100 Centre Street

This was a series that ran something less than two full seasons. I'm not sure all the episodes listed actually ran.

It had an unusually large and diversified cast, headed by Academy Award winning actor Alan Arkin and the magnificent LaTanya Richardson as diametrically opposed, both judicially and politically, but sill close, New York City judges.

It seems to me producer Lumet sought to bring back some of the quality that occasionally surfaced in the early days of live TV drama. I think he succeeded brilliantly. While the series slightly lost focus in its' second season, due mainly to cast defections and resulting plot line changes, it was, IMHO, head and shoulders above most of what passes for dramatic TV these days.

It is always a joy to see artists the likes of Arkin, Richardson, et al, applying their craft in an obviously friendly environment.

So far as I know, this two season series is not available on DVD. It should be.

Sidney Lumet is back in top form, doing what he does best. Driven equally by character and plot, an intelligent look at the difficulty of sometimes making choices between loyalty and morality.

Beautifully acted and written. The characters are realistically imperfect human beings in an imperfect world.

"100 Center Street" is the single best show on television. This underrated, incredibly written drama far outweighs any courtroom competition. I have been a casting director for over ten years and I have never seen a cast put together that is so wonderful. Watch this damn show!

Not that many people will be reading my comments as this show is a couple of years old now but we are seeing it for the first time in Australia and I must comment on the grittiness and unglamourous world of the arraignment courts in the USA. We are bombarded with lawyer and police shows with beautiful people who are, oh, so smart and unbelievable! Yet, 100 Centre Street works because it does not glamourise itself and the stories and actors are all believable. The few episodes we have seen so far, only about 4 or 5, have all been outstanding and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing more. Superb, this is a 10/10 for anyone who wants to see the 'other side' of life!

I envy you folks in Australia getting to spend time with the fantastic characters in this show. When it went off the air here in the U.S., it absolutely broke my heart. I had come to care about so many of the characters and loved the time that was spent getting to know them. It is one of the few shows that actually let people talk...

It reminded me of European films, and even television, that delve deep into characters and themes and don't feel pressured to bang out action sequences for the A.D.D generation.

I so hope Mr. Lumet gives us more of exactly what this was -- one of the best dramas on television, ever. Lumet really amazes me.