for anyone who loves legal thrillers and courtroom battles, this is the perfect choice. why perfect? Mainly because it is a whole season (23 episodes) dedicated to one big mysterious compelling case. Therefore there is not the rush and precipitation of a movie to wrap it up due to the time limit. this TV show , i guess , could be a great reference to the law students or anyone interested in understanding the American justice system , because it shows the process from the arrest until the verdict ( and even more , surprise surprise!!! ) it was intelligently written,beautifully produced , masterfully acted , and very very realistic.

I recently purchased the DVD of the first series. The very first episode quickly reminded of how much I enjoyed all 23. It is truly compelling television. All the characters, even the most minor are well cast and played magnificently by all. I particularly enjoyed the Machiavellian scheming of "Richard Cross", played by Stanley Tucci, the smart comments of judge Beth Bornstein(I forget her real name) and Miriam Grasso played by Barbara Bosson (with such aplomb!).They don't make them like this any more, 24 does not cut it in comparison.Sarah

I am glad to see that Murder One was a hit in Europe--it deserved every success. Great acting--Daniel Benzali was outstanding. I guess audiences couldn't handle a balding, smart actor. (He played a mafia boss on NYPD Blue before this show, and he damn near stole the episode.) Stanley Tucci is always good--Richard Cross was a villain you could hate and have a great time. And it had one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Bosson (Mrs. Bochco). Season two was not as good but had some fine moments. Anthony LaPaglia was clearly hired because he was younger and good looking, but he did a fine job. The peak of season two were the final six episodes, which ABC packaged as a mini-series called "Diary of a Serial Killer". The accused, Pruitt Taylor Vince, was absolutely the most compelling criminal I have ever seen on any show. Great casting is a strength of Bochco's shows, and Murder One is no exception. I cleaned house and foolishly threw out my tape of the serial killer episodes. Bad move.Ironically, although the American public couldn't handle a season-long series that covered only one trial, a decade later it went nuts over "24", a show that took place in one day.

This is probably the finest TV series I have ever watched. The outstanding cast, and their superb acting was a joy to see. The plot and twists were great, and left me guessing right up until the end. I'm delighted that at long last the series is being released on DVD in September here, and I shall enjoy watching it all again through the autumn (fall!) This is TV as only the Americans can do it. We Brits are great at the period drama stuff (Sense and Sensibility etc), but you guys are the kings when it comes to this particular genre. The second series was good, but never quite recaptured the essence of series one. Does anyone know if they released the soundtrack as a separate entity??Thanks Mr Bochco et al, great stuff!!