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17 out of 23 people found the following review useful: The truth is out there somewhere!!!, 3 December 2005 Author: ekles from Australia
Having been bought up in Australia with a father who was a barrister and once offered a Supreme Court judicial appointment - I have to say that this program goes a long way to showing the true imperialism of the judicial system.My father rejected the overtures for his own reasons but having watched Deeds I have to say I have seen it all. A judge is a mentor, a guardian, an executioner but most of all a human being. The politics that goes with the position is common.Look at your own life! Change Deeds into the counselor at school, the mediator in a dispute, the local parish priest, the HR officer at work and somewhere there is a Deeds in it.To look upon the law and see the stupidity of it is a gift most lack because there is no law just politics and Judge John Deed highlights that more than any law and order program now or in the past. I believe this is the intention of the program. Entertain - definitely - educate on how the system is and can be twisted more than likely.Watch Deeds and say to yourself "Why is it so =- how can this happen - and how many times has it happened?". Watch again the next week and ask the same question.Be prepared to think
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Nicely played, but wholly unrealistic., 14 April 2007 Author: Maedhros35 from Netherlands
Judge John Deed is a series about a High Court Judge, seen in both his private life (mostly: sleeping with the women he meets in court) and in his court life. The protagonist is nicely played by Martin Shaw, whose pronunciation of English is a wonder to behold, but most of the other characters are one-dimensional cardboard types.Even more, a court presided by a judge where his ex-wife, his daughter and his mistress plead, accompanied by sinister government schemes in every episode is wholly unrealistic, alas. The earlier seasons where a bit better in this review, but season five and six are horrible. Perhaps the writers ran out of stories.
10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: The Anti-Rumpole, 26 April 2005 Author: hgallon from Derbyshire, UK
There have been two series so far of this programme. It seems deliberately to set out to contradict the impression of the British legal system portrayed by the excellent "Rumpole of the Bailey", of senile judges and smug arch-conservative barristers.Here, the main character has radical leanings, a messy private life and a very active libido. Much of the sub-plot is involved with side-swipes at the (Labour) government of the day, although the implication is that power corrupts; the political complexion of the office holders doesn't affect their greed or ambition.The one common factor with other screen portrayals of the British legal system is the very precise diction and grammar used by barristers and judges. The courtroom scenes are well worth watching.Some elements of the plot rather strain belief, but the series is quite enjoyable.
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: A hoot!, 19 January 2007 Author: pawebster from England
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This series is unbelievably potty. What are the writers on? Judge JD is a lecher with his brains in ... well, let's just say, not in his head. He will jump in bed with virtually any attractive woman, even if she is a terrorist out to blow him to smithereens (yes, this really happens in one episode), and he completely disdains security measures intended to keep him alive. So, he's an idiot without the intelligence to hold down a job as a toilet attendant, right? But wait -- he is also our hero, the learned judge who sagely dispenses justice in each week's episode, all the while beating off the cardboard-cutout pantomime villains that the script pits against him, chief among them Sir Ian Rochester.Most pottily of all, the legal system is so short of barristers that one of them, Mrs Mills, appears in almost every case he ever presides over. She lets him kiss her, or more, then pushes him away again. The authorities sometimes challenge him on his blindingly obvious and unethical involvement with her, but he gets away with it every time. Week in, week out.In a sitcom, all this might be mildly amusing, but the show is supposedly a series of tense dramas with cutting-edge social and political commentary. Yeah, right.
18 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Very Realistic Look At Britain's Judicial System, 11 December 2002 Author: Big Movie Fan from England
I did actually work in the judicial sector many moons ago in an administrative role and I saw the day to day workings of the British judicial system. Judge John Deed is an extremely realistic show.Martin Shaw can play any part and is the perfect choice to play the conservative judge. Each show has focused on Deed's courtroom antics and his private life along with the politics that go hand in hand with the judicial system.Having worked for the judicial sector, I can tell you that this show is realistic on so many fronts. One thing that Deed has to put up with in this show is bureaucracy and politics from the powers that be and I know that is how the judiciary works. Deed is his own man and interested only in seeing justice served. He isn't interested in politics and advancing his career and will not compromise his principles to get ahead. In each show, he usually has to contend with Sir Ian Rochester, a squirmy little bureaucrat from the Lord Chancellors Department.The courtroom scenes are fantastic and Deed does everything he can to get to the truth. He does seem to take on the roles of the barristers from time to time but he believes in the truth only.Deed is a very conservative judge whereas a lot of real life judges in the UK are more liberal than conservative. Deed has no hesitation in punishing those who are guilty but if there are extenuating circumstances, then he will consider the options. Deed realises that the law is not black and white and that there are very grey areas in between.All in all, a realistic portrayal of life as a senior judge. Check it out.
