Maura Tierney ("ER") is a tenacious New York prosecutor, Rob Morrow ("Numb3rs") is a flashy defender, and they have a personal history.

That's how this lickety-split show tells its stories - this side prepares, that side prepares, each investigates, there's personal banter, then courtroom action and, finally, a coda that reveals who really dunnit.

MY SAY

"The Whole Truth" plays like the whole game delivered by ESPN in a minute-long highlight reel. Everything is so compressed, so breakneck, so on-the-move, so choppy. Tierney becomes TV's latest woman over-obsessed by her job. ("It is the only thing I am good at. Just ask anybody who's unfortunate enough to be involved in my personal life.") And do we really need another straight-faced procedural?

But - the stars are solid (supporting cast and guest stars, too), the case in the pilot is intriguing, and the New York-based production exudes a feeling of textured reality that's instantly immersive.

BOTTOM LINE

"The Whole Truth" equals "Law & Order: The Next Generation." It's still just a little too overeager and needs to mature.

GRADE

B

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