The Court

From habits to habeas: erstwhile flying nun Sally Field returns to TV as a rookie Justice on a divided Supreme Court. The pilot is earnest and jargon laden, like producer John Wells' ER and The West Wing--and as stiff and colorless as a freshly starched robe. A big problem is Field's Kate Nolan, a dull, middle-of-the-road pillar of common sense whose tough streak Field undercuts with her doe-eyed, first-day-of-school demeanor. There are hints of intrigue, but the lifeless characters and boilerplate dialogue need judicial review.

--By James Poniewozik