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I, for one love the idea of James Woods
heading up TV series. I've been a fan for
years, always enjoying his on the edge performances.
Initially I was surprised he would even
do TV, despite the fact that he is not really
what one would consider an A-list actor
anymore. But accept the challenge he did
and now he is gearing up to start a second
season as hard-edged lawyer Sebastian Stark
in "Shark."
There were plans in the world for me to
watch "Shark" when it first aired
just because of Woods. But as my schedule
grows ever more frenzied as I jet-set around
my TV watching DVD so I can tell you about
them, trying to catch them as they air has
become more and more difficult.
So instead I opted to kick back and wait
for the eventual DVD release of "Shark's"
first season so I could check it out. And
check it out I did, all 22 episodes over
the course of a few days. Did I like it?
IGive me a minute and I'll tell ya.
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"Shark" starts out by introducing us
to a character that is so reprehensible that imagining
him as the lead of a popular series is almost
impossible. Sebastian Stark is the kind of lawyer
we all hate. Well, I know we pretty much hate
all lawyers but to be honest the worst ones tend
to be the defense attorneys, after all even if
they know you're guilty they'll work hard to get
you free. And that's exactly what Stark is, a
high profile defense attorney who, right off the
bat, works his magic to get a wife-beater off
the hook. Unfortunately shortly after his release…
the wife turns up dead.
This shakes Stark's world up so bad that he pulls
back from accepting any cases for a while but
he capture the attention of the city's mayor who
wants to put him in charge of an elite squad of
prosecutors. He wants Stark to teach them all
the tactics he used in the defense of criminals
so they can instead put them away. His team is
made up of the usual suspects and stereotypes.
Casey Woodland (Samuel Page) is the 'GQ' guy,
Raina Troy (Sophina Brown) is the bleeding-heart,
Martin Allende (Alexis Cruz) is the 'mousy' one,
and Madeline Poe (Sarah Carter) is pegged as the
cold b****. Add 'not too happy with the arrangement'
District Attorney Jessica Devlin (Jeri Ryan) to
the mix and you get one volatile combination.
"Shark" was a much different show than
I originally thought, and to be honest I quite
enjoyed it. I felt that woods was well-cast and
really did a great job of taking the reins of
a show with so many diverse characters. Yet, he
does not completely steal the show either. Almost
all of the characters are given opportunities
to take center stage, making it very entertaining.
Fox's DVD release adds a couple of commentaries
to the set, both by James Woods and creator/executive
producer Ian Biederman. I've listed the episodes
they appear on below, and suffice to say the commentaries
are quite direct. Woods is a no holds barred kind
of guy and it shows in his comments. Additionally
there is a featurette where we again hear from
Biederman and producer Robin Gurney as they recount
the everyday occurrences that led to develop the
series. It also offers interviews with the cast
as far as their take on the show. I also found
it interesting to note that the Pilot was directed
by Spike Lee (Hollywood's Greatest Amateur Filmmaker).
You'll also find a selection of deleted scenes
and a short blooper reel.
I was really glad I gave "Shark" a whirl.
It's another one of those shows that tempts me
to check out subsequent seasons as they air…
but I'll wait for the DVD.
Episodes:
Pilot (Audio Commentary by James Woods and Creator/Executive
Producer Ian Biederman)
L.A.P.D. Blue
Dr. Feelbad
Russo
In the Grasp
Fashion Police
Déjà vu All Over Again
Love Triangle
Dial M For Monica
Sins of the Mother
The Wrath of Khan
Wayne's World (Audio Commentary by James Woods
and Creator/Executive Producer Ian Biederman)
Teacher's Pet
Starlet Fever
Here Comes the Judge
Blind Trust
Backfire
Trial by Fire
Porn Free
Fall from Grace
Strange Bedfellows
Wayne's World 2: Revenge of the Shark
Starring: James Woods
Extras: Audio Commentary on Select Episodes, Creating
Shark Featurette, Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 10/9/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Shark: Season 1 a B.
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