Wednesday

'The Lyon's Den,'
NBC's best new show

Rob Lowe vehicle has reach of 'West Wing'

By A.J. Livsey

“The Lyon’s Den,” NBC, Sundays at 10 p.m.

Telltale quote: “I have zero interest in politics… I try to keep it simple”

Overview: Rob Lowe insists that his reasons for leaving “The West Wing” had nothing to do with how much camera time his character had on the show. What he was really interested in were “the important stories,” and he thought Sam was getting less of them. Maybe then it’s good that he’s now involved with “The Lyon’s Den,” a show he says carries “some real heft.” Of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Lowe’s character, Jack Turner, is the focus of the show.
   Personal politics notwithstanding, “The Lyon’s Den” is clearly NBC’s finest drama offering this season. As Turner, Lowe plays a humanitarian Washington D.C. lawyer who has been given the opportunity (and the salary) to run an inner city law clinic as a pro-bono satellite to the prestigious Lyon, LaCrosse and Levine law firm. In addition to fighting the good fight (if lawyers can be said to do such a thing), Jack struggles to maintain a civil relationship with his father, Senator H.M. Turner, partner emeritus and head of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
   Despite his attempts to keep his distance from the “crystal palace” of LL&L’s main offices, Jack is asked to replace the firm’s managing partner, who died under mysterious circumstances. The move is presumably prompted as a political move for Senator Turner, whose involvement in both the appointment and the previous partner’s death remain unclear. Although the job offer fails to excite Jack, the threat of losing the clinic otherwise prompts him to seriously reconsider.
   The first episode is charged with the difficult task of establishing a host of characters and hinting at a decades-old firm steeped in political scandal and internal power struggles. The result is a glimpse at the show’s architecture without a clear understanding of its foundation, a move that serves to entice and intrigue viewers.
   Despite any confusion about the motives and conflicts within the firm, its hierarchy is clearly demonstrated: partners and associates are given offices on the top floors with heavy mahogany furniture that reeks of authority, while the paralegals are left on a lower floor in a tangle of cubicles and fluorescent lighting.
   While the show stands well on the merit of its own cast, “The Lyon’s Den” will also feature the work of two guest stars. Steven Weber (“Wings”) will play an attorney who goes on a killing spree, and singer Jewel will make her television series debut in a three-episode arc as a lawyer from the U.S. Department of Justice and Jack’s ex-fiancee.

Verdict: With a strong lead-in from “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Lyon’s Den” seemed poised for success – its early struggles against a resurgent “Practice” on ABC have been surprising. Aside from Rob Lowe, the series shares other similarities with “The West Wing.”
Dim lighting throughout the show is reminiscent of the White House drama, alluding both to the seriousness of the tone and the shady personalities of the characters themselves. These characters and their complicated storylines are executed by a strong ensemble cast including Kyle Chandler (“Early Edition”), Elizabeth Mitchell (“Santa Clause 2”), and James Pickens, Jr. (“Traffic”), making “The Lyon’s Den” a strong show, but perhaps in need of a time slot change to really take off.

For past Media Life reviews of the new fall shows, click below.

WB's "Tarzan"

ABC's "Married to the Kellys"

ABC's "Karen Sisco"

NBC's "Miss Match"

CBS's "Joan of Arcadia"

ABC's "Hope & Faith"

CBS's "The Handler"

NBC's "Coupling"

CBS's "Brotherhood of Poland, N.H."

CBS's "Navy NCIS"

ABC's "I'm With Her"