Lots of people in the television industry have learned the wrong lesson from the success of TNT's The Closer. Yes, the show was a breakthrough role on cable for strong women actresses. And Kyra Sedgwick's performance in the show made it possible for a number of other talented, yet under-utilized, actresses to get their own show.
But what is generally lost is the The Closer also works because it is a well-balanced ensemble. Sedgwick's Brenda Leigh Johnson is talented but not perfect. In fact, for all of her talent she got her job in part because she was hired by an ex-lover (who was married at the time). And she is also surrounded by a male cast that is written in a complex and believable manner.
That complexity of characters and tone is vital and it's a lesson that was forgotten when producers put together the new Lifetime police drama The Protector.
Ally Walker is a talented actress, and in a better world she would be in a show that both is a showcase for her and for the ensemble of actors around her. Instead, viewers will find a show that offers up a cardboard cast of male characters and not much more when it comes to the female characters.
Walker plays Det. Gloria Shepard, who is partnered up with Det. Michelle Dulcett (played by Tisha Campbell-Martin). The logline of the show is that Shepard is a "divorced mother trying to balance caring for her two boys with her demanding job as a homicide detective."
If that premise sounds predictable, then you won't be thrilled with the rest of the cast, including a grumpy yet protective boss (Miguel Ferrer), a hunky police co-worker (Terrel Tilford) and a brother who is well-meaning, but battling an unidentified addiction (Chris Payne Gilbert).
I wanted to like The Protector, I really did. I'm a fan of Walker's work, and the fact that I'm tempted to watch next week's episode is a testiment to her skills. But everything around her is predictable and trite, from her interaction with fellow police detectives to the relationship with her children. Even the murder mystery was quickly solved by anyone who had watched more than an episode or two of Murder, She Wrote.
Maybe this level of believability is what viewers at Lifetime are looking for in a police drama. But The Protectormakes Rizzoli And Isles look like Shakespeare. And that is not a good thing.
Given that shows do evolve and improve throughout the season, I'll keep checking back in every few weeks to see if The Protector has improved. But as things stand now, all I can say is that if you're a fan of Ally Walker, you'll be able to tolerateThe Protector.
But what is generally lost is the The Closer also works because it is a well-balanced ensemble. Sedgwick's Brenda Leigh Johnson is talented but not perfect. In fact, for all of her talent she got her job in part because she was hired by an ex-lover (who was married at the time). And she is also surrounded by a male cast that is written in a complex and believable manner.
That complexity of characters and tone is vital and it's a lesson that was forgotten when producers put together the new Lifetime police drama The Protector.
Ally Walker is a talented actress, and in a better world she would be in a show that both is a showcase for her and for the ensemble of actors around her. Instead, viewers will find a show that offers up a cardboard cast of male characters and not much more when it comes to the female characters.
Walker plays Det. Gloria Shepard, who is partnered up with Det. Michelle Dulcett (played by Tisha Campbell-Martin). The logline of the show is that Shepard is a "divorced mother trying to balance caring for her two boys with her demanding job as a homicide detective."
If that premise sounds predictable, then you won't be thrilled with the rest of the cast, including a grumpy yet protective boss (Miguel Ferrer), a hunky police co-worker (Terrel Tilford) and a brother who is well-meaning, but battling an unidentified addiction (Chris Payne Gilbert).
Maybe this level of believability is what viewers at Lifetime are looking for in a police drama. But The Protectormakes Rizzoli And Isles look like Shakespeare. And that is not a good thing.
Given that shows do evolve and improve throughout the season, I'll keep checking back in every few weeks to see if The Protector has improved. But as things stand now, all I can say is that if you're a fan of Ally Walker, you'll be able to tolerateThe Protector.
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