Queens Supreme


Queens Supreme is an American courtroom comedy drama television series created by Dan and Peter Thomas, which aired on CBS from January 10 to January 24, 2003. The series had a strong cast and considerable financial backing, especially from Julia Roberts's Shoelace Productions, Spelling Television and Revolution Studios; however, poor ratings forced its cancellation after three episodes.

Premise

The series starred Oliver Platt as New York judge Jack Moran who, with his equally eccentric and colorful colleagues, presides over court cases at the real-life Queens Supreme Court in Long Island City, Queens.

Characters

  • Jack Moran – a brilliant, cynical judge whose integrity and wisdom are often overshadowed by his non-conformist and occasionally bizarre courtroom behavior.
  • Judge Thomas O'Neill – the highest-ranking judge at the courthouse, O'Neill serves as the voice of reason and it often falls upon him to keep the peace among his colleagues.
  • Kim Vicidomini – newly appointed to the courthouse, she is a young and ambitious judge who is both highly skilled and has political connections.
  • Rose Barnea – another senior judge, Barnea is hardworking and often brutally frank. She is particularly critical of Kim Vicidomini soon after her arrival.
  • Carmen Hui and Mike Powell – two helpful law clerks who assist the judges.

    Production

The idea for the series came about when two New York attorneys, twin brothers Dan and Peter Thomas, were discussing courtroom stories based on their shared experiences in Queens while on a plane flight to California in 2001. One of the passengers, a Hollywood producer, was sitting next to them and mentioned that they could be the basis for a television series. Indeed, the producer brought the idea to screenwriter Kevin Fox who later successfully pitched it to CBS. Fox was initially hesitant in becoming involved, feeling there were too many courtroom dramas already, but agreed after spending time at the New York Supreme Court himself.
The project was helped along by Dan's wife Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, head of Red Om Films and a partner in Joe Roth's Revolution Studios, who was then looking for film and television products to develop. Her involvement was partially responsible in bringing such a high-profile cast and crew to the series.
The television pilot was filmed at both the Long Island City and New York State Supreme Courthouses by actor Tim Robbins in mid-August 2002 and 12 episodes were eventually ordered by the network. A midseason replacement for Robbery Homicide Division, Queens Supreme premiered on January 10, 2003, alongside Presidio Med in the prime-time Friday night timeslot.

Episodes