Murder One is an American legal drama television series that aired on ABC from September 19, 1995, until May 29, 1997. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.
Like many of Bochco's previous series, Murder One was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Sometime after the conclusion of Murder One, Bochco ended his longtime relationship with Fox and moved his production company over to Paramount, making Murder One his last production with Fox for over a decade.
In 1997, TV Guide ranked the first episode, "Chapter 1", #60 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes in television history.
Premise In its first season, the series starred Daniel Benzali as defense attorney Theodore (Ted) Hoffman, a criminal litigator and the principal of his own firm, Hoffman and Associates. Backed by a cadre of young associates, Hoffman was a gruff, masterful criminal lawyer who zealously represented his clients in high-profile cases. Patricia Clarkson played his wife, Annie. Unique for a television drama at that time, the first season of the series revolved around a single high-profile criminal case. Stanley Tucci played Richard Cross, a charming but morally ambiguous philanthropist and the first man arrested for the murder of 15-year-old Jessica Costello. Bobbie Phillips played Julie Costello, the murder victim's sister and the girlfriend of Richard Cross.
For the duration of season one, Hoffman defended Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick), a young Hollywood star accused of the murder of Costello. During the first part of the season, Hoffman's associates also handled smaller cases which were usually wrapped up within one episode. While there were many plot twists and misdirections, fundamentally the entire season consisted of one defense case for Hoffman & Associates.
In the second season, Benzali was replaced by Anthony LaPaglia as Jimmy Wyler, a former assistant district attorney who took over Hoffman's firm. The second season also featured this type of seriality, to a limited extent: three unrelated trials, over 18 episodes.
The serial nature of the drama may have been problematic, leaving viewers who either missed episodes or did not see the series from its premiere at a loss. As a result, from about halfway through the first season, an increasingly detailed introduction began to take up several minutes at the start of each episode. Following somewhat disappointing ratings, ABC and Bochco revamped the show significantly for the 1996–97 season. Gone were Benzali and his character, as well as many of the show's former regulars including Clarkson, Gedrick, Tucci and Dylan Baker.
The producers brought in LaPaglia as the new owner of the firm to replace Benzali, but the second season of the show was far less successful than the first. The original concept of the series, a James Bond-like defense attorney, could not be salvaged with a replacement lead – not least of which because LaPaglia's character spent most episodes trying to borrow money to keep the firm afloat. Other cast members brought in for the second season included D. B. Woodside and Jack Kehler. ABC aired all the episodes filmed, and the plot was prematurely wrapped up in the final episode. ABC ordered the final six episodes to air as a three-night miniseries in the spring of 1997. As the hopes for a series renewal diminished, the three-night miniseries was rescheduled for the less-viewed Memorial Day weekend. The series was dropped at the end of the 1996-97 season.
Over its two-year run, ABC aired 41 original episodes. The first season of Murder One has aired several times on cable networks such as A&E and Court TV in the United States. (Court TV was substituted in the series by the fictional "Law TV".) Both seasons have been released on DVD in the US and UK, with different packaging in each country.
Characters
Season 1 Main cast
Daniel Benzali as Theodore Hoffman Mary McCormack as Justine Appleton Michael Hayden as Chris Docknovich Grace Phillips as Lisa Gillespie J. C. MacKenzie as Arnold Spivak Stanley Tucci as Richard Cross Dylan Baker as Detective Arthur Polson Vanessa Estelle Williams as Lila John Fleck as Louis Hines Kevin Tighe as David Blalock Barbara Bosson as Deputy District Attorney Miriam Grasso Patricia Clarkson as Annie Hoffman Jason Gedrick as Neil Avedon
Recurring guest stars Donna Murphy as Francesca Cross Bobbie Phillips as Julie Costello Linda Carlson as Judge Beth Bornstein Stanley Kamel as Dr. Graham Lester Gregory Itzin as District Attorney Roger Garfield Joe Spano as Ray Velacek John Pleshette as Gary Blondo Nancy Lee Grahn as Connie Dahlgren Adam Scott as Sidney Schneider Alexia Robinson as Akeesha Wesley
Season 2 Main cast
Anthony LaPaglia as Jimmy Wyler Mary McCormack as Justine Appleton Michael Hayden as Chris Docknovich J. C. MacKenzie as Arnold Spivak D. B. Woodside as Aaron Mosley Barbara Bosson as Deputy District Attorney Miriam Grasso Clayton Rohner as Det. Vince Biggio Jack Kehler as Frank Szymanski Dan Gerrity as Ed Mizerac
Recurring guest stars Linda Carlson as Judge Beth Bornstein Gregory Itzin as District Attorney Roger Garfield John Fleck as Louis Hines Pruitt Taylor Vince as Clifford Banks Eileen Heckart as Frances Wyler Ralph Waite as Malcolm Dietrich Pauley Perrette as Gwen
Episodes Season 1 (1995–96)
Season 2 (1996–97)
Storylines
Season 1
The Goldilocks Murder Ted Hoffman defends young Hollywood heartthrob Neil Avedon on criminal mischief charges after he attacks a swan and urges him to change his Hollywood lifestyle of sex and drugs before he gets into serious trouble. Neil ignores his advice, and Ted instructs his office to no longer take Neil's calls.
