See You In Court

A gripping new legal drama from prolific producer Shonda Rhimes

- Joanna Berry, Adam Tanswell

US super-producer Shonda Rhimes adds another show to her CV this week when new legal drama For the People looks to repeat the success of her TV megahits Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder.

Set in New York, the series follows the lives of six talented lawyers who handle high-profile federal cases – including fraud, whistleblowing and piracy – as rivals in the courtroom. On one side, there’s the public defenders’ office; on the other is the opposing US Attorney’s department, whose job is to prosecute the cases.

Keeping them all in check are their mentors, chief public defender Jill Carlan (Hope Davis) and her friend and rival, US Attorney Roger Gunn (Ben Shenkman).

FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS 

Scandal writer and real-life lawyer Paul William Davies came up with the idea for the show, and pitched it to Shonda Rhimes.

‘I wanted to do something that showed the perspective of both sides of the law,’ he says. ‘Not in a formulaic way, but one that reveals how the law works and how justice is done.’

The legal action centres around two friends and defence lawyers – Sandra (Britt Robertson) and Allison (Jasmin Savoy Brown) – who have been compared to Grey’s Anatomy’s besties Meredith and Cristina.