Marshall Law: articles


Law crying out for a bit of illegal activity

If Marshall Law were a program about marshals, perhaps it would be more bearable.

Sadly, it is a program about lawyers.

Were it constructed in such a way that it excluded courtroom scenes, then perhaps there would be those odd moments when it would be safe for the more adventurous viewer to tune in.

It is not.

The makers of this embarrassing waste of local resources instead insist on lengthy courtroom scenes in which the characters exchange dialogue that appears to have been written by someone's pet parrot.

Viewers would seem to agree, Marshall Law having failed to make the list of 100 most watched programs on a number of occasions in recent weeks, meaning that the pet parrot and a few of his closest mates were the only ones watching.

There was myself, of course, but as I was watching a preview tape, I don't think that in all fairness I should be included in the head count.

In tonight's episode, the program opens with the usual banter between Marshall sisters Ros and Verity relating to the scandalous sexual behaviour of the former.

None of this is in any way credible as Ros's character is one of the most sexless ever created.

Still, there's no time to waste as the two sisters, both solicitors, have to be off to their respective courtrooms, there to indulge in moronic behaviour on behalf of their clients.

This evening, Verity prosecutes a youth who threatened to kill four people after a drunken football celebration.

Each witness takes the stand and admits they were too drunk actually to recall what had happened, their acting appalling but well matched the script.

In the next courtroom, sister Ros is blundering and whimpering her way through another ill-conceived scenario and whoever convinced Lisa McCune that she could handle comedy is guilty of a grievous sin.

Then again, Marshall Law's attempts at comedy are galaxies removed from the genuine article so perhaps there is still hope for the poor Logie-laden dear.

Running through this, as in every episode, is an element of giggle-snigger sexual innuendo, this is one concerning a judge who is said by one of the female lawyers to have a reputation as one of the "best stand-up roots in the country".

The person so named just happens to be a judge whom Ros is romantically inclined.

Lucky Ros, but life can be cruel for she discovers that it is a case of mistaken identity, root-wise, and her man is not the stand-out stand-up she had thought.

The whole program is inane beyond words and should be quietly buried at the first opportunity while a few shreds of McCune's reputation remain.

Marshall Law, Channel 7, tonight 9.30

By Mike O'Connor
October 31, 2002
The Courier Mail