Conviction (2006 TV Series)
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''Conviction'' is an American
legal drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...
television series that aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
as a
mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after ...
from March 3 to May 19, 2006. The cast includes
Stephanie March Stephanie Caroline March is an American actress and activist. She is known for playing Alexandra Cabot in the NBC crime drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2000–2018) and its spinoff media. She is also recognized for her act ...
reprising her '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' role as Alexandra Cabot. In the series, Cabot returns to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and becomes a Bureau Chief ADA supervising a group of young but talented assistant district attorneys after a stint in the
Witness Protection Program Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after trials, usually by police. While witnesses may only require p ...
. Other cast members include
Eric Balfour Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor. He made his film debut in the Lifetime movie ''No One Would Tell'' in 1996, followed by the drama '' Shattered Image'' (1998), followed by roles in '' What Women Want'' (2000), Rise ...
,
Anson Mount Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series '' Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marve ...
,
Jordan Bridges Jordan Bridges (born November 13, 1973) is an American actor, best known as Frankie Rizzoli on ''Rizzoli & Isles'' (2010–2016). Early life and education Bridges was born in Los Angeles County, California, and is the son of actor Beau Bridges ...
,
Julianne Nicholson Julianne Nicholson (born July 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the film '' August: Osage County'' (2013) and the television series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (2006–2009), '' Masters of Sex'' (2013–2014), ...
,
Milena Govich Milena Govich ( ; Serbian: Милена Говић) (born ) is an American actress, director, singer, dancer, and musician, who may be best known for portraying Detective Nina Cassady for one season on ''Law & Order'' (2006–2007). Early lif ...
, and J. August Richards. Prior to the show's debut, creator
Dick Wolf Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American billionaire and television producer, best known for his ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. ...
remarked, "''Conviction'' will be a 'charactercedural', we will be dealing extensively with characters' back stories and personal lives. I am delighted with the extraordinary cast we have assembled, which will give the show depth and emotional intensity." ''Conviction''s premiere came precisely one year after the premiere of the short-lived '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'', which was also created by Dick Wolf and also aired on NBC (in filming, ''Conviction'' used many of the ''Trial by Jury'' sets). On February 21, 2006, the pilot episode of ''Conviction'' was made available for free download through the iTunes store; the free download was available until March 3, the date of the NBC premiere. The pilot and all other aired episodes are now available for purchase. NBC announced the series would not be renewed for a second season on May 14, 2006, having been routinely beaten in the ratings by CBS's math police procedural ''
Numb3rs ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that originally aired on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, with a total of six seasons consisting of 118 episodes. The series was created by Nico ...
''.


