Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar is a legal drama that stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jane Kaczmarek, Melissa Sagemiller, and Gloria Reuben. The show revolves around public defender Jerry Kellerman (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), who often finds himself on the opposite side of legal battles with his friends and former law school classmates. Kellerman often finds himself in the courtroom of resolute judge Trudy Kessler (Jane Kaczmarek), defending the rival clients of his old friends. He also tends to aggravate the police and district attorneys, such as the beautiful Michelle Ernhardt (Melissa Sagemiller), with whom he shares a tumultuous secret romance. Raising the Bar was created by Steven Bochco, best known for the revered dramas NYPD Blue and L.A. Law. When the series debuted in 2008, it landed an astounding 7.7 million viewers, the biggest audience for the pilot of a new series in the history of basic cable. However, Raising the Bar failed to live up to the promise of its premiere, and it was canceled by TNT in 2009 after two seasons. MORE