Marshall Law (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Television drama series |
Marshall Law is an Australian television series that was broadcast on the Seven Network in 2002, featuring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte portraying lawyer siblings.
History
Designed as a legal drama infused with romantic comedy elements reminiscent of Ally McBeal, Marshall Law was launched in 2002 as part of an effort to rejuvenate Australian television programming. The project initially held promise due to its compelling cast and concept.
Although it began with favorable ratings, the audience numbers dropped swiftly, resulting in the show's cancellation after only 17 episodes. Subsequent reruns were edited to eliminate the original CGI components.
Synopsis
The narrative is set in Melbourne and centers on sisters Ros and Verity Marshall (Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte) working within the Magistrate's Court. Ros is a Junior Prosecutor who prioritizes her social activities over her career and struggles to establish herself, receiving support from legal aid solicitor Mikey O'Dea and mentor Esther Hersch, QC.
Verity, a seasoned barrister, confronts challenges including legal battles against her former spouse Dylan Boyd (William McInnes), a prominent counsel. Despite their differing lifestyles, the sisters must cooperate while navigating rivalry involving Judge Don Foster, Ros's supervisor Frank Dellabosca, and the ambitious attorney Prue Staley.
Original pilot
The initial pilot episode of Marshall Law, entitled Leather and Silk, had a stronger focus on drama and was considered overly serious by co-creator Bevan Lee. Executive Producer John Holmes observed that its concentration on legal technicalities appealed primarily to law aficionados but lacked wider audience engagement.
Most principal roles were recast except for Lisa McCune’s character, and numerous minor parts were removed. Holmes explained that the original pilot contained too many characters, which hindered audience connection. The revamped series narrowed its focus to the central trio—Verity, Ros, and Dylan—and explored their intertwined personal and professional lives within the legal environment.
Kerry Armstrong originally portrayed Verity as a magistrate but was replaced after Channel Seven found her unsuitable for the role due to creative disagreements and concerns about her age relative to McCune’s character. Armstrong later appeared in the more successful 2002 series MDA. Alison Whyte shifted from playing Prue Staley in the pilot to assuming the role of Verity. Other recastings included William McInnes replacing Lani Tupu as Verity’s ex-husband, Anne Phelan taking over from Deidre Rubenstein, and Frank Gallacher succeeding Bud Tingwell as the DPP.
Cast
- Lisa McCune as Ros Marshall
- Alison Whyte as Verity Marshall
- Nick Farnell as Mikey O'Dea
- Anne Phelan as Esther Hersch, QC
- Nathaniel Kiwi as Scott
- William McInnes as Dylan Boyd, QC
- Greg Stone as Judge Don Foster
- Frank Gallacher as Frank Dellabosca
- Jane Hall as Prue Stanley
- Verity McIntyre as Julie Larson
- Annie Jones as Sandra
- Benjamin McNair as Tarpey
- Briony Behets as Sonia
- Michele Fawdon as Judge Cath
Ratings
Despite benefiting from a strong lead-in provided by All Saints, Marshall Law encountered significant competition during its Tuesday 9:30 PM timeslot from Rove Live and Nine Network’s drama Stingers. Although the series launched with promising viewership in its opening week, ratings dropped sharply by the second week and failed to recover thereafter.
| Week | Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth | 5-City | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11–17 Aug | 373,000 | 465,000 | 203,000 | 145,000 | 133,000 | 1,319,000 | 34 |
| 18–24 Aug | 212,000 | 266,000 | 102,000 | 97,000 | 88,000 | 765,000 | 100 |
| 25–31 Aug | 241,000 | 338,000 | 115,000 | 109,000 | 104,000 | 906,000 | 72 |
| 1–7 Sep | 251,000 | 304,000 | 140,000 | 83,000 | 106,000 | 885,000 | 74 |
| 8–14 Sep | 252,000 | 282,000 | 136,000 | 86,000 | 97,000 | 852,000 | 76 |
| 15–21 Sep | 254,000 | 304,000 | 116,000 | 96,000 | 68,000 | 839,000 | 80 |
| 22–28 Sep | 254,000 | 264,000 | 121,000 | 83,000 | 89,000 | 811,000 | 86 |
| 29 Sep–5 Oct | 204,000 | 243,000 | 101,000 | 84,000 | 98,000 | 730,000 | 88 |
| 6–12 Oct | 238,000 | 237,000 | 122,000 | 94,000 | 103,000 | 794,000 | 84 |
| 27 Oct–2 Nov | 273,000 | 226,000 | 116,000 | 72,000 | 88,000 | 776,000 | 95 |
| 3–9 Nov | 236,000 | 230,000 | 124,000 | 65,000 | 61 ,000 | 716 ,000 | 94 |
| 10–16 Nov | 267 ,000 | 283 ,000 | 118 ,000 | 63 ,000 | 106 ,000 | 837 ,000 | 79 |
| 17–23 Nov | 251 ,000 | 237 ,000 | 115 ,000 | 74 ,000 | 83 ,000 | 761 ,000 | 85 |
| 24–30 Nov | 256 ,000 | 219 ,000 | 115 ,000 | 72 ,000 | 80 ,000 | 742 ,000 | 75 |
See also
External links
- Marshall Law profile at AustralianTelevision.net
- Marshall Law listing on IMDb
- Articles with short description
- Australian drama television series of the 2000s
- Original programming by Seven Network
- Television series set in Victoria (state)
- Australian legal drama television shows
- Australian television series that debuted in 2002
- Australian television series that concluded in 2002
- Seven Network original programming