ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This is your first show in quite some time.
Whats the shows backstory how did it all come about?
DAVID E. KELLEY:I suppose if were going to go way, way back to the beginning.
Credit: Colleen E. Hayes/Amazon
We always said, Wouldnt it be great toreallybreak down the pieces of a lawsuit?
We wanted to reveal how much of the evolution of a lawsuit has nothing to do with the legal.
Its the forum depending on which judge you get.
Specifically, we now have Big Law.
And Billy Bob Thorntons character, Billy McBride, is that animal.
The other thing is, most cases never get to a jury anymore.
So the show aims to shine a light on our legal process?
Thats really the essence of the show.
Its a little bit likeRockyin a courtroom.
The depression rate is off the charts.
The drinking problem is exponentially more severe than it was, say, 20 years ago.
How did you land on Billy Bob Thornton to play your Rocky?
Its great casting because he has such a humanity and a complicated aura that he brings to the table.
This is not a character that were asking the audience to necessarily like.
People will be rooting for him because the other guys worse.
But thats not to say that people will be wholeheartedly embracing this character.
How else has the move to streaming freed you up creatively?
Was the difference that big?
Weve all enjoyed it so far.
Its certainly not procedural.
All my series I think have been relatively character based.
Its changed for a lot of the reasons that we spoke about.
Laws become very behemoth its the haves versus the have-nots.
