8/20/1997. USA . Sunday, 9 pm. 2 hours.

Detective/lawyer drama.

Code: MEL 8/1997

PLOT

Defense lawyer Darrow and her police detective brother investigate the fatal shooting of a wealthy heiress.

CREDITS

Writers: Joyce Burditt, Dean Hargrove.

Director: Gary Nelson,

CAST

Delta Burke as Melanie Darrow

Brian Bloom as Detective Lou Darrow

Christopher Birt as Dwight

Bruce Abbott as Alex Kramer

Wendel Meldrum as Diane

Jonathan Banks as Arthur Abbott (SGS)

Shawn Ashmore as David

BAD GUY

Murderer.

CHARACTER

Arthur is well-educated, rich, not good at showing he cares. Attends an athletic club. Authoritarian, insists on having his way. Tries to manipulate his nephew through drugs.

CRITICS

"This witless movie plays like a tired retread of a lesser Matlock…It fails miserably as camp, even when it tries to be ironic…" USA Today, 8/20/1997, Life, p.3D.

"The vidpic’s major problems are its scrambled plotting and Burke’s outre perf." Variety, 8/20/1997, p.6.

LINES

"...turning my sister’s funeral into a media event."

"I obviously don’t know how to handle teenage boys."

"I do not look forward to taking over the family business."

"Loyalty is everything to me, Henry, everything."

"Why are you so upset? Haven’t you been taking your pills?"

"You switch to injections, and make sure he can’t talk."

(Talking drugged nephew into walking off building) "Your father loves you, David, and he’s lonely without you…David, your father’s out there and you can walk out and join him. It’s just one step, and you can be with your Dad."

LOCATION

Filmed in Toronto.

SCREEN TIME

8 minutes in 6 scenes, throughout.

WORKED WITH

Delta Burke (MSMH 4/1983; DWO 9/1987; WOH 1/1995)