Fox’s ‘Jury’ drama a promising challenge for summer

The climax of many a courtroom drama comes when the jury foreman announces the verdict.

Now a new series on Fox takes viewers inside the deliberations that lead to that verdict. “The Jury” debuts with two episodes at 9 and 10 tonight.

This new drama deserves a look just for its pedigree alone. It’s the creation of Emmy winner Tom Fontana (“Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Oz”) and Academy Award winner Barry Levinson (“Rain Man,” “Bugsy”).

“The Jury” throws linear storytelling out the window. Instead, the crime and trial are seen through disjointed flashbacks, as jury members review the testimony they have heard. This makes things challenging for viewers, but not impossibly so.

As in real life, the jury members will change for each case. The consistent presence is the officers of the New York City court, which is the show’s setting. The best known members of the no-name cast are Levinson himself as Judge Horatio Hawthorne and supermodel Shalom Harlow as defense attorney Melissa Greenfield, and Adam Busch as the loquacious bailiff is a real scene stealer.

Now is a great time to launch an intriguing show such as “The Jury,” which takes more work to follow than most series in the lazy days of summer. If this is an example of the year-round programming that Fox president Gail Berman has promised, bring it on.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.