The other being Law and Order: Trial by Jury, also a very short-lived series that had its problems but was getting better. Conviction is an uneven show and nowhere near the best work that Dick Wolf did (the original Law and Order), but it showed a lot of potential and got cancelled- which I put down to scheduling- before it had time to properly grow.
Like Trial by Jury, Conviction also has a few too many characters, and some are better developed and more interesting than others, with Potter and Finn faring the best of the main characters and one does wish that the show gave a reason for Cabot's presence and how and why she came out of witness protection for continuity with Special Victims Unit. That a lot of the show felt rushed with a lot of content and too short a length added to this. While the concept was really interesting and different, the most original of Wolf's shows, some of the writing still could have been tighter, some of it detailing the personal lives of the characters was like predictable soap-opera, especially in the early episodes. There are also times where it does try to do too much, with instances of trying to take on two, three or more elements (grit, light-heartedness) with variable effectiveness (like the light-heartedness feeling occasionally at odds), giving it at times a disjointed feel.
On the other hand, even with a different, glossier look, the series is stylishly filmed and looks great. The music is quirkier and more varied than the Law and Order shows, but no less atmospheric or fitting, and there is some taut thought-provoking script-writing in the scenes dealing with the crimes, trials and in the later episodes and in a way that feels more honest than Trial by Jury. The early episodes lack tightness, and the show feels rushed and over-stuffed, but the stories do maintain interest and thought and there are some great moments, like the teen being tried as an adult, the cancer storyline and especially the spectacular finale that was both intense and heart-wrenching. Conviction also has some excellent acting, Stephanie March does not disappoint (anyone who is a fan of her character on Special Victim's Unit will love her here), Eric Balfour does sleazy perfectly, Anson Mount is stoic and powerful in presence and Julianne Nicholson is affectingly vulnerable.
All in all, uneven and could have been better, but also impresses in a lot of areas and deserved a fairer chance than it got. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Like Trial by Jury, Conviction also has a few too many characters, and some are better developed and more interesting than others, with Potter and Finn faring the best of the main characters and one does wish that the show gave a reason for Cabot's presence and how and why she came out of witness protection for continuity with Special Victims Unit. That a lot of the show felt rushed with a lot of content and too short a length added to this. While the concept was really interesting and different, the most original of Wolf's shows, some of the writing still could have been tighter, some of it detailing the personal lives of the characters was like predictable soap-opera, especially in the early episodes. There are also times where it does try to do too much, with instances of trying to take on two, three or more elements (grit, light-heartedness) with variable effectiveness (like the light-heartedness feeling occasionally at odds), giving it at times a disjointed feel.
On the other hand, even with a different, glossier look, the series is stylishly filmed and looks great. The music is quirkier and more varied than the Law and Order shows, but no less atmospheric or fitting, and there is some taut thought-provoking script-writing in the scenes dealing with the crimes, trials and in the later episodes and in a way that feels more honest than Trial by Jury. The early episodes lack tightness, and the show feels rushed and over-stuffed, but the stories do maintain interest and thought and there are some great moments, like the teen being tried as an adult, the cancer storyline and especially the spectacular finale that was both intense and heart-wrenching. Conviction also has some excellent acting, Stephanie March does not disappoint (anyone who is a fan of her character on Special Victim's Unit will love her here), Eric Balfour does sleazy perfectly, Anson Mount is stoic and powerful in presence and Julianne Nicholson is affectingly vulnerable.
All in all, uneven and could have been better, but also impresses in a lot of areas and deserved a fairer chance than it got. 7/10 Bethany Cox