Fresh Meat: Franklin & Bash v. Suits

This summer saw the premiere of two lighthearted legal shows, TNT's Franklin & Bash at 9 on Wednesdays and USA's Suits at 10 on Thursdays. Despite their seemingly similar premises, the two are actually quite different in plot and case-of-the-week execution. While a show about lawyers and their cases is nothing new, each attempts to liven up the proceedings with a fresh take and style on this familiar genre.

Franklin & Bash is the more straightforward of the two. It follows bus-stop bench attorneys Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Paul-Michael Gosselaar, forever Saved by the Bell's Zack) who abandon their strategy of running after car accident victims and defending hookers to join a large reputable firm run by the eccentric Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell, clearly enjoying himself). However, despite their new positions, the two remain in their trashy house where there's always a party going on, and even bring that atmosphere to the office. The main premise of Franklin & Bash really ends up being a demonstration of what would happen if two frat bros never really matured yet were still able to be successful attorneys in spite of their blatant unprofessionalism, because, with this being a legal procedural, they always win their case.

Although its premise may be a bit more outlandish, Suits is actually the more authentic program in its plot and execution. Unfulfilled prodigy Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) is a college dropout who copes with his failed goals by smoking pot and getting paid to pass the LSATs and BAR exams for other people. However, while running from the cops, he ends up in an interview for an associates position at a prestigious corporate law firm that only hires from Harvard. Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), the senior partner conducting the interview, is so impressed by Mike's ability to absorb information (he happens to have a photographic-level memory) and his sheer "unlawyerness" that he offers him the job, despite the fact that he doesn't have a degree and the two will now have to keep that a secret from the rest of the firm. Here, the cases of the week (which include interesting insights into corporate legal matters) are framed by Mike's adjustment to this new lifestyle and his apprenticeship under Harvey.

While Franklin & Bash gets its humor from portraying decent lawyers who don't take their work seriously, Suits finds its humor in a non-lawyer who strives to keep up with seriousness of the law. However both shows maintain plenty of idiosyncrasies and quirks for their characters. In Franklin & Bash, their associate Pindar is an socially-inept and agoraphobic attorney, while Suits' Harvey is an arrogant prick who just so happens to be the best closer New York has ever seen. Additionally, although USA is typically better known for humorous dramas than TNT, Franklin & Bash plays more like a comedy than Suits, even though its cases and structure are a bit more traditional for a legal procedural. Where Franklin & Bash is fairly obvious in its humor and fun, Suits takes a more subtle approach with well-rounded characters who come across more natural in their sense of humor.

Bottom Line: Both shows have leading pairs with great chemistry and are solid lighthearted entertainment despite their unrealistic premises. However Suits' more original stories and more fully developed characters reveal greater authenticity that draws you in.