Cast and characters

*
Stephanie March Stephanie Caroline March is an American actress and activist. She is known for playing Alexandra Cabot in the NBC crime drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2000–2018) and its spinoff media. She is also recognized for her act ...
as Alexandra Cabot : In ''Conviction'', Bureau Chief ADA Cabot is engaged, and has had a fling with Deputy District Attorney Jim Steele, which was alluded to in Episode 5. Since her time as an ADA with the
Special Victims Unit A Special Victims Unit (SVU), also known as a Special Victims Division, is a specialized branch within some law enforcement agencies, typically police departments. These units focus on cases involving vulnerable or high-risk victims. Detectiv ...
(2000–2003), Alex's ideals and the way she does her job have changed, becoming more of a "politician" – something that often angers her staff, particularly Jessica Rossi. During the show's run, it was unexplained why Cabot was able to leave the Witness Protection Program, which she joined in 2003, after her life was threatened by a drug lord whose associate she had tried to prosecute. In a 2009 episode of ''SVU'' ("Lead"), in which March guest starred as Alexandra Cabot, it was revealed that the drug lord, Cesar Velez, died in prison, and Liam Connors, an assassin hired by Velez to kill her, was extradited to his native Ireland. No longer in Witness Protection, she had been back in the Manhattan DA's office for the past three years, which accounted for her reappearance on ''Conviction'' in 2006. *
Anson Mount Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series '' Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marve ...
as Jim Steele : Jim Steele is the Deputy Bureau Chief ADA whose best friend, Mike Randolph, is murdered by drug dealers in the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
of ''Conviction''. Jim is strong- willed and determined to avenge his friend's death. He is shown to have an adversarial relationship with Cabot after she decides to plead out his friend's murderer. Jim is tough on his subordinates, but he is secretly proud of them. He is having an affair with Jessica Rossi, which was private until the media exploited it in an attempt by a woman on trial to detract from Steele's credibility and portray him in a negative light. It is also implied that Cabot and Steele had a sexual relationship, as seen in the episode "Savasana". *
Eric Balfour Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor. He made his film debut in the Lifetime movie ''No One Would Tell'' in 1996, followed by the drama '' Shattered Image'' (1998), followed by roles in '' What Women Want'' (2000), Rise ...
as Brian Peluso : Brian Peluso is a laid-back and irresponsible ADA that seems to be heavily into partying but is very invested in his clients. He has sex with a number of different women whom he does not seem to care about, something that is seen as a defense mechanism because when he does open up to women, they often let him down. Peluso confesses to being in love with Finn in "Hostage". There are subtle references to a potential
substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...
problem, and he has a problem with gambling. He is often seen drinking
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
. * J. August Richards as Billy Desmond : Billy Desmond is smart, politically motivated, and hasn't lost a case during his three years at the DA's office. Initially, he appears to care more about winning cases and his political stature, but over the course of the first season, it became evident that Billy will not compromise the law or the DA's office for either his track record or his aspirations. Billy appears to be closest to Finn and Peluso, who he is seen to go out with after hours, but he also has hit a club or two with new co-worker, Potter. *
Milena Govich Milena Govich ( ; Serbian: Милена Говић) (born ) is an American actress, director, singer, dancer, and musician, who may be best known for portraying Detective Nina Cassady for one season on ''Law & Order'' (2006–2007). Early lif ...
as Jessica Rossi : Jessica Rossi is a young ADA who comes from a poor family. In the pilot episode, she is shown fighting with her brother after he asks her for a loan. We learn later that Jessica's father is abusive to her mother and has been for a long time. She is a fierce and often unrelenting ADA who frequently goes over her bosses' heads and takes big risks to punish the criminals she prosecutes. Jessica, along with Christina Finn, is particularly affected by the death of Mike Randolph. She is having an affair with her superior, Jim Steele. Jessica mentions to Christina that she lost her first court case. *
Julianne Nicholson Julianne Nicholson (born July 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the film '' August: Osage County'' (2013) and the television series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (2006–2009), '' Masters of Sex'' (2013–2014), ...
as Christina Finn : Christina Finn is an inexperienced ADA who has been with the DA's office for two years. She is particularly nervous about her first case, to the point that she becomes physically ill. Her first case, along with the death of her mentor, Mike Randolph, take a toll on Christina, although in the end she wins her case. Though she has limited trial experience, she is a quick learner, and despite some mistakes, she shows great proficiency. While sitting second chair to Steele in a murder trial, she convinces him that it is necessary that he allow for her to give the closing argument, else they would be certain to lose, due to the fact that the defendant had reverted to numerous means of undermining Steele throughout the trial. Her closing argument wins them the trial. Christina is flirtatious with Brian Peluso. *
Jordan Bridges Jordan Bridges (born November 13, 1973) is an American actor, best known as Frankie Rizzoli on ''Rizzoli & Isles'' (2010–2016). Early life and education Bridges was born in Los Angeles County, California, and is the son of actor Beau Bridges ...
as Nick Potter : Nick Potter is a new and inexperienced ADA. He graduated in the middle of his class from
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
(NYU) Law School, and he comes from an "
old money Old money is a social class of the rich who have been able to maintain their wealth over multiple generations, in contrast with new money whose wealth has been acquired within its own generation. The term often refers to perceived members of th ...
" family of prominence. In the pilot episode, he leaves his high-paying job at a private law firm, Cromwell Moore, for a position at the
Manhattan District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County, New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws (federal la ...
's Office. Nick is apparently attracted to Jessica Rossi; however, she is having an affair with Jim Steele. Nick is an idealist who wants to help those around him in whatever way he can, but his idealism and naïveté put him at odds with Steele's more aggressive and assertive nature. Nick is inadvertently responsible for the death of Jim's best friend, Mike Randolph. Although nobody else in the office believes Nick will last more than three months, Jessica Rossi has confidence in him and takes him under her wing. Since he is the new guy, he is also the target of pranks by the other members of the office (one that had him put a dress on to help finish up a hoax line up). Nick is the victim of a robbery, where he is brutally beaten, and the event haunts him to the point where his professionalism is brought into question.


Episodes


Ratings


Cancellation and aftermath

''Conviction'' lost all of its Friday night ratings battles to CBS' ''
Numb3rs ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that originally aired on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, with a total of six seasons consisting of 118 episodes. The series was created by Nico ...
''. The last minute addition of Alexandra Cabot resulted in what was perceived as an unflattering and out-of-character portrayal. Also, despite Dick Wolf's claim of keeping the story character driven and giving detailed backgrounds, much of Cabot's character was not developed or explained. The cancellation also came as the second legal drama failure for Dick Wolf, the first being '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury''. Coincidentally, the show reused several of ''TBJ''s sets. ''Conviction'' averaged 7.7 million viewers overall (placing 73 for the season), 2.5 mill. in the 18–49 demo (placing 86), and 8 share. In contrast, the competing show, ''Numb3rs'', averaged 11.7 million viewers overall (placing 31), 3.3 mill. in the 18–49 demo (placing 56), and 10 share. Nevertheless, two actresses from the series have moved on to become lead characters in other ''Law & Order'' series.
Milena Govich Milena Govich ( ; Serbian: Милена Говић) (born ) is an American actress, director, singer, dancer, and musician, who may be best known for portraying Detective Nina Cassady for one season on ''Law & Order'' (2006–2007). Early lif ...
appeared on the original ''Law & Order'' as Det. Nina Cassady in its 17th season, having first appeared on ''Law & Order'' as a guest star in 2005.
Julianne Nicholson Julianne Nicholson (born July 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the film '' August: Osage County'' (2013) and the television series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (2006–2009), '' Masters of Sex'' (2013–2014), ...
, who played the meek Christina Finn, appears as Megan Wheeler on '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. Nicholson had previously guest starred on the original ''Law & Order'' in the episode "All My Children" in 2001.


Broadcast history


Overseas broadcasts

''Conviction'' has aired on Five US and
Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. ...
in the United Kingdom. In March 2008, the show debuted in Australia, on
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
's Ten HD channel.


Re-runs

Re-runs were shown on the now defunct
Universal HD Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of ...
and are currently shown on Hulu in the United States.


DVD release


References


External links

*
''Conviction'' on episodelist.com
{{Dick Wolf 2006 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings 2000s American legal drama television series American English-language television shows American television spinoffs Law & Order (franchise) NBC television dramas Television series about prosecutors Television series by Universal Television Television series by Wolf Films Television series created by Dick Wolf Television shows set in New York City