Parents' Guide to

Canterbury's Law

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Legal drama is both mature and unmemorable.

TV Fox Drama 2008
Canterbury's Law Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Unlike notable legal dramas such as Law & Order and The Practice, this series focuses less on complex legal issues and criminal justice procedures than on Canterbury's inability to cope with her own reality. While she's clearly grieving for her son, her self-destructive behavior -- like cheating on husband Matt Furley (Aidan Quinn) -- makes it hard to empathize with her. Worse, when confronted with a seemingly unwinnable case, she goes from pushing boundaries to crossing some ethical -- and even legal -- lines to help her client. Although the show attempts to justify her actions as moral, they dilute whatever talent or authority she has in the courtroom.

Unfortunately, focusing on Canterbury's flaws isn't enough to make this very grown-up series memorable. There are few surprising or climactic moments to make it exciting, and it lacks any kind of wittiness to make it fun to watch.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate