''Christine Cromwell'' is an American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

television series that aired as a rotating element of the '' ABC Mystery Movie''. It debuted on November 11, 1989, and ended on February 17, 1990, with four episodes presented semi-monthly.

Premise and cast

Christine Cromwell, portrayed by

Jaclyn Smith Jacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith (born October 26, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best known for her role as Kelly Garrett in the television series '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), and was the only original female lead ...

, is a lawyer for a prestigious law firm in San Francisco with cases that involve famous, wealthy people. She was valedictorian of her class in Harvard Law School and worked as a public defender for a decade. Cromwell enjoys high-society activities with her mother, Samantha (

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in ''Come to ...

) and works in the law firm with senior partner Cyrus Blain (

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

). Other regulars were Sarah the secretary (Rebecca Cross) and Nanny the housekeeper ( Ellen Albertini).

Dick Wolf Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American film and television producer, best known for his ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. He is al ...

was the executive producer.

Reaction

Mark Dawidziak, in an article distributed by Knight Ridder newspapers, praised the first episode's production values but described the plot as "horribly hackneyed." He added that the program went from fun in the first hour to being a dud in its conclusion.

Episodes

References

American Broadcasting Company original programming The ABC Mystery Movie 1980s American crime drama television series 1990s American crime drama television series 1980s American mystery television series 1990s American mystery television series 1989 American television series debuts 1990 American television series endings Television series created by Dick Wolf Television series by Wolf Films English-language television shows Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in San Francisco Cromwell, Christine {{US-drama-tv-prog-stub