[Unsung Hero]

Pilot Reviews

- The Good Wife: New to CBS This Fall (Review) | 5 Vinez Monkeys

Let me tell you, I was hooked. I couldn't turn it off, and I hated when it was over. I wanted more! I have always been a fan of Julianna Margulies, and it was awesome to see her in the spotlight. It was also a nice surprise to see Matt Czuchry on the show. He did a great job on Gilmore Girls, and it's nice to see him in a more grown-up role now. I'll admit that I was worried it was going to be trashy. Most primetime shows are nowadays. Anad with Chris Noth in the cast, I thought I was sure to see some butt cheek. But, THE GOOD WIFE really surprised me. I'm hoping that all of the rest of the episodes follow suit and kick the trash to the curb. I like enjoying my shows without sex and nudity. Over all, I loved the storyline, the characters, everything about the show. I honestly don't think I moved the entire time it was on, and I only blinked when the disk blacked out for commercials. It's just that good.

- The TV Chick: FALL TV PREVIEW - The Good Wife

The Good Wife is a politically charged drama starring Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth, Josh Charles, and Christine Baranski. From what I could discern, it is very loosely based on the Eliot Spitzer scandal (although maybe that's just my knowledge of NY state politics talking). Ms. Margulies plays the wife to Noth, who has been forced out of his office due to a prostitution scandal. Margulies re-enters the work force as as lawyer in a big corporate firm, and has to face the consequences of her name recognition (both in court and in the office). What could have been a cliched-ripped-from-the-headlines, just another episode of Law and Order type show, was actually quite the opposite. The acting is fantastic, the story feels real, and I think this will be a hit for both Margulies and CBS. Also deserving some recognition is the role of her investigator/co-hort played by Archie Panjabi (of Bend It Like Beckham fame). I'm also a huge Gilmore Girls fan, so seeing Matt Czuchry on tv again is pretty great (as long as he doesn't play a ****** like Logan Huntzberger). I am looking forward to watching this show in the fall! The Good Wife premieres on September 22nd at 10 pm on CBS. Be sure to tune in!

- Rants & Reviews - The Futon's First Look: "Good Wife, The" (CBS) | TheFutonCritic.com

What doesn't work : I can't think of anything substantive. The bottom line: This is most definitely a year of surprises on the drama front as "The Good Wife" might just be the best new hour and I sure didn't see it coming.

- The Telefile Blog - TV Shows & TV News - TV Reviews | TWoP

The show has a slickness and intelligence that makes it look it might be a cut above the usual CBS fare, and I was happy to see Matt Czuchry? (Gilmore Girls) and Josh Charles (Sports Night) in the supporting cast - they're talented guys that should be working more often.

- Cynthia Littleton On The Air on Variety.com

Con: There's not much to not like here. It's not ground-breaking or mind-blowing TV, but it's very well crafted.

- Fall Preview 09: THE GOOD WIFE | the TV addict

Watch Live or DVR: All-star cast that includes SPORTS NIGHT alum Josh Charles, the always enjoyable Christine Baranksi and ex-GILMORE Guy Matt Czuchry aside, a season pass for THE GOOD WIFE is a forgone conclusion when you factor in the following evidence: Its 10 p.m. “competition” is Jay Leno? over on NBC and the already-troubled Jerry Bruckheimer procedural THE FORGOTTEN on ABC. In other words, meet next season’s break-out hit

- Televisionary: Pilot Inspektor: An Advance Review of ABC's "The Forgotten"

Especially on a Tuesday evening, where the series will compete with legal drama The Good Wife, starring Juliana Margulies. Right now, victory will likely go to The Good Wife while The Forgotten will likely be, well, forgotten.

- Austin TX entertainment, events, food, movies, music | Austin360.com

She stars in the CBS legal drama, “The Good Wife,” and she carries the pilot in every way. I’m not really a big fan of legal dramas, so this show was a hard sell. Maybe it’s partly because it takes place in my old stomping grounds, but this tale of a wife of a corrupt Chicago politician (does there seem to be any other kind?) worked for me.

More Review Links:
- Julianna Margulies as The Good Wife in a Great new CBS series (8/8/09)
- Pilot Watch: The Good Wife | TV, Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth | BuzzSugar - Movies, TV & Music
- Travis Yanan Watches TV: Pilot Script Review - The Good Wife (spoilerish)

Q&A:

- Random scooplets: 'SVU,' 'Greek,' 'Gilmore Girls,' 'HIMYM,' and more! | Ausiello | EW.com

Question: Out of all the fall pilots you've seen, which are your three favorite broadcast comedies and dramas? --Conor Ausiello: Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Community are tops among comedies, while Parenthood, Vampire Diaries, and The Good Wife rate best among dramas. But I still have a bunch more to watch, including Flash Forward.

Gilmore Girls: Nope, the show isn’t returning. And I don’t have an update on a possible movie. I do, however, have good news for fans of Gilmore guy Matt Czuchry. The pilot for his new CBS legal drama, The Good Wife, doesn’t suck. Like, at all. (Watch a clip here.)

TV Guide-

Please give me some scoop on the new CBS show The Good Wife. — Karen MATT: My advice to those anticipating this new drama? Don't let yourself get bogged down by the Canterbury's Law comparisons. Yes, Julianna Margulies is again playing a lawyer, but this show is a totally different animal, one filled with really nice tugs of the heartstrings. On top of that, the ensemble is sweet, from Chris Noth (as the good wife's imprisoned husband) to Titus Welliver (Deadwood, Lost), who has been promoted to recurring status as the political animal who replaces Noth as state's attorney

Reviews & Ratings will be found here. Thread suggestions are welcomed.

