Television that Rocks Your Ocean - SHARK

It isn't too shocking that the title for this series about a lawyer would have a title that folks associate with lawyers. What is different is that the name play pun isn't driven into the ground, but gently fed to us as we catch up on the story. Sebastian Stark is the lead character in the drama, a vicious unethical defense attorney who was "all mobbed up" in his former money making life, but now, he has been recruited instead of being filleted by the new mayor. He will become a prosecutor, logic being, who would know better how to be a truly great prosecutor than the guy who beat the fire out of them? Great concept and they don't eat the name game up- Stark/Shark...you get it..., so it's a decent approach.

Sebastian works for a lady D.A. Jessica Devlin, played by Jeri Ryan, who drew many viewers attention as lawyer turned teacher in the popular "Boston Public," series.

Ryan is physically spellbinding in her beauty, but what sells her part is her acting, she has the ability to make you believe as a viewer that Sebastian is going to do what she wants, without any favors in the mix. That's fantastic scripting and casting, because it makes a viewer forget who they are watching and flow with the drama. The idea of Jessica Devlin is a perfect character, she has finesse, and she has grace, those are characteristics that we all wish our bosses had to which she adds, heart.

Enter the counter balance of Sebastian's team of lawyers in the D.A.'s office played by: "Casey Woodland (Sam Page), a privileged hunk who is arrogant about his abilities as a young attorney; Raina Troy (Sophina Brown), a smart, tough new addition to the office; Martin Allende (Alexis Cruz), an intellectual from South Central L.A.; and the high-powered Madeleine Poe (Sarah Carter), who joins the team in order to learn from the best. Adding depth to the play on life is Sebastian's daughter, played brilliantly by Danielle Panabaker, in the character role of Julie." [CBS]

Then we have the ultimate twist of fate, Stark brings in Issac Wright a stand up cop who has his career called into question and is put out of the force, when helping Sebastian. Turn about being fair play, Sebastian brings him on as a detective with the D.A.'s office. The perfect counterbalance, Henry Simmons is a genius actor, you forget you are watching an actor, totally, and you become immersed in his angst, and he has plenty of it. This provides for endless subplots and fascinating low key undercurrents.

Some people will convince you that television is the downfall of all culture, that only reading, and then, only the classics, will enhance your life; which is fine for them, but as for me, shucks, ten minutes of Jeri and the world doesn't seem like such a bad place! And shucks, if the world does turn really rotten, somewhere there is a Sebastian Stark, who is focused on making it better. Television doesn't get any better than this.

James Woods is one of the acting worlds phenomenal characters, he is educated, "he attended M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), where he excelled in his studies as a political science major," [CBS] and Woods brings a high level of emote into your viewing experience. You can smell the heat of L.A. in his steps and feel the rhythm of his soul in his pronouncements about justice to his learning staff. Shark breeds a sense of real life with a relationship that goes up and down with his daughter. It is a sense of life, but it is also a sense of how we'd like life to be. Life isn't like this show, which is why it's good T.V., if you want an hour of "oh wow!" This is that hour.