For The Win

There's a new show on ABC, For The People.  It's produced by the ubiquitous Shonda Rhimes, among others, and features Hope Davis, Ben Shenkman and Anne Deavere Smith.

It's a lawyer show.  There have been countless lawyer shows, so how does this one distinguish itself?  Well, there are six young lawyers just starting out.  I guess that's not too new.  They operate in the Southern District of New York, probably the most significant federal district court in the country.  Okay, but New York lawyers aren't that big a deal, and plenty of legal shows have taken on federal cases.

What makes the show different, it would seem, is three of the lawyers work for the prosecution and three for the defense.  Usually a show is on one side, or follows just one lawyer or firm.  Here it's on both sides--they can even face off against each other.

Is this a good idea?  Who are we supposed to root for?  Is it going to be on a case-be-case basis?  Won't we feel whipsawed after too long?  Actually, the ratings haven't been great, so perhaps it won't matter.