12 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Judge for yourself, 14 October 2003 Author: Valerie O'Neill from Perth Australia
Martin Shaw is once again excellent in an excellent production. I have never been to court, but can imagine that this is a particularly precise example of the British legal system. I have followed Martin Shaw's career over the years, since he was in The Professionals, and whether through chance or good judgement, he seems to choose roles that fit his stature. The writing in this show is excellent, the actors, almost without exception, extremely professional, and the sly humour just leavens the gravity of the courtroom proceedings.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Little Prince learned that the most difficult thing to judge is yourself!, 3 November 2007 Author: mmunier from Australia
I am rather disappointed as the series unfolds. What started as something very special and believable, is turning into a total farce. When I say "what started" I mean when I started to watch it, I have no idea what episode it was, actually I did only watch one or two episodes at first, and much latter got involved more regularly with it. But the last episode I watched was a case against animal right protest people who seemed to have maliciously planted a bomb in some animal lab resulting in someone's death. The problem with accepting so many side stories with the case is that eventually the case seems secondary to the stories. And the whole show seems bogged in a lot of superficial gossip material that does very little to entertain me. Just try this for evaluation. A judge has in his court for a murder trial his inexperienced and not really qualified daughter left in charge of the defense, occasionally helped by HIS deserting mistress - and here we're supposed to be talking about a Conservative judge! This is rather worrying - are we going to end up with judge john Days-of-our-life? There is no doubt about Martin Shaw's charisma. He is very good. I imagine, with series, directors and writers have to stretch beyond themselves and their talent for the show to go on. What a pity!
8 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Totally engrossing, 10 March 2006 Author: david_kravitz from Netanya, Israel
I have definite rules for all television series. Do they hold my attention? Are they well written? Are they well acted? In the case of this series, the answers are yes, yes and yes.Starting with the writer, nobody seems to mention him. The stories are well crafted, the different strands of each episode are seamless. I assume that Newman either has some knowledge of the law or access to those that do as the words of John Deed make sense to the viewer.The cast is attractive with a large number of regulars who have stuck with it for some years, always a good sign of their belief in the project. Martin Shaw is always good value for money. The beautiful Jenny Seagrove, (what did she see in Michael Winner), Sir Donald Sinden doing his Donald Sinden act, Christopher Cazenove et als, all turn in quality performances.Some have seen fit to compare this unfavourably with Rumpole of the Bailey, I cannot see the comparison. This is not played for laughs though there is humour a-plenty. This does not have the "clever" endings. This is a good attempt to portray English justice. At 90 minutes an episode, true things have to be tidied a little. A sub-plot is added and we see the human side of the characters' private lives. Each episode I have watched has held my attention, wholly and completely, to the credit titles at the end.A better comparison than Rumpole is probably the late, great John Thaw in Kavanagh QC. This, I know, was based on a real character, latterly elevated to the bench before his untimely death, the real Kavanagh was a friend of mine. I do not know if Deed is based on a real judge, or judges, but I would guess at "probably".I have seen some of the episodes more than once and they do not suffer from repetition. Yes I am a fan, long may Judge John Deed sit on the bench. And at only a handful of episodes a year, this viewer always yearns for his return.
5 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Romancing the Judge, 18 September 2005 Author: PoliteP from Netherlands
A High Court Judge torn between both several lovers (in adultery or otherwise) and the boundaries of justice. For a student of the law almost a text book of cases of likelihood of bias, undue influence, zig-zagging on the straight and narrow and kiss and tell. However, that may well be the reality of major cases. There is no way of escaping the Judge. He is at his best battling with the politicians who would like to stage convictions, mistrials and favoring the cronies of the economy. He is humbled but not humiliated by the women he can't resist. He is brought to modesty by ex-partners, daughters, best friends and those who love him as much as they hate him, without ever being brought to his knees. And the wig does become him as well.
3 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Martin Shaw is a God, 6 April 2006 Author: WelshGoat
Let's be honest a generation of men would like to be the characters he portrays and a generation of women would let them. Brilliant entertainment of which highlights include the constant humiliation of Sir Ian Rochester and Sir Monty Everard. One thing I have noticed is that both his ex wife and ex father in law are very discreetly helping Deed in some small but crucial way whilst publicly yearning for his downfall. Great fun to watch and can you blame him for taking advantage of so many willing women? It's hard to believe that Martin Shaw is rapidly approaching 60. I think everyone enjoys the perpetual relationship he has with Jo Mills but let it never become settled as this would signal the end of the show.
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