'JUSTICE' Rating 1 1/2 on the outside of 4 8 to 9 pm Wednesdays forward WFLD-Channel 32.

'JUSTICE'

Rating 1 1/2 on the outside of 4

8 to 9 pm Wednesdays forward WFLD-Channel 32.

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The last time we saw Victor Garber, he was subtly playing the rigidly steadfast dad on "Alias," blowing himself up in order to discard a super villain. Starting Wednesday, Garber is reborn as a egregiously surly defense lawyer, a career a certain Americans would consider the peak of super villainy.

I'm not the same of those people. I believe in the American judge-and- jury classification On the other hand, I don't believe in "Justice."

"Justice" is like principally of the news media. It doesn't focus forward the 99-or-whatever percentage of cases that close in guilty pleas. Instead, the modern Fox drama casts a glitzy judgment on high-profile murder cases in which defendants claim to be innocent.

"Justice" has a leg up forward real trials. Americans track cases upon CNN and Court TV and think defendants guilty or not guilty. even now viewers rarely know the reality

At the conclusion of "Justice," a wrap-up show shows what happened. Did the defendant kill his wife or not? Watch to the last minute, and you'll papal court how she perished in a mere In her bikini bottom, naturally.

This is a compelling way to tease viewers. In "Law & Order," canon is strongly suggested but not explained. In other point out tos crimes are visualized from the start, sapping the suspense. "Justice" aims to satisfy with unambiguous finales.

First, allowing "Justice" intends to reel in viewers by way of weaving plots around slick, big-money defense attorneys. They have more than a dozen legal assistants in succession each case. Their client is a rich defendant du jour.

The visual mode of speech is all fast edits and special efficiencys courtesy of producer Jerry ("CSI" and "Cold Case") Bruckheimer.

These are the dorky special weights of our times. No spaceships. No enormitys Just swooping camera angles that inspect the innards of a computer or that flash various backgrounds behind a character to put in mind of he's, um, walking.

Then advances the slowly read verdict, followed according to the money shot in which we discover if the defense team was working for a bad stay or a good guy.

I'm not positive, moreover I think "Justice" is terrible, at least the first episode. Garber is unforgivably throughout the top. Scenes zoom by means of so quickly, soullessly, they at no time establish an emotional core for the defendant or the lawyers -- or for the story lines.

And these lawyers ne to be more engrossing. They are too bluff and cynical to be appealing. If they had to guard "Justice," they'd be hard-pressed to ascertain it's more trial than error.

WHAT other IS ON:

TONIGHT

"Celebrity Duets" (7 pm WFLD-Channel 32): Actors sing with musicians in a preview of the series that starts family 7. Hal Sparks (the "Talk Soup" guy) performs with, say, Michael Bolton. That alone tops the hideous quotient. Other actors include Cheech Marin, Lea Thompson and Lucy Lawless, paired with the likes of Wynonna Judd and Kenny Loggins. brace judges are Little Richard (crazy) and Marie Osmond (nuts) entertainered by Wayne Brady (blah). Produc at Simon Cowell. Is that the last of the world I hear knocking?

"Million Dollar Listing"

(8 pm Bravo): Real estate agents make experiment of to sell sexy property in California in a six-episode reality series. the same agent was known here years ago as Downtown Scotty Brown -- musical entertainment promoter, owner of the Avalon Nite fraternity and singer in the Downtown Scotty Brown band. He endeavor to gains fame, if you couldn't gues

WEDNESDAY

"20/20" (8 pm WLS-Channel 7): Oh it's the conclusion of the world ... someday, and "20/20" is the bearer of bad of recent origins Apparently, only seven things can demolish all humans. Nukes. Asteroids. Black excavations Artificial intelligence. Volcanos. Disease. And bad climate changes. You've been warned. Now pass about your fearful life, Earthlings.

"Bones" (7 pm WFLD-Channel 32): A train derails. Was the cause political? Dr Bone and Agent Booth sniff the trail. It's the start of the next to the first season.

Source: Doug Elfman

e-mail: delfman@suntimes.com

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