"Murder One" (1995) TV series 1995-1997

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Creators:

Steven Bochco
Charles H. Eglee
Channing Gibson

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

19 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Theodore Hoffman is a prominent defense attorney in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. After successfully...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Law | Law Firm | Courtroom | Lawyer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Mary McCormack	...	Justine Appleton (41 episodes, 1995-1997)
J.C. MacKenzie	...	Arnold Spivak (40 episodes, 1995-1997)
Michael Hayden	...	Chris Docknovich (39 episodes, 1995-1997)
Barbara Bosson	...	Miriam Grasso (39 episodes, 1995-1997)
John Fleck	...	Louis Hines (31 episodes, 1995-1997)
Markus Redmond	...	Mark Washington (29 episodes, 1995-1997)
Daniel Benzali	...	Ted Hoffman (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Grace Phillips	...	Lisa Gillespie (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Stanley Tucci	...	Richard Cross (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Dylan Baker	...	Det. Arthur Polson (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Vanessa Williams	...	Lila (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Patricia Clarkson	...	Annie Hoffman (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Jason Gedrick	...	Neil Avedon (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Linda Carlson	...	Judge Beth Bornstein (22 episodes, 1995-1997)
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Jimmy Wyler (18 episodes, 1996-1997)
D.B. Woodside	...	Aaron Mosely (17 episodes, 1996-1997)
Gregory Itzin	...	D.A. Roger Garfield (17 episodes, 1995-1996)

Runtime:

60 min (41 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (season 1) | Singapore:PG (season 2) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Steven Bochco Productions

Trivia:

Several early episodes make reference to "the Anselmo case", a running gag from "Moonlighting" (1985), for which Murder One co-creator Charles H. Eglee was a writer.

Quotes:

Annie Hoffman: I keep putting this conversation off and putting it off and I can't any more. I can't keep living the way we've been living.
Theodore Hoffman: The trial's been exhausting, I know.
Annie Hoffman: I think we need to separate for a while.
Theodore Hoffman: Annie, don't do this, I love you.
Annie Hoffman: [in tears] I'm sorry.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer" (1997)

One of the best of the 90's.

Murder One has to go down as one of the best series on of the 90's. The first series plot has you going one way and another spotting one red herring after another, right up until the last episode.

Whilst I do remember the show well, I also remember is had a bit of a Scooby Doo ending to it, not entirely consistent with the previous 22 episodes.

According to the press, whilst it was a monster hit in the UK (and other parts of Europe) it died a death in the US. I'm not sure if that's purely academic propaganda, but the suggestion was that US audiences didn't like the idea of having to follow a series rather than encapsulated 60 minute stories. Who knows, all I do know is that the seconds series was a severe disappointment.

Clearly taking lead from some pressure state side, the trials became 3 episodes long, with little or no 'main plot'. UK audiences kept trying to piece together a bigger picture, only for there not to be one. As a result, it was widely criticised. Plus, the loss of Teddy Hoffman was a bitter blow. He'd become such a familiar feature of 23 episode run that when he wasn't there, it was never going to be the same.

Maybe it suffers a little from the X-Files factor. A second series was a mistake and it should have quit while it was ahead.

First series - Outstanding Second series - Fine for a rainy evening