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Special Features
Audio Commentaries -- Insights From The Cast And Series Creators
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars in Raising the Bar as a crusading public defender whose passion gets him in as much trouble as it gets him out of. As Jerry Kellerman, Gosselaar (NYPD Blue) is damp-eyed and earnest, off-kilter and rebellious (indicated by taking his tie off whenever possible), but he’s one of the top lawyers of a firm headed by cool-as-a-cucumber Rosalind Whitman (Gloria Reuben, ER). He also has connections across the aisle with rising prosecutor Michelle Ernhardt (Melissa Sagemiller, Sleeper Cell), a beautiful blonde who tolerates sleazy behavior from her boss Nick Balco (Currie Graham, Suddenly Susan). Both Jerry and Michelle regularly appear in the court of loose cannon Judge Trudy Kessler (Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle), who’s having an affair with her clerk, Charlie Sagansky (Jonathan Scarfe), who just happens to be gay and closeted. Clearly, Raising the Bar emphasizes behind the door machinations, both political and sexual.
It’s familiar stuff, which is both a strength and a weakness. For fans of producer Stephen Bochco (creator of Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, and much more), Raising the Bar will work like comfort food. Each case unfolds capably, with thorny moral conflicts and compromising private interests, complicated by human weakness and bureaucratic callousness. Maybe too capably; the gears spin so smoothly it’s hard to get emotional traction with the characters, whose personalities seem secondhand from other legal shows. Entertaining histrionic cross-examinations abound, as do wild case-saving coincidences and compassionate looks between lawyers and defendants. The 10-episode collection of Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season also has an engaging featurette focused on the show’s other co-creator, David Feige, a real-life public defender whose experiences are the series’ inspiration. Feige's genuine enthusiasm and engagement may inspire viewers to give the show a chance. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season (Click for larger image)
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Product Description
Step into the courtroom wtih Raising the Bar, the compelling legal drama from Emmy Award winning executive producter Steven Bochco. Witness the drama unfold, as this ensemble cast led by Mark paul Gosselaar tackles issues of life, love and the law from opposite sides of the system.
Bonus Features Include: Roundtable with cast, bloopers, deleted scenes
Bonus Features Include: Roundtable with cast, bloopers, deleted scenes
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Rasing the Bar is a great and upcoming court/law drama that I have throughly enjoyed. I highly recommend it to others. If your a Gloria Reburn (ER) or Mark-Paul Gossellar (Saved by the Bell, NYBD Blue) fan you will especially enjoy these characters reprise their career. The new season is now on TNT and it's looking good for a second season. I'm enjoying it and I highly suggest it even though it is only 10 episode pilot type season. Go get a copy today!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Lee Deener
Format:DVD
A very surprizingly addictive show. The characters grow on you from the start and make you interested in what will happen next to the characters, personally and professionally. Although it can be a bit predictable at times, it has a freshness to its presentation that will get you through wanting more. I worry that the show walks a thin line of being completely unrealistic as far as case subject matter. " is everyone going to be innocent and wrongly accused?" Where are the bad guys?I understand a noble,honest public defender..who happens to only get innocent and wrongly accused clients? That is Matlock/Murder She wrote cheesey and not what I expect from todays law dramas.Out of the whole first season, I think Mark only had one really "bad" guy. Still a great show, really clean cut; can only get better.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Kyle Sharp
Format:DVD
Raising the Bar is one of the best court dramas I've seen in a long time. The writing is terrific, the acting is great, and they do a great job balancing out serious topic with light hearted humor. Some of my favourite scenes stem from the lawyers meeting up at their usual bar after hours. The budding romance between Bobbie and Jerry is also really entertaining because it gives the viewer something to hope for, giving them a reason to tune in next week. The show can get repetitive at times as Trudy's consistant brash unprofessionalism and unapolagetic hatred of Jerry becomes very annoying at times. That said, Raising the Bar is a fine show and an entertaining way to spend an hour.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Suzanne
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
this show actually depicts the justice system for what it is. It includes all it's many flaws which makes for such interesting viewing. It also includes a tangled web of interpersonal relationships that go beyond just the workplace but to the bedroom. My b/f and I were so sad to see this show go :(
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jason
Format:DVD
I bought the first season of Raising The Bar. The show is really good and entertaing also. The storylines are really creative also love the bond between Jerry and Bobbi. I can't wait for the second season to be released on DVD so I can buy the second season also. They NEED to bring the show back for a third season that would be wonderful.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By B. Exner
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I highly recommend this title. Raising the Bar is a wonderful series that follows the life of recent law school graduates who prosecute and defend the underprivileged of New York. The drama unfolds both in the courtroom and in the personal lives of the lawyers. Writer Dave Feige, a veteran NYC Public Defender draws on his own experience to weave a colorful tapestry that is at times heroic and at times heart wrenching. There are often no winners in the criminal justice system, and the lawyers need to find the delicate balance between truth and practicality as they advocate for their clients. Mark-Paul Gosselaar delivers excellent performances as a brash, young defender who gives the job everything he has, yet often ends up in frustration at the injustice of an inherently flawed system.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season" is yet another TV legal drama in the mold of "L.A. Law," "Law & Order" and "Murder One." Created by Steven Bochco ("Hill Street Blues"), the show focuses on idealistic public defender Jerry Kellerman (Mark Paul Gosselaar), who learns to navigate the justice system and the personal politics of the courthouse as he struggles to get a fair hearing for his clients. Jerry and associates Rosalind Whitman (Gloria Reuben), Richard Patrick Woolsley (Teddy Sears), and Bobbi Gilardi (Natalia Cigliuti) often find themselves squaring off against Michelle Ernhardt (Melissa Sagemiller), a prosecutor trying to balance her desire for real justice with her need to placate an assistant D.A. (Currie Graham), whose job is to win cases. None of the characters is painted broadly here, and there are no bad guys among the principals -- just people working in the legal system who believe what they're doing is right. Conflict, of course, comes from the cases themselves. The big buzz when this series first aired was the long hair on Gosselaar. For the second season, his hair style is much more conservative.
