Snowfall

Describing "Harry's Law," one summary says flatly, "A former patent lawyer brings together a group of misfit associates to form an unconventional law practice." How did the producers ever pitch that concept to the network? Oh, wait. It was NBC. Still, a patent lawyer? Misfit associates? Real exciting, right? Do not judge too quickly, because Kathy Bates applies her quirky charisma to her portrayal of Harriet "Harry" Korn, and she works some small screen magic. A mid-season replacement for one of NBC's cavalcade of epic failures, "Harry's Law" actually looks a lot like a real television drama"”real characters, real actors, real plots, and dialogue peppered with genuinely witty repartee. The premise and some of the best writing come from David E. Kelley, television's answer to John Grisham"”prolific and provocative. As The New York Times observes, "A hallmark of Mr. Kelley's shows is often the thinnest application of logic or reason in depictions of a world dedicated to logic and reason." The settings and courtroom dramas seldom resemble anything in real life, but they tend to recreate the audience's imagination of the legal system and "crusading" criminal attorneys. Close enough. In eight episodes, "Harry's Law" has established a loyal following in a timeslot long dominated by ABC's "Castle." Vegas betting parlours probably will give you odds on "Harry's Law" returning in the fall, and it might be worth risking a dollar or so.

"The Undoing" is a limited television series that premiered on HBO in 2020. The show is a psychological thriller that follows the life of Grace Fraser, a successful therapist living in New York City. Grace's seemingly perfect life is shattered when a violent death occurs within her community, and her husband, Jonathan Fraser, becomes the main suspect. As the story unfolds, Grace's world crumbles, and she is forced to confront the truth about her husband and her life.

"Pico da Neblina" is a Brazilian TV series that premiered in 2019. The show follows the story of Biriba, a drug dealer who wants to leave the criminal life and start a legitimate business in the marijuana industry. Set in São Paulo, the series explores the challenges faced by Biriba as he navigates through the complex web of drug trafficking and corruption in Brazil.

One of two intense medical dramas NBC introduced in the fall of 2009, "Mercy" had all the advantages its one-named rival "Trauma" did not. First, it had talent behind the scenes. Liz Heldens from "Friday Night Lights" created the show and led the writers, proving once again that the best way to dramatize the real world is to show it realistically"”ugliness and all. Second, it had attitude and guts to stay true to its revolutionary premise, the well-informed notion "that nurses remain [not only] more generous caregivers, but that they are more intuitively apt, smarter, more committed and as technically able as their [physician] superiors, with none of the accompanying arrogance." In a winner-take-all ER smackdown, you always would go all-in with the Mercy Hospital nurses. The main character, nurse Veronica Flanagan Callahan, has just returned from a tour in Iraq, where she clearly learned more in each day than the pompous, presumptuous doctors learned in all five years of medical school. Of course, Veronica gets neither the respect nor the reward she deserves, but "Mercy" dangles the possibility of true love as just recompense for Veronica's skill and compassion. Taylor Schilling plays Veronica with exactly the right balance of toughness and vulnerability, skillfully juxtaposing her consummate skill as a nurse with her intrepid ingenuousness in matters of the heart. If only "Mercy" had survived into a second season, all the tangled threads in the story might have come to their proper denouement. If only.

"Body of Proof" will bring at least one more strong female lead to network television, bringing the sum total to approximately two. Too bad they will compete head-to-head in the same time-slot; good thing we have DVRs. "We need to have more smart women characters on television," says Dana Delany as she prepares to play medical examiner Megan Hunt in ABC's new drama, "Body of Evidence." As plots unfold on the new show, Dr. Megan Hunt's brilliance never will become an issue"”if anything she sometimes is too smart for her own good; but her compassion and human kindness frequently will be in doubt. Dr. Hunt brings a few issues to the autopsy room: Five years ago, she lost everything in the wake of a serious car accident"”her marriage, custody of her daughter,; and, most importantly, her extremely successful practice as a neurosurgeon. Promos for "Body of Evidence" are slick, stylish, sexy, and sassy. Ms. Delany looks seductively into the camera, promising, "Don't believe everything you've heard. The truth is much worse." Adding even more spice and power, Jeri Ryan ends her peripatetic travels across the dial, settling down to play Dr. Kate Murphy, the medical examiner. Set for debut on March 29, 2011, "Body of Evidence" promises to become a Tuesday ten o'clock favourite.

"Six Feet Under" is an American television series created by Alan Ball. It aired on HBO from 2001 to 2005 and follows the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles.