"Century City" (2004) TV series

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Creator:

Ed Zuckerman

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The future is now in session.

Plot:

In the near future, a law firm handles difficult cases that reflect the time.

Plot Keywords:

Reference To Oprah Winfrey | Futuristic | Courtroom

Cast

Nestor Carbonell	...	Tom Montero (9 episodes, 2004)
Viola Davis	...	Hannah Crane (9 episodes, 2004)
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Lukas Gold (9 episodes, 2004)
Kristin Lehman	...	Lee May Bristol (9 episodes, 2004)
Eric Schaeffer	...	Darwin McNeil (9 episodes, 2004)
Hector Elizondo	...	Martin Constable (9 episodes, 2004)

Runtime:

60 min (9 episodes) | USA:60 min (9 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Universal Network Television

Trivia:

Nine episodes were made but only four were aired.

Quotes:

Martin Constable: Cherries without pits, the worlds greatest invention.
Lukas Gold: Cherries had pits?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tavis Smiley: (2007-01-23)" (2007)

doomed from the start

I watched the pilot knowing this show wouldn't last more than a handful of episodes. Like 'Mercy Point' from a few seasons ago (E.R. done sci-fi) this attempt at The Practice done sci-fi was doomed by people's perceptions of what sci-fi is and isn't. The people who watch procedural shows like CSI or Law & Order do so for the reality, the 'follow-the-clues' approach, the methodicalness (is that a word? it is now). Sci-fi (at least the soft-sci-fi seen on TV) generally isn't known for these things. So who is going to watch a sci-fi lawyer show? Not lawyer show fans who have a hard time accepting the 'fiction' part of science fiction and not sci-fi fans who want spaceships and laser guns in their sci-fi.

The pilot was also hampered by not being that good. Or at least, not that easy to follow. The clone case was too complicated and warranted the entire hour but instead had to share time with a b-story about a boy band reuniting. Neither case resonates much with the general public.

The second ep aired (actually ep #3) did a better job of presenting futuristic legal cases that audiences now could relate to. The rape trial was quite well done and delved into the philosophy of the issue making it much more interesting. But by this time, with the pre-empting this show faced, it was obvious it was doomed.

I think they would have done better with just setting the show a year or 3 in the future and dealing with the same issues, perhaps done as a bit of an 'alternate reality' where things are just a little more scientifically advanced. This way the courtrooms and more importantly the laws being debating are more recognizable to viewers. How today's laws apply to cloning is more interesting than how a fictional law from 2025 applies.

Oh well. One more mid-season show bites the dust. bet this one won't even get the almost mandatory 'save the show' webpage everything gets now.