A media explosion occurs with the murder of 15-year-old Jessica Costello, who is found raped, tied up, and strangled in her apartment. Jessica was promiscuous with many powerful men in Hollywood, making them suspects and the case a media frenzy. One of these men, multi-millionaire Richard Cross, whose mistress Julie Costello is Jessica's older sister, is arrested after the police have a security video of Richard in the building at the time of the murder. Ted is hired and quickly has the charges against Richard dismissed for lack of evidence.
The next suspect is Neil Avedon who begs Ted to defend him. The state has a vast amount of evidence against him: Neil's fingerprints were found all over the crime scene; his DNA was found inside Jessica; he was known for indulging in sadomachistic sex and strangling his lovers; and he allegedly confessed to his psychiatrist Graham Lester that he killed Jessica. Neil admits to making love to Jessica around the time of the murder but denies killing her or confessing to it. Knowing that this will be the next trial of the century Ted takes the case and puts the young attorney Chris Docknovich as second chair. From the beginning Ted finds Richard is interfering with the case. He sends Neil to the psychiatrist Graham Lester to supply drugs. Ted and Chris get Neil into a drug rehabilitation center so he can remain sober for the first time in a long time.
Ted's private detective Davey Blalock has a stunning revelation. A criminal friend is brokering a videotape said to prove Neil's innocence. Davey calls and confirms its authenticity and Ted authorizes the purchase at an enormous price. However, the next day Davey and his friend are found murdered in a motel room with an empty VCR. Ted suspects the video implicated Richard who then hired a professional assassin to retrieve the tape.
The focal point of the trial becomes Neil's alleged confession to Dr. Lester. Ted pokes holes in Lester's story. A nurse did not note the confession phone in her logbook which she lost because she spilled coffee on it. Ted finds that the nurse's brother has AIDS and is undergoing expensive experimental treatment paid for by Richard. When Dr. Lester takes the stand he refuses to testify citing doctor-patient privilege. When the judge tells him this does not apply he still refuses and is jailed. This victory for the defense turns out to be a ruse because a week later Dr. Lester agrees to testify. His earlier protection of Neil makes his testimony all the more damning. For the defense Ted must discredit Dr. Lester. Their star witness is Julie Costello, who has turned against her boyfriend Richard. She believes that Richard killed Jessica and will testify about how Dr. Lester would drug and rape her and other patients.
When Julie is called to the stand the very next day Ted is stunned that Julie has completely reversed her story. When Ted asks her if she's had any contact with Richard she asks the judge, "Isn't there a law against testifying against your spouse?" Richard and Julie are now married. Ted next introduces Jessica's diary into evidence which graphically chronicled her sexual liaisons with hundreds of Hollywood's leading men. Ted suggests many other possible suspects. One of these is film producer Gary Blondo. Reluctant to testify about sex with 15-year-old Jessica, Gary's lawyers insist that he cannot testify because he is gravely ill in the hospital. When Ted shows photos of Gary drinking champagne and partying in the hospital the outraged judge orders Gary to testify immediately. Still playing sick, Gary's lawyers bring him into court in a wheelchair. When Ted confronts him about sex with Jessica, Gary denies it. As Gary is wheeled out of the courtroom, Ted says to Chris, "If there's ever a nuclear holocaust, stand next to Gary Blondo. He's a survivor."
Against Ted's advice Neil takes the stand to profess his innocence. But on cross-examination he admits he was too high that night to even know if he did or didn't kill Jessica.
The jury convicts Neil of Jessica's murder. The prosecutor Miriam Grasso insists that Neil's bail be revoked and that he not be shown any celebrity treatment and be put into the prison's general population. Although Ted vows to appeal, the judge gives a lengthy speech on her disgust with Neil for his brutal crime and how in the face of "overwhelming evidence" he's shown no remorse. Neil is taken away in chains crying. The next day Neil's fears are realized as he becomes the celebrity target in a hardened prison.
Knowing Neil can't survive in prison any longer, Ted makes one last desperate plea to Richard and Julie to come clean with what really happened that night. Ted discovers that Richard is dying of AIDS and would videotape Jessica having sex. Richard agrees to testify and authenticate the sought after videotape showing Richard's drug lord friend Roberto Portalegre murdering Jessica. It is also revealed that Portalegre sent the assassin to kill Dave Blalock when the video tape exposing Richard's alibi surfaced. He also had Holly Gerges, who was an obsessed fan of Neil's, killed whilst in police custody and was behind the kidnapping of Ted's daughter, Elizabeth. Neil is vindicated and Portalegre is subsequently arrested for the murder of Jessica Costello.
Portalegre offers to pay Ted 20 million dollars to defend him, considering lawyers willing to do anything for money. Ted declines his offer and later leaves his law practice in the hopes of reconciling with his wife.
At the celebration party, Chris confides in Ted that he was considering paying off an official in the District Attorney's Office who offered to have Neil's conviction overturned. Ted, who previously stated his opposition to the offer, surprises Chris by pulling out a suitcase full of money which was presumably intended to pay off the same official.
Portalegre is convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Dr. Lester is convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice and sentenced to ten years in prison. Richard dies nine days after taking the witness stand.
Season 2
The Angry Lone Nut