Ratings

1.01 - Pilot : 13.7 million viewers
1.02 - Stripped : 13.3 million viewers
1.03 - Home : 13.4 million viewers
1.04 - Fixed : 12.8 million viewers
1.05 - Crash : 12.9 million viewers

Previous Threads:

#1 - The Good Wife" might just be the best new hour' ~ the futon critic

[Brilliant Disguise]

Thanks for the new thread

[heartღaflutter]

something from tvguide magazine From Matt Roush

Question: I’ve been enjoying The Good Wife. And I’m surprised. I started watching with my wife, expecting to ridicule it, but I’m really engaged by it. Julianna Margulies is brilliant in it, and I don’t think that is an overstatement. Whenever someone recognizes her, or mentions her situation, she is so fantastic about conveying a monologue about how she feels, except she does it with her eyes in about 2 seconds instead of 3 minutes. And when she finally gets to outwardly express something, like the episode revolving around Peter’s bail hearing, she hits a home run. Her handling of the smarmy prosecutor when she was being questioned on the stand was outstanding. An absolute “You go girl!” moment. Let me start the campaign for her Emmy right now. As great as Margulies has been, it isn’t just her. Chris Noth is perfect as the sometimes slimy, sometimes sweet cheating husband. The show has done a great job at addressing and making plausible the key question with their premise: Why wouldn’t Alicia divorce him immediately? The staff at Alicia’s firm is well done; I especially enjoy both Josh Charles and Christine Baranski. Cary, the young associate Alicia is competing with, seemed early on to be a one-note obnoxious pain. But he has had some nice moments. And the friendship between Alicia and her investigator, Kalinda, is a nice touch. My only complaints are 1) the kids investigating the people trying to frame their dad is hokey, and slows down each episode, and 2) they need to get past the “Alicia saves the day every week” plot device. I’m loving the characters, but the legal stories need to grow with the show. But so far, a very pleasant surprise that has moved towards the top of my DVR must-watch-list!—Ed Matt Roush: For all the reasons you note, The Good Wife has been among the more pleasant surprises of the fall season. It’s solid and smart, at times surprising and often engrossing, and does a very deft job of character development with strong legal drama. I’m fascinated by Julianna Margulies’ subtle yet steely performance, although as you note, Alicia needs to be less of a miracle-working prodigy. Still, I’ve enjoyed most of the cases, which (like Law & Order) take advantage of the New York acting pool with some excellent guest stars. Given how effectively it has helped fix a long-time problem spot on Tuesdays for CBS, no reason not to think The Good Wife is a keeper.

Thanks for the new thread

[Unsung Hero]

Thanks Karen

I'll re-do the OP in a few days so be ready for some changes.

for last night

The Good Wife (r) 9.00 Million CBS Tuesday

[Full Throttle]

Amazing for a (R).

[heartღaflutter]

definitely good for a repeat yes

[Lazy]

Thanks for the new thread!

I love those reviews in the OP.

[Unsung Hero]

great review (mainly about Alicia)

The Feminist Spectator: The Good Wife

[heartღaflutter]

thanks Jess!!

[Det.Logan]

Very good reading

[Unsung Hero]

It was

[heartღaflutter]

"The Good Wife" (CBS): Yes, it's the umpteenth procedural drama on CBS, but this one is different. It's more legal than crime mystery and it weaves together a case-of-the-week with character-based stories about Alicia Florek (Julianna Margulies) and her unfaithful politician husband. Add to that strong performances by the appealing Margulies and intriguing newcomer Archie Panjabi as law-firm investigator Kalinda, and "The Good Wife" puts a welcome new spin on what could be a routine formula show. GoErie.com: TV - Ten TV shows stand out in 2009

another review

[Unsung Hero]

Thanks Karen

5. "The Good Wife" I was quite skeptical about this drama, but it me won over within it's first hour. Julianna Margulies' Alicia Florrick is a woman of quiet strength who has something new to learn each day. Kalinda is a great character who is usually the one schooling Mrs. Florrick. It's a favorite among a lot of my friends and we're all happy to have found it!

9 Days of '09: Top 10 TV shows of 2009 | recordonline.com

Best Viewing TV Night — Tuesday’s CBS’s lineup of “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles ” and “The Good Wife.”

Best of the Year

[heartღaflutter]

Thanks Jess

[Det.Logan]

"The Winners and Losers of the Decade."

The Cheaters: You can see their faces. You can still hear their excuses. Bill Clinton ushered in their decade with his almost-demented tryst with Monica Lewinsky. But so many others followed that we could almost call the oughts the Decade of the Cheater had it not been for the fact that so many other ghastly things happened that it reminded us that the only people these sleazebags really hurt were their families. Each of course, brought something special. Mark Sanford brought bad poetry. Eliot Spitzer brought unintended irony to his role as Mr. Clean. Larry Craig provided a new twist on bathroom humor. And John Edwards, maybe it's just that his wife, Elizabeth, is more visible and thus her great qualities are so well known to us all, but he ends up taking the cake as the ultimate scumbucket in the crowd. (And don't think we've forgotten you David Vitter or Mark Foley or Vito Fossella or John Ensign or Kwame Kilpatrick or Ed Schrock or Jim McGreavey or Jack Ryan or Gary Condit ... and all you others for whom there is too little space to include them here.) And what do the wives all get? Well, besides our sympathy, they also get to be channeled by Juliana Margulies in "The Good Wife" ... which may not heal the wounds, but it's not nothing.