10 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Anna Jacobs
Format:DVD
The concept is okay if a little worn out: A bunch of attractive young lawyers on opposite sides of the fence; public defenders vs. prosecutors. Mark-Paul Gosselaar is oh so passionate about his clients' innocence and badly in need of a haircut. There are little touches to try and spice it up - the Judge's illicit relationship with a clerk who has a secret and you do get to see a few of the lawyers without much clothes on.
So why did I stop after the first DVD? Part of the reason has to do with the fact that there is only one judge 99% of the time, and this show is not set in some small town where that would actually happen. Raising The Bar is supposed to take place in Manhattan where an actual public defender would have cases in front of dozens of judges.
But more importantly, the break from reality is too complete for me. All the defendants are sympathetic. Every single last one. They are either outright innocent or they had such a good reason for doing what they did that you can't help but root for their side. It's an insult to the watcher's intelligence. Part of the allure of law shows for me is the nuance - this show has no shades of grey. To make matters worse, the prosecutors pull ridiculous stunts to cheat their way to putting innocent people in prison, and the police officers are portrayed as snarling monsters who could have easily been cast for the Sopranos. Watching this show became painful.
If you want to watch a show that's a lot like this one - except that it's actually done right, watch Conviction created by Dick Wolf. The lawyers are just as attractive (one is even the same as in Raising The Bar!) but it's a lot more interesting, nuanced and believable.
So why did I stop after the first DVD? Part of the reason has to do with the fact that there is only one judge 99% of the time, and this show is not set in some small town where that would actually happen. Raising The Bar is supposed to take place in Manhattan where an actual public defender would have cases in front of dozens of judges.
But more importantly, the break from reality is too complete for me. All the defendants are sympathetic. Every single last one. They are either outright innocent or they had such a good reason for doing what they did that you can't help but root for their side. It's an insult to the watcher's intelligence. Part of the allure of law shows for me is the nuance - this show has no shades of grey. To make matters worse, the prosecutors pull ridiculous stunts to cheat their way to putting innocent people in prison, and the police officers are portrayed as snarling monsters who could have easily been cast for the Sopranos. Watching this show became painful.
If you want to watch a show that's a lot like this one - except that it's actually done right, watch Conviction created by Dick Wolf. The lawyers are just as attractive (one is even the same as in Raising The Bar!) but it's a lot more interesting, nuanced and believable.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a good legal drama
I had some misgivings about buying this dvd becuase someone said it was not interesting, but I went ahead because I like Mark Paul Grosselar and I like legal dramas. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Uenna
5.0 out of 5 stars
this series does raise the bar
this is a very good series and i do hope that the series is continued. hopefully with more episodes to watch
Published 1 month ago by evanelpus
5.0 out of 5 stars
great drama on TNT..shouldn't have been canceled
Great TV show. Lots of drama good amount of romance/flirty/sex, great language/intense moments!
Must buy! Absolutely love Mark Paul Gosselar. Read more
Must buy! Absolutely love Mark Paul Gosselar. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Brian Kraemer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great law show
More than that a great show. The show really lets you see how intrested in thier clients life and outcomes of thier legal battles.
Published 5 months ago by B. Merrill
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it
this too was a gift and the receiver enjoyed it a lot.
i would recommend this to another user to use this product.
i would recommend this to another user to use this product.
Published 6 months ago by Mercedes F Castro
3.0 out of 5 stars
Err ...so so
Possibly needs another season in order to develop into something? Watchable but somehow just doesnt grab. Read more
Published on August 9, 2010 by Wa Horn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the law
I just discovered this terrific legal drama this past summer. I wish there were more episodes per season. I have really enjoyed watching the season 1 dvds. Read more
Published on November 5, 2009 by Sandybeach
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Characters and writing
Excellent story lines, excellent acting and excellent writing. I hope it continues to deliver the content that it currently offers and does not turn into a soap opera as some of my... Read more
Published on November 2, 2009 by RandR
5.0 out of 5 stars
Raising the Bar: Season 1
This is an unexpecting show to watch. I love the character, JERRY KELLERMAN. His mission is to fight for the "underdogs," who are his clients. Read more
Published on October 27, 2009 by Francis Tuifao
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Series - not as good as others; but entertaining none the less
It is a nice series, not as entertaining as others, but good none-the-less. I hope they mature some of the characters - some of the idealism grows old and some of the "I made it... Read more
Published on September 12, 2009 by Stargazer Trading
