Background

How to do it


I have always admired LA Law and similar US television series as they are slick and entertaining without boring the viewer as to the more mundane details of office life in a law firm

I have always been convinced that with the right set up and stories we could do a UK version that was equally as interesting and compelling as the US version. I watched a couple of episodes of LA Law the other day and was struck as to how well it has held up even after about about 15 years. It does not look dated and the stories were entertaining.

You need

1 Good story lines
2 Believable and sympathetic characters.

The format survived even a lot of the characters changed.

I am sure the US version had a large group of writers and the team discussed and corrected the script until it sparkled. To be successful in Britain they claim tat all you need is six episodes worth of material. If an idea can survive six episodes then it will be able to carry on

They ( LA Law) had a strand of stories all going at the same time. There might be as many as four stories running in one episode. The stories could carry from the criminal case to the top end high profile big money divorce.

You could see all the different lawyers and their styles. It did not matter that they jumped between the stories as it keep up the interest.

They were all resolved by the end of the programme so it was a self contained episode It must use up a lot of stories but the have a lot of writers.

I have decided to do a radio play as that if by far the best chance I have of getting the idea aired. Also there has been a very good record of plays or radio series transferring to television. Televion is hungry for new matieral but the like to know it works before they commission it. If it has been successful on radio they are taking less of a risk