I'm basing my review of this short-lived John-Charles-Walters produced U.S. sit-com on the first two episodes which have recently, as if by magic re-surfaced online and on my original memories of watching it nearly 40 years ago.
From the same stable as big-hit series employing the same talented directors and writers - the latter principally including the likes of David Lloyd and Earl Pomeranz with long term MTM pedigrees, this was a very funny half-hour comedy which managed to even make the grey-suited legal profession funny. Unlike the more working class backgrounds to say "Cheers" or "Taxi", this programme focused on the other end of the employment scale, young, aspirant lawyers at the old-established legal firm of Buss and Marshall, run by benevolent despot Wilfred Hyde-White as its elderly patriarch, Mr Marshall. In truth he steals almost every scene in which appears, although this is usually because he gets the best !ines. That said, Martin Short, Alley Mills, Joe Regalbuto and the rest of the cast get a good sprinkling of laugh-out-loud lines too in time-honoured James Burrows-directed ensemble fashion.
Sure you can read across characters to their counterparts in the two other shows I've mentioned above, but the different setting and like I say consistently high quality writing helped make it a firm favourite of mine and sorry to see it cancelled after only one series. It's a shame it didn't find an audience and I can I only hope I get to see the remaining episodes some time soon.
From the same stable as big-hit series employing the same talented directors and writers - the latter principally including the likes of David Lloyd and Earl Pomeranz with long term MTM pedigrees, this was a very funny half-hour comedy which managed to even make the grey-suited legal profession funny. Unlike the more working class backgrounds to say "Cheers" or "Taxi", this programme focused on the other end of the employment scale, young, aspirant lawyers at the old-established legal firm of Buss and Marshall, run by benevolent despot Wilfred Hyde-White as its elderly patriarch, Mr Marshall. In truth he steals almost every scene in which appears, although this is usually because he gets the best !ines. That said, Martin Short, Alley Mills, Joe Regalbuto and the rest of the cast get a good sprinkling of laugh-out-loud lines too in time-honoured James Burrows-directed ensemble fashion.
Sure you can read across characters to their counterparts in the two other shows I've mentioned above, but the different setting and like I say consistently high quality writing helped make it a firm favourite of mine and sorry to see it cancelled after only one series. It's a shame it didn't find an audience and I can I only hope I get to see the remaining episodes some time soon.