Conviction

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

The series is smart and engrossing, though not in a particularly novel way, and that is not a bad thing.

Christian Science MonitorGloria Goodale

The pilot is decent, but even with lots of sexy young actors, it's not clear if there is room for yet another New York-based crime-solving procedural.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

The show has a sheen that's distinctive from Law [& Order]--young, exfoliated skin reflects light better from waxed court floors--and promises to be more fun than In Justice. [6 Mar 2006, p.41]

New York PostAdam Buckman

Some of the 28-year-olds on "Conviction" appeal to me. Others do not.

Variety

"Conviction" does exhibit a bit more creative promise than "Trial by Jury."

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

While it hardly breaks new TV ground or sends off the kind of sparks you want in a first-rate drama, the series has a certain watchable quality to it.

Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd

As with most things Wolf, it is superbly cast, almost too well... But every small role is well cast too -- the judges, the defendants, the policemen. They help create a lively world that's more believable than it sometimes deserves to be, and it is almost always engaging.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

The strengths of "Conviction" are its talented, attractive cast and clever stories about prosecutions that never are what they appear to be.... At the same time, this business of chasing a younger demo is still kind of new to the producers. There are moments when credibility gives way to exaggerated vulnerability.

Chicago TribuneSid Smith

The glut of characters and heavy-handed plot twists crammed into the first episode suggest that "Conviction" may prove too much of a good legal thing.

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

Maybe they all graduated from the Melrose Place College of Law.

Cleveland Plain DealerMark Dawidziak

The odd thing about "Conviction" is the awkward way it lurches between the legal maneuverings and the personal issues of the central characters. While the courtroom scenes are entertaining, if frequently obvious, the up-close-and-personal stuff is what proves to be a real trial.

New York MagazineJohn Leonard

The kids in Conviction have so much private life you wonder if you wandered into a Scream movie by mistake.

Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm

If Wolf can keep his randy prosecutors focused on their work, he might have another modest success, but it doesn't look promising.

PopMattersSamantha Bornemann

Conviction is an awkward show.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

It's just a younger and hotter and stupider and drunker "Law & Order" office.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

When it comes to both character and story, there's really not much in "Conviction" viewers haven't seen before.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

It's not a terrible show; if you don't have anything else to watch, well, it won't kill you.

Washington PostTom Shales

The characters' lives just aren't fascinating, and by reverting to a more traditional way of telling crime stories, Wolf simply reminds us how superior his other version is.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

Despite the obvious, desperate attempts to inject youth appeal, Conviction is as tired as it is undistinguished.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

Astoundingly boring and uninspired. [3 Mar 2006, p.91]

San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

Bland and rote.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

Neither the characters nor the cases in "Conviction" generate much of anything. Not drama, not comedy, and certainly not viewer loyalty.

TV GuideMatt Roush

A far cry from Boston Legal or even The Practice, this is so clumsy in its mix of the procedural and the personal that it should barely be legal.