil and Montero regularly find themselves in uncharted legal territory as they deal with issues involving everything from holograms to clones.

First up is the case of Miller Sisto (David Paymer), the father of a seven-year-old boy named Alex who will die if he doesn't have a liver transplant. Alex doesn't have time to wait for his name to come up on the transplant list. Desperate to save his son's life, Miller traveled out of the country to have a genetic embryo clone of Alex created, in hopes that, if born, the baby would be able to donate a portion of his liver to Alex. However, when Miller re-entered the country, the government arrested him and seized the genetic clone.

The socially conscious Lukas Gold (Gruffudd) takes on the case with hopes of saving the boy's life. The partners in the firm aren't sure they want to waste their time on a difficult pro-bono case. While Lukas navigates the sticky legal territory, he discovers Miller has been keeping a secret from him that may derail the case and cost the boy his life.

In another case, first-year attorney Lee May Bristol (Lehman) and Darwin McNeil (Eric Schaeffer), a conceited cad and partner, meet with a former boy band that wants to go back on tour, but without their lead singer, T.J. (Anthony Zerbe). The other members of the band feel that T.J. hasn't kept up his physical appearance. But T.J.'s argument has to do with what the others expect him to do to maintain that physical appearance since it's been decades since they had a hit song.

Meanwhile, senior partners Marty Constable (Elizondo) and Hannah Crane (Davis) work to keep the law firm out of trouble and to counsel the young lawyers in their charge.

L.A. Law built this City

How strange. CBS's new drama Century City, which is all about future legal issues, is almost retro in look and feel. Sure, there are some modern touches with the use of holograms, a nifty-looking set and plastic transparencies for paper. However, mixing the pretty regulars with familiar character actors makes the show feel reminiscent of 1986's L.A. Law. That's not necessarily a bad thing. However, Century City is a bit too slick in a day when a gritty shows like The Practice are the standard.

There are definitely some cool aspects to the show. The legal questions are undoubtedly powerful, and as these television lawyers grapple with the different sides of the issues, it's fascinating. Is a cloned embryo property? Who are the parents? Is a little boy's life worth the cost to society if human cloning is sanctioned? As with the best dramatic questions, there are no good answers, which is what makes the issues all the more compelling.

Overall, the writing is good, and top-notch guest stars have been brought in to deliver some meaty performances, starting off with Academy Award-nominated actor David Paymer and Emmy Award-winning actor Anthony Zerbe. Beyond that, you have to love any series that stars Hector Elizondo (who also won an Emmy for Chicago Hope).

While this premiere episode of Century City proves that the series has the potential for being very good, it's not there yet. It doesn't have the power, the explosive drama or the unique characters of the two series it will be compared to (L.A. Law and The Practice). Of course, that's basing judgment on one episode that has yet to flesh out any of the six main characters to any extent. Hopefully, the characters will become more than the stereotypes they presently appear to be. While it seems doubtful the series will gain much grit, hopefully the writers will give it some depth to hold up those lofty legal arguments.

One other thing—people will never, ever read a stack of clear plastic sheets with type on them. Imagine trying to read a pile of transparencies. Well, maybe 25 years in the future all the lawyers have had special eyes implanted that help them read that stuff.

It's good to see CBS taking the plunge at another genre show after its success with Joan of Arcadia. This new series about future legal eagles won't have a lot of time to make its case for survival on the network, but if it can dig in and give its characters some bite, Century City has a shot. — Kathie

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Century City Series Premiere

L.A. Law built this City

Century City
Series Premiere

`L.A. Law built this City`