Made In Jersey Preview: CBS' Legal Drama Starring Janet Montgomery

Set to follow CSI: New York on Friday nights this fall on CBS is Made in Jersey, a drama that stars Janet Montgomery (Human Target) and Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives), and follows a Jersey-born attorney working in a prestigious Manhattan law firm. Check out the official synopsis and a video from the show ahead!

Looking at the premise, Made in Jersey could almost pass for a goofy sitcom about lawyer from New Jersey trying to fit in among a bunch of fancy New York attorneys. The title seems to further suggest fun at the expense of played out (and played up thanks to Jersey Shore) stereotypes. But Made in Jersey is a drama and one that - if done right - might actually celebrate New Jersey "culture" as opposed to simply mocking it.

MADE IN JERSEY is a drama about a young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm.  

Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery) finds her firm’s cutthroat landscape challenging, but what she lacks in an Ivy League education she more than makes up for with tenacity and blue-collar insight. After just a few weeks, firm founder Donovan Stark (Kyle MacLachlan), takes note of Martina’s ingenuity and resourcefulness, as does her sassy secretary Cyndi Vega (Toni Trucks).  With the support of her big Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie (Erin Cummings), Martina is able to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment. 

Jamie Tarses, Kevin Falls, Julia Franz and Mark Waters, who also directed the pilot, are the executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios.  Pilot was written by creator and co-executive producer Dana Calvo.

Here's the video CBS released today, which gives us a look at the series and has the cast discussing their roles…



The above video reaffirms my initial interest in the set-up for the series, and as a bonus, it also makes me smile to hear a Jersey accent coming from the mouth of British actor Janet Montgomery. Beyond the cute factor, this show could prove to be entertaining and charming all at once, as we get to know Martina Garretti and see her attempt to fit in and show off her passion and her intelligence at work. There's also a sort of My Cousin Vinny-quality about the premise that I like, except instead of a New York lawyer taking on a murder case in the South, the culture clash is entirely rooted in the New York metro area. I think a lot of this show is going to hinge on Montgomery's performance and from what we're shown in the video, there's definite potential there.



View the rest of CBS' 2012-2013 Primetime lineup here.