James Frawley Movies

The most controversial -- and one of the shortest-lived -- series of the 2005-2006 network season, The Book of Daniel concerned the troubled family of an Episcopalian priest. Aidan Quinn starred as Reverend Daniel Webster, who dealt with most crises by popping prescription pills and brooding over his inability to "reach" his parishioners. Daniel's wife, Judith (Susanna Thompson), spent much of her time drinking martinis and complaining about lost opportunities; his 23-year-old son, Peter (Christian Campbell), was a neurotic homosexual, still plagued by guilt over the death of his twin brother; 16-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill) was a would-be manga artist who sold marijuana on the side; and the Websters' adopted Chinese son, Adam (Ivan Shaw), was more concerned about scoring with chicks than anything else. Adding to Rev. Webster's burden was the remonstrative input of no-nonsense Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Ellen Burstyn) and rule-bound senior parish warden Roger Paxton (Dylan Baker). Whenever things became too much to bear for Rev. Webster, he would solicit the advice of his "best friend," Jesus Christ (Garret Dillahunt) -- yes, that Jesus Christ, beard, white robes, and all. It was the calculatedly irreverent portrayal of the Son of God (who trafficked in wisecracks rather than parables) that stirred up the bulk of the controversy surrounding the series. While many big-city critics liked the show, general audiences could not warm up to it at all. Debuting January 6, 2006, on NBC, The Book of Daniel had been slated for a six-week trial run before going to full series; slaughtered in the ratings and roundly condemned by conservative media commentators, it lasted only four episodes before cancellation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Previously portrayed in films and on TV by the likes of Bonita Granville, Janet Julian, Pamela Sue Martin, and Tracy Ryan, author Carolyn Keene's intrepid, teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew is again brought to life in the person of Maggie Lawson. Now enrolled at River Heights University with her longtime friends and fellow "detectives" Bess (Jill Ritchie) and George (Lauren Birkell), the level-headed, no-nonsense Nancy hopes to achieve academic nirvana by being accepted to the prestigious Tri Pi fraternity. Things take a sinister turn when Tri Pi's reigning "queen" Allison Price (Sabine Singh) is accused of causing the drug overdose that has put her football-hero boyfriend in a coma. As usual, Nancy suspects that the case isn't quite as cut-and-dried as it seems, and with the assistance of her aforementioned girl friends -- not to mention her erstwhile beau Ned Nickerson (Nick Stabile) -- our heroine snoops around long enough to uncover a sinister campus-wide conspiracy. Adult authority is represented in the form of Nancy's long-suffering attorney dad Carson Drew (Brett Cullen) and her overbearing, condescending journalism teacher Professor Shifflin (James Avery). First broadcast as an episode of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney on December 15, 2002, Nancy Drew was rather blatantly designed as the pilot for a potential weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This tongue-in-cheek ABC adventure series used the basic premise of the old Robert Wagner starrer It Takes a Thief, but with an attractive addition to the formula. John Stamos and Melissa George starred as Johnny and Rita, a brace of good-looking professional cat burglars (in an amusing twist, he was the brains and she was the brawn!). Caught in the act, Johnny and Rita were approached by the FBI and made an offer they couldn't refuse. If they hoped to avoid jail time, they would have to assist the authorities by using their larcenous talents to "recover" stolen or missing government property. Though Johnny and Rita insisted that they could not abide each other's company, the viewer knew better. Assigned to supervise the two not-quite-reformed crooks was harried FBI special agent Shue (Robert Knepper). Filmed in Toronto by Warner Bros./Kopelson Entertainment, the weekly, one-hour Thieves made its first network appearance on September 28, 2001 (its original September 21 debut date was pushed forward by ongoing coverage of the World Trade Center disaster). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After making a career in the Big Apple, a lawyer returns to the small Ohio town of his birth in this comedy-drama series from Worldwide Pants Productions, the company headed up by David Letterman. Ed Stevens (Tom Cavanagh) thought his career as an attorney in New York City was going well -- until he's fired by his law firm and his wife decides to leave him. Looking to start over, Ed visits Stuckeyville, OH, the town where he grew up, and discovers his high school sweetheart Carol Vessey (Julie Bowen) is still single. Ed decides he'd like another chance with Carol, but Carol isn't so sure; hoping to convince her he has no intentions of running away, Ed buys the local bowling alley, the Stuckeybowl. Now the owner of a semi-successful local business, Ed divides his time between running the bowling alley and starting a new law practice, while also dealing with the community's many genial eccentrics and attempting to work his charm on Carol. Ed first aired on the NBC television network on October 8, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this TV drama series, the somewhat sinister anti-hero Mr. Chapel (Michael Madsen) is "Mr. Right for those who've been wronged." Working outside the system, Chapel delivers his own brand of justice. When a criminal gets away with it and is declared not guilty, friends and loved ones of victims can get satisfaction from Chapel, who's aided by a past beneficiary of his efforts, paralegal KC Griffin (Kathleen York). In the pilot episode, the secretary who knew too much (about money-laundering) is murdered, and her wealthy killer is acquitted by a $1,500-per-hour attorney (Ray Wise). Vigilante Chapel steps in to even the score. Filmed in Los Angeles, this series premiered September 29, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Her upcoming birthday and Greg's lack of sexual interest are stressing Ally out. Meanwhile, Elaine plans a celebration for her. ~ TV Guide, Rovi

A case involving a “mentally incompetent” elderly man's right to marry stirs up Ally's old feelings for co-counsel Billy. ~ TV Guide, Rovi

In the series pilot, Ally (Calista Flockhart) goes to work for a former classmate (Greg Germann). ~ TV Guide, Rovi

Whipper ditches Richard after she catches him succumbing to his neck fetish with the Attorney General. ~ TV Guide, Rovi

Harland Williams stars in this comedy as a confidence man who is trying to outrun the bill collectors. Posing as a woman, he gets a job as the headmistress at an exclusive private girl's school, but now he has a whole new set of problems -- namely, fooling everyone into thinking he's a woman for the next several months, and dealing with Harriet Magnum (Katey Sagal), the no-nonsense assistant headmistress known around the school as "Dirty Harriet." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Ally faces a moral dilemma when she's assigned to defend Richard's partner, who was arrested for solicitation. Meanwhile, Richard tries to use Ally to snag a client. ~ TV Guide, Rovi

In the series pilot, Ally (Calista Flockhart) goes to work for a former classmate (Greg Germann). ~ TV Guide, Rovi