September 1995 - May 1997
ABC | 41 episodes | Crime Drama
WHO'S IN IT? Daniel Benzali, Mary McCormack, Michael Hayden, Stanley Tucci, Jason Gedrick.
SYNOPSIS: Murder One, from the mind of Steven Bocho, centers on a prominent defense attorney, Theodore "Teddy" Hoffman, and his associates. For the first season, when an arrogant young actor with a track record of drug-and-alcohol problems is accused and tried for murder, it's up to Teddy to save him, and not for the first time.
VERDICT: ★★★★☆
Inspired by the sensational O.J. Simpson murder trial of the mid-1990s, Murder One was high quality drama that was hindered by poor scheduling. Rather than letting the show pick up an audience in an unchallenged slot, Murder One was pitched against ER (which was then entering its second season). Due to the nature of the show - an extremely detailed view of one central case - it was important that viewers had seen the episode the week before. Despite retooling in its second season (focussing on several cases rather than the one season-long cases), and moving the show to a different night, the show was cancelled after 41 episodes.
CANCELLED TOO SOON? Yes definitely - will seek out more episodes! The show is available on DVD and on streaming. I think had the show been made in the 2020s, the issue of viewers not catching every episode on a weekly set timeslot would not be an issue. Another one of those shows that was groundbreaking at the time, but the TV market and viewership at the time just could not keep up.
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