The Justice

As a network, Fox is well-known for cancelling and replacing shows at the drop of a hat. In the last five years, the network has an output of more than double that of any other network's shows. Their shows are generally driven by shock value and exploitation. During the mid 1990s, the network thrived on lowbrow shows Cops or When Animals Attack and their many spin-offs. The network teeters over the line of decency, however with their new drama K-Ville. The show follows two of New Orleans' finest as they chase down the bad guys who seek to exploit the weak and weary citizens of the city, still grieving and trying to rebuild. The idea of K-Ville might seem novel, either as a profile of a recovering city or as a galvanizing tribute to the people who defend the defenseless. The reality is that K-Ville is a cookie-cutter cop show that uses our sympathy and infatuation for the victims of Katrina to draw us in.

First of all, the fundamentals of the show are terrible. In just three episodes, including the pilot, the characters have already fallen flat. Despite the decent stable of actors making up the supporting cast, most of the recurring characters just take up space. The dialogue isn't just bad; while it's clearly meant to inform the viewer of plot, no line ever sounds natural. Officer Trevor Cobb, played by Cole Hauser, lacks personality and comes off as lifeless. The only exception is protagonist Martin Boulet, played by Anthony Anderson. Speaking with a cool cajun flavor, Anderson makes dectective Boulet's full-bodied love of New Orleans transform him into the ultimate avatar of the city's emotions. Other than him, though, the characters are stiff and unbelievable.

The show's plots are also over the top. Most of them attempt to engage on a personal level, but fail miserably. Since K-Ville is a cop show at heart, it cannot help but fall into many clichés, such as the angry captain, breaking all of the rules and getting away with it and borderline alcoholism. The bottom line is that this show would never have been produced if it didn't have an angle that could possibly captivate viewers for at least half an hour. Hurricane Katrina, as an event, is still fresh in the minds of a lot of people; not so fresh that people would be offended, but enough that we are still interested in it.

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