‘The Good Wife’ broke the CBS mould when it debuted in September 2009. Airing on a network which thrives on formulaic, franchise-friendly procedurals such as ‘CSI’, ‘Criminal Minds’, and ‘NCIS’, ‘The Good Wife’ represented a more hybridised type of drama than CBS was used to, with the series’ weekly, self-contained legal cases operating as a counter-balance to ongoing, character-driven storylines.

However, despite its departure from the CBS norm, ‘The Good Wife’ has developed into network television’s most critically lauded show while attracting a consistently high calibre of well-respected guest stars, ranging from Michael. J Fox and Mamie Gummer to recent additions Lisa Edelstein and Matthew Perry. The series has received multiple award nominations, including a Peabody Award for Excellence in 2010, and Emmy, Golden Globe, and consecutive Screen Actors Guild wins for its star Julianna Margulies.

Now in its third season, ‘The Good Wife’, which is set in Chicago but shot in New York, has delved deeper into the personal lives of several of its characters while still interweaving numerous social and political contexts in a manner not seen in any other network or cable drama.

Initially centred around Alicia Florrick, the humiliated wife of Illinois’ disgraced State’s Attorney, ‘The Good Wife’ has since evolved into an ensemble offering, exploring such issues as: political campaigning, inter-office power struggles, judicial bribery, economic woes, and technology’s growing impact in every facet of the professional and domestic spheres.

This season began with Alicia (Margulies) having separated from her husband Peter (Chris Noth) following his re-election as State’s Attorney and the discovery that he had had a sexual encounter with Kalinda Sharma (Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi), the in-house investigator at Alicia’s law firm and Alicia’s closest friend.

In turn, Alicia embarked on a relationship with Will Gardner (Josh Charles), a senior partner at the firm, and was forced to work directly with her husband’s political campaigner Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) after she had used him as a political contact to beat out fellow attorney Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) for a job.

Agos later defected to the State’s Attorney’s Office, where he now works alongside Alicia’s husband and has been promoted to the position of Deputy State’s Attorney. Observing all of this is Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), the firm’s other senior partner and a staunch Democrat, whose Liberal convictions often clash with the needs and requirements of surviving in the legal field.

Reflecting on all of this, it is quite clear that ‘The Good Wife’ has moved far away from its original premise of a scorned ex-wife returning to the workplace. Now, it juggles multiple story arcs and long-simmering narrative tensions which could very well be overwhelming to the casual viewer accustomed to the plethora of modern day procedurals.

The series’ producers – led by husband/wife duo Robert and Michelle King, and supported by feature film heavyweights Ridley and Tony Scott – have stayed so committed to making ‘The Good Wife’ a multi-layered saga that it is now typically the only network drama to receive recognition at the major television award ceremonies.

Ironically, it is also one of CBS’ lowest-rated series and has yet to secure a syndication deal, despite it approaching its fourth year of production.

This divide between its critical reception and commercial performance is perhaps indicative of television’s growing trend towards targeting niche audiences in an effort to combat all-encompasing audience declines, with a series such as ‘NCIS’ regularly attracting 20 million viewers and zero critical acclaim, while a series such as ‘Mad Men’ rarely attracts 3 million viewers yet has won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row. Thus, with a season-to-date average of 10.35 million viewers, ‘The Good Wife’ finds itself in something of a middle-ground position.

On-screen, however, the series is not concerning itself with the business side of television productions. Just eight episodes remain this season, and in that run of episodes audiences are expected to see: Alicia’s decision about whether to persevere with a divorce from her husband, and the personal and professional fallout which that would in turn trigger; Eli’s plans to have Peter run for governorship; and most interestingly the inter-office power struggles which are now certain to arise following Will’s six-month disbarment for stealing money from a client’s account.

In recent episodes, the writers have explored the current civil unrest in Syria, potential prejudices in military law, institutional manipulation in the United States Treasury Department, and prosecutorial complications arising from Chinese diplomatic immunity. As a result of engaging in such socially-volatile debates, it seems appropriate for ‘The Good Wife’ to step back and explore more insular conflicts of greater personal importance to the characters.

Yet, with its fearlessness over broaching so many hot-button issues on a mainstream network landscape, ‘The Good Wife’ seems certain to join the likes of ‘The Wire’ and ‘The West Wing’ as one of America’s most culturally resonant television dramas of the twenty-first century.

The article The Good Wife – The Season So Far appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

FOX announced on February 8 that its long-running medical drama will come to an end in May 2012 after 8 seasons.

After months of speculation, it has been confirmed that House, starring Hugh Laurie, will air its final episode in May after 177 episodes. The future of the series had been in doubt following the departures of cast members Lisa Edelstein and Olivia Wilde in 2011, declining ratings, and Laurie’s own contract expiring this year. FOX President Kevin Reilly released the following statement on the decision not to renew House for a 9th season:

While it’s with much regret, and a lump in our throats, we respect the decision Hugh, David and Katie have made. A true original, on the page and amazingly brought to life by Hugh Laurie, there is only one Dr. House. For eight seasons, the entire HOUSE team has given us – and fans around the world – some of the most compelling characters and affecting stories ever seen on television.

They have been creatively tenacious and collaborative throughout this incredible run, and they are amongst the most superior talents in the business. For all the above, we wholeheartedly thank them, and the fans who have supported the show.

House debuted in 2004 to instant success, making British import Laurie the highest paid actor in dramatic television – he reportedly earns $700,000 per episode – and launching the careers of the aforementioned Edelstein and Wilde along with Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison.

Over the course of its run, the series has won five Primetime Emmy Awards, three People’s Choice Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. It has been distributed in 66 countries and was credited with helping to reinvigorate primetime medial dramas in the U.S.

Laurie and executive producers David Shore and Katie Jacobs admitted that the decision to end House was a ‘painful one’, however, they wanted to do so ‘while there is still some promise and mystique in the air’ regarding the fate of the show’s titular character.

Details of the final episode are slim, but it is believed that Shore will serve as both writer and director. However, one source of interest for critics and long-time fans will be whether House’s finale will feature the returns of departed cast-members such as Morrison, currently starring on ABC’s Once Upon A Time, Edelstein, who recently joined the cast of The Good Wife on a recurring basis, and Wilde, who departed the series earlier this season in order to focus on her feature film career.

When asked in October if she would consider reprising her role as Remy ‘Thirteen’ Hadley, Wilde declares that ‘if she came back, it would probably seem forced … So I don’t think she should come back‘. However, it has since been revealed that Wilde had already consented to returning to the series if it were to end this season. Wilde herself took to Twitter shortly after news broke of House’s end, telling fans:

House lovers, it’s the end of an era. Shows like that don’t happen, well, ever. I’m honored to have been a part of such a brilliant story.

House will continue to air on Monday nights on FOX for the remainder of the season, with its exact finale date yet to be announced.

The article ‘House’ To End This Season appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.