What do you get when you take a cranky, egomaniacal genius, surround him with a bunch of attractive apprentices, then spice it up with some inventive problem solving, a little office romance, and a smattering of technical dialogue? Fox’s hit medical drama House, of course! But, wait: Now there’s Shark, a clever variation on House’s formula, substituting lawyers for doctors and inserting the just-hammy-enough James Woods as the central sourpuss. He plays cutthroat defense lawyer Sebastian “Shark” Stark, who, after a moral crisis, is lured into joining the D.A.’s office. Creator Ian Biederman concedes that House comparisons are inevitable—and justified. “Yes, it’s a team concept show about a strong, occasionally abrasive individual leading a group of talented but relatively inexperienced supporting players,” he says. “A lot of shows I wouldn’t want to be compared to, but I’ll take the House comparison anytime.” Derivative? Sure. But in a season packed with high-concept gambles, Shark seems familiar in the most welcome way.
—Shark , CBS; premieres September 21 (10 p.m.)

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