User reviews

This is a pilot for a show that was never picked up by the TV networks. It stars Edward G. Robinson as a Perry Mason-like defense attorney, though there is a twist--Robinson's character had been a cop for many years before a career change.

Like other attorney shows, this one is mostly set in the courtroom and is rather cerebral. Robinson is very good as the lawyer--but he was such an excellent actor, it isn't surprising. His job is to defend a young man accused of murder and arson. To the viewer, it's pretty obvious that the evidence is very scant and there is lots of reasonable doubt. But despite this, many seem willing to just assume the guy is guilty.

Overall, this is a pretty good show but it seems to suffer from one minor problem--it's way too short and rushed. It had enough material for a full-length film, so it just seemed a tad too little time to adequately explore the story given its time slot. I did, however, liked how the cops reacted to this defense attorney--this was pretty interesting and I would have liked to see more of this. An interesting premise, excellent acting but just too rushed--it's an interesting example of a show that makes you think 'what if'--what if they had picked up this series?

By the way, the excellent character actor John Hoyt also appears as a cop who is angry at Robinson for being a 'turncoat'.