The Deep End is an ensemble drama on ABC set in the world of a high class LA law firm.  It mostly focuses on a group of first year lawyers newly arrived at the firm and thrown into the deep end.  It has an ensemble cast featuring some great actors you’ve probably seen before like Norbert Leo Butz (best known to me for his part as Roger in the Broadway production of RENT), Tina Majorino (Veronica Mars, Big Love), Billy Zane (Titanic), Leah Pipes (Sorority Row) and a whole bunch more recognizable faces.  It’s sort of ABC’s attempt at a Grey’s Anatomy set in the legal world or a Ally McBeal type show.  You’d think maybe ABC would hold off on a show like this after they had a tremendous legal show, Eli Stone, and cancelled it.

 

I checked this out because it had some appealing things.  First is Tina Majorino.  I loved her as Mac on Veronica Mars and pretty much everything I’ve ever seen her on.  She has an appealing quality to her and does comedy great, but also has some serious drama chops that aren’t utilized enough.  Here she’s sort of typecast as the mousy little new lawyer.  I’m not gonna lie, I was also as a guy attracted to Leah Pipes and Rachelle Lefevre.

 

 

Unfortunately Lefevre who seemed like she was going to be a series regular during the pilot was gone by the 3rd episode.

 

The other thing that attracted me to the show were some of the directors such as Timothy Busfield (The West Wing, Studio 60) and Adam Arkin (Life, Monk, Grey’s Anatomy, both of whom are established actors in their own right.  Anyway it just seemed like maybe this was more than it seemed like it would be.

 

Unfortunately it’s exactly what it appeared to be.  There’s some version of this show brought on every season.  It’s a bland, generic, legal show that’s supposed to be deep and funny at the same time but just comes off as completely inoffensive drivel with absolutely nothing special about it.  I’d stay far away from this one.  There’s nothing interesting here and it’s a waste of some decent talents.