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2 TV ENCORE By Kyla Brewer TV Media T here's something about courtroom drama that has fascinated TV viewers for decades. Such shows often rank among the most popular prime- time programs, even among today's fickle audiences. As one legal drama wraps up for the season, ambitious young law- yers argue their cases in the high-profile "Mother Court" of the United States. Attorneys are put to the test as they face off in the Southern District of New York Federal Court in the season finale of "For the People," airing Tuesday, May 22, on ABC. All eyes are on the lawyers as they tackle some of the most controversial cases in the nation, but they refuse to back down until justice is served. Created by Paul William Davies ("Scandal"), the 10-epi- sode Shondaland production stars Vondie Curtis-Hall ("Chicago Hope") as Chief Judge Nicholas Byrne, Hope Davis ("About Schmidt," 2002) as lead public defender Jill Carlan, and Ben Shenkman ("Royal Pains") as Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Gunn. The tal- ented group of young lawyers includes Jasmin Savoy Brown ("The Leftovers") as Allison Adams, Susannah Flood ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh ("Awkward") as Jay Simmons, Regé-Jean Page ("Roots") as Leonard Knox, Ben Rappaport ("Mr. Robot") as Seth Oliver, Cass Co Family YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover and Britt Robertson ("Tomorrowland," 2015) as Sandra Bell. Anna Deavere Smith ("The West Wing") rounds out the cast as no-nonsense court clerk Tina Krissman. The cast of the ensemble drama is now part of the Shondaland dynasty, which includes hits "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder." The distinc- tion was not lost on Rappaport, who spoke with tvinsider.com in early April about landing a role in "For the People." "I would describe getting into Shondaland like getting an acceptance letter to an Ivy League school," Rappaport explained. "You feel like you're a part of a very special group and club. The whole company, top to bottom — I mean every- body — it's just a great culture of respect." Rappaport plays one half of the show's will-they-won't-they couple, Seth and Allison, who broke up after she used informa- tion gleaned from a private con- versation to win a case against him. The tension between them is just one example of how the show delves into both the pro- fessional and personal lives of the characters. It's a formula familiar to fans of Shonda Rhimes, who's an executive pro- ducer of "For the People," along with Davies, Betsy Beers ("Grey's Anatomy"), Donald Todd ("This Is Us") and Tom Verica ("How to Get Away With Murder"). "For the People" has contin- ued the Shondaland tradition of prime-time winners. It showed promise right out of the gate as the series debut pulled in ABC's highest ratings in its Tuesday night time-slot in the key 18-to- 29-year-old demographic in five months, with more than 3.2 mil- lion viewers in the U.S. In fact, the show is now part of a Tuesday night lineup that's earned ABC its longest winning streak in 11 years, thanks to a lead-in from comedies "Roseanne," "The Middle," "Black-ish" and "Splitting Up Together." A cut above other legal dra- mas, "For the People" has plen- ty to offer viewers in addition to the romantic tension between Oliver and Adams. There are ste- reotypical overconfident attor- neys such as Adams and Knox, who need a healthy slice of humble pie, but there are also a couple of underdogs viewers can't help but root for in Bell and Simmons. Wise leaders Carlan and Gunn offer audienc- es a look at both sides of the court cases as they attempt to inspire and motivate their charg- es in the wake of pressure from above. Meanwhile, brash clerk Krissman keeps everyone in line, and no-nonsense judge Byrne serves as the voice of reason. One of the reasons the series works so well is the chemistry between the performers. Even viewers who might not be inclined to indulge in legal dra- mas may enjoy the richly devel- oped relationships between the characters. In fact, the chemistry between the actors is so critical to the cast and crew, production shut down when two of the roles were recast within the first two episodes so writers could adjust dialogue and storylines to reflect the new on-screen per- sonalities. Britne Oldford ("Skins") was originally cast as Sandra and Lyndon Smith ("Parenthood") played Allison, but both left the show early on. Hope Davis as seen in "For the People" ABC's 'For the People' wraps rookie season D&J Liquors 3 x 2" Direct Maytag 2 x 1.5" Edward Jones 2 x 1.5" United Methodist Church 2 x 2.5" Member SIPC Amanda A Hedrick Financial Advisor . 2501 East Market St Logansport, IN 46947 574-753-3676 www.edwardjones.com Worried about market volatility? Let's talk.

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