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and clearly in charge of the room, Black does cut a composed and imposing figure. And though he represents rectitude and commitment here, the business of his own practice, from murder to drug smuggling, securities fraud, money laundering, Internet sex crimes, mail fraud and tax (as his own website reports) suggests rather the sort of lawyer television drama invariably paints in a negative light, a rich mouthpiece, steeped in white- collar crime and celebrity misbehavior. represent people who want whatever can be done to be Black told Miami magazine several years ago. are only a few lawyers who are willing to go as far as I do, take prisoners when I go to But the rich and powerful deserve a vigorous defense even the guilty do. That is the strange but necessary fact of our criminal justice system, a fact with which Kelley loves to play on his fictional law shows.

The participants in Law must be prepared to argue either side of a case they are randomly assigned to prosecute or defend and we see that to do the job well requires a willful suspension of disbelief, a kind of deep allegiance to whatever compelling narrative best makes the case. In one instance, it becomes clear that a client has invented an assault charge against her ex; this depresses but does not derail her lawyers. On or such derailment of justice might be the occasion for reflection, depression or comedy. In this series, however, the emphasis is mainly on winning. (Though merely being on a win- ning team does not protect a contestant from elimination.) The relative merits of truth and justice are little reflected upon.

and is how one lawyer describes an inflammatory closing argument, admitting that he would have done it himself. There is an undeniable baseline fascination in watching the contest, and as these game shows go, Law takes itssubject more seriously than most though no more so than, say, or And that how these lawyers perform has real consequences for their clients the decisions are legally binding add a certain spice to the proceedings, if less than the show intimates. These are civil, not criminal cases chosen to highlight a range of issues and illustrate particular challenges of the job and no one is going to jail when over. Oddly, the real-life lawyers do not come across as fully dimensional as vented ones. Certainly they are less fun.

By restricting the business of the show so strictly to the casework and the courtroom, the deeper souls that might in- habit these type-A juggernauts remain unglimpsed; they are all work and no play, and many display an alarmingand tiresome capacity for childish pique, finger-pointing and complaint, undoubtedly exacerbated by being in a and in a TV show edited for excitement. (The big egos are not unexpected.) And they have clearly been cast for their looks there is not one shaped like Camryn Man- heimor Michael which is not to say that they good at what they do, just that they also happen to be good-looking. that a the good-looking husband of good-looking Michelle Pfeiffer might reasonably ask. against I might answer.) Type-A personalities, good looks from Page E1 Wayne Seale ABC LEGAL EAGLE: Olivier Taillieu, one of 12 lawyers. E12 CALENDAR LOSANGELESTIMES TELEVISION RADIO www.deankoontz.com Wherever paperbacks are sold Random House Large Print and Audio editions available An army of engineered killers terrorizes modern-day New creation and creator face off in the ultimate confrontation of good versus evil.

First time in print! REGENCY ACADEMY CINEMAS 1003 E. Colorado BEWITCHED 2:45, 5, 7:05, 9:20 CINDERELLA MAN 3:45, 6:45, 9:35 LADIES IN LAVENDER 2:45, 7:15 CRASH (R) 3:30, 6, 8:15 THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED (NR) 3:45, 7 ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (NR) 5:10, 7:40 SAVING FACE (R) 5:15, 9:30 MADAGASCAR (PG) 3 VOUS (R) 9:20 REGENCY FOOTHILL CINEMA 10 854 E. Alosta Ave. of Alosta Azuza (626)334-6007 THE ISLAND 12, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 BAD NEWS BEARS 11:45, 2:15, 5, 7:30, 10 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 11:15, 12:15, 2, 3, 4:45, 5:45, 7:30, 8:30, 10 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 11, 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10 FANTASTIC FOUR 11:30, 2:30, 5:15, 7:45, 10:05 DARK WATER 6, 9 WAR OF THE WORLDS 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:15, 10 HERBIE: FULLY LOADED (G) 12:45, 3:15 BATMAN BEGINS 1, 4, 7, 10 MR. MRS.

SMITH 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:30 STUART LITTLE (PG) 10 A.M. REGENCY VALLEY PLAZA CINEMAS All Movies $2 Before 6P.M., $3 After 6P.M. Victory at Laurel-N Hollywood1-818-760-1966 HERBIE: FULLY LOADED (G) 12:30, 2:45, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40 MADAGASCAR (PG) 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9:55 BEWITCHED 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 9:50 CRASH (R) 12:15, 5 GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD (R) 2:30, 7:15, 9:45 THE LONGEST YARD 11:45, 2:15, 4:40, 7, 9:30 THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL IN 3D (PG) 12:45, 3, 5:30, 8 STUART LITTLE (PG) 10 REGENCY TEMPLE CITY CINEMAS Rosemead at Las Tunas(626) 309-1333 THE ISLAND 1, 4, 7:15, 9:55 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 11, 1:45, 4:20, 7, 9:40 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 11:15, 2, 4:45, 7:30, 10:10 FANTASTIC FOUR 12, 2:30, 5, 7:45, 10:05 STUART LITTLE (PG) 10 EGYPTIAN THEATRE 6712 Hollywood SANDRA (NR) 8:00 DON'T MAKE WAVES (NR) AERO THEATRE 1328 Montana 466-FILM Call Theatre for show information. FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY VILLAGE 3 3323 S.

Hoover(213)748-6321 THE ISLAND 12:30, 3:45) 7, 10:15 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 11, 1:45, 4:30) 7:15, 10 FANTASTIC FOUR 11:15, 1:45, 4:15) 7, 9:30 Starts Friday, July 29: STEALTH HIGHLAND 3 THEATRES 5604 N. Figueroa WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 1:10, 3:30, 5:50, 8:20 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 1:35, 4:05, 6:35, 9 BAD NEWS BEARS 1:30, 4, 6:35, 9 All Shows $1.50, on Tuesday $1.00 LA MIRADA DOLLAR MOVIES 7 15296 Rosecrans GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD (R) 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 7, 9:05 UNLEASHED (R) 12:45, 2:55, 5:15, 7:25, 9:35 MONSTER-IN-LAW 12:35, 2:45, 5:05, 7:20, 9:25 THE PERFECT MAN (PG) 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:40 KICKING SCREAMING (PG) 12:25, 2:35, 4:35, 7:05, 9:10 THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (PG) 12:20, 2:40, 5 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (R) 7:35 LORDS OF DOGTOWN 12:15, 2:25, 4:55, 7:10, 9:30 BIANCHI PARAMOUNT STADIUM 11 7770 E. Rosecrans THE ISLAND 10, 1:10, 4:20) 7:30, 10:40 BAD NEWS BEARS 10:45, 1:35, 4:25) 7:15, 10:05 HUSTLE FLOW (R) 11:20, 2:10) 5, 7:50, 10:40 THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (R) 11:35, 2:10, 4:45) 7:20, 9:55 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 10:15, 11:15, 1:05, 2:05, 3:55, 4:55) 6:45, 7:45, 9:35, 10:35 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 10:45, 1:40, 4:35) 7:30, 10:25 FANTASTIC FOUR 11, 12, 1:40, 2:40, 4:20) 5:20, 7, 8, 9:40 GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD (R) 10:40 WAR OF THE WORLDS 10:30, 1:20, 4:10) 7, 9:50 DARK WATER 4:50) 7:30, 10:10 HERBIE: FULLY LOADED (G) 11:30, 2:10) WHITTER VILLAGE STADIUM 8 7038 Greenleaf CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:15, 9:45 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15 THE ISLAND 11:40, 2:25, 5:10, 7:55, 10:35 BAD NEWS BEARS 12, 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20 HERBIE: FULLY LOADED (G) 12:05, 2:05 DARK WATER 4, 6:10, 8:20, 10:30 WAR OF THE WORLDS 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10 FANTASTIC FOUR 11:50, 2, 4:10, 6:20, 8:30, 10:40 BATMAN BEGINS 12:35, 3:35, 6:35, 9:35 SILVER CINEMAS NORWALK 8 13917 Pioneer 804-5615 HOUSE OF WAX (R) 3:25, 9:35 THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (PG) 1:20, 5:35, 7:35 SIN CITY (R) 3:10, 5:25, 9:35 ROBOTS (PG) 1:15, 7:40 UNLEASHED (R) 1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 XXX: STATE OF THE UNION 2:55, 7 KICKING SCREAMING (PG) 1, 5, 9:05 MONSTER-IN-LAW 12:55, 3:05, 5:10, 7:15, 9:20 GEORGE A.

ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD (R) 1:05, 3, 5:05, 7:10, 9:10 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (R) 12:50, 6:30 LORDS OF DOGTOWN 3:40, 9:15 THE PERFECT MAN (PG) 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 THE MAJESTIC CREST 1262 Westwood THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (R) 3, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 All Shows $1.50, on Tuesday $1.00 BROOKHURST DOLLAR MOVIES 4 2299 West Ball 778-8804 KICKING SCREAMING (PG) 1, 3, 5, 7:05, 9:10 THE PERFECT MAN (PG) 1:10, 3:20, 5:25, 7:35, 9:45 MONSTER-IN-LAW 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15 SIN CITY (R) 7:10, 9:40 ROBOTS (PG) 1:05, 3:05, 5:05 CINEMA CITY THEATRES 5635 La Palma La Palma and Imperial Hwy, Anaheim Hills THE ISLAND 11:40, 1, 2:25, 3:50, 5:10, 6:40, 7:55, 9:30, 10:35 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 11:45, 1, 2:15, 3:30, 4:45, 5:55, 7:15, 8:30, 9:45 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15 BAD NEWS BEARS 12, 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20 FANTASTIC FOUR 11:50, 2, 4:10, 6:20, 8:30, 10:40 BATMAN BEGINS 12:35, 3:35, 6:35, 9:35 WAR OF THE WORLDS 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10 VIRUDDH (NR) 12, 3, 6, 9 LAGUNA HILLS MALL CINEMAS El Toro Road at 5 THE ISLAND 1, 3:50, 6:40, 9:30 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PG) 12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:50 WEDDING CRASHERS (R) 12:25, 2:50, 5:15, 7:40, 10 WOODBRIDGE MOVIES 5 All shows $2.00 before 6pm and $3.00 after 6pm 4626 Barranca Parkway1-949-733-0980 THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL IN 3D (PG) 12:15, 2:20, 4:30, 7:10, 9:30 KICKING SCREAMING (PG) 12:25, 2:40, 7:35 LORDS OF DOGTOWN 5, 9:45 MONSTER-IN-LAW 12:20, 2:30, 5:10, 7:15, 9:40 GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD (R) 12:30, 2:45, 5:20, 7:40, 9:50 THE PERFECT MAN (PG) 12:35, 2:35, 4:45, 7:30, 9:35 Times for 2005 5 PERFORMANCES ONLY! JULY PASADENA CIVIC 20-22 tickets will be honored for July dates. 213.365.3500 WWW.THEATERLEAGUE.COM Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (July 18-24) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number or people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 277.93 million potential viewers in the U.S.

age 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions. Program Network View- ersProgram Network Viewers 1 CSICBS14.64 2 Without a TraceCBS12.68 3 So You Think You Can Dance FOX10.30 4 Two and a Half MenCBS9.75 5 Law Order: Criminal Intent NBC9.70 --------------------------------------------6 NCISCBS9.39 7 Brat Camp (9 p.m.)ABC9.36 8 Law Order: SVUNBC9.19 9 Law Order (10 p.m.)NBC8.99 10 CSI: MiamiCBS8.89 --------------------------------------------11 60 MinutesCBS8.74 12 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS8.55 13 Cold CaseCBS8.36 14 Law Order (9 p.m.)NBC8.30 15 CSI: NYCBS8.24 --------------------------------------------16 Big Brother 6 17 Most Outrageous Moments on Live TV NBC8.08 18 Big Brother 6 Crossing JordanNBC7.85 20 King of Queens --------------------------------------------21 48 Hours MysteryCBS7.33 22 Family GuyFOX7.04 23 HouseFOX6.96 24 25 The Simpsons (8:30 p.m.) FOX6.81 --------------------------------------------26 KitchenFOX6.70 27 Primetime LiveABC6.69 28 Crimetime SaturdayCBS6.42 29 American DadFOX6.36 30 Dateline: NBC --------------------------------------------31 MediumNBC6.23 32 Rock Star: INXS 33 Brat Camp (8 p.m.)ABC6.19 34 Most WantedFOX6.10 35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC6.06 --------------------------------------------36 Las VegasNBC5.88 37 The Simpsons (8 p.m.)FOX5.83 38 Cops (8:30 p.m.)FOX5.79 39 Law Order: Trial By Jury NBC5.78 40 Funniest Home Videos ABC5.72 --------------------------------------------41 Numb3rsCBS5.69 42 Rock Star: INXS 43 and 44 Desperate HousewivesABC5.34 45 --------------------------------------------My Wife and KidsABC5.32 47 60 Minutes IICBS5.31 48 48 Hours Mystery 49 George LopezABC5.26 50 Dateline: NBC --------------------------------------------51 Extreme MakeoverABC5.22 52 Nanny 911FOX5.18 53 WWE 54 Big Brother 6 55 According To JimABC4.91 --------------------------------------------56 CopsFOX4.86 57 EmpireABC4.82 58 RodneyABC4.78 59 AnatomyABC4.77 60 Hooking UpABC4.72 --------------------------------------------61 Fear FactorNBC4.66 62 63 Joey (9 p.m.)NBC4.56 64 LostABC4.53 65 Average Joe 4NBC4.49 --------------------------------------------66 Joey (8 p.m.)NBC4.40 67 Will Grace (10:30 p.m.) NBC4.36 68 Will Grace (10 p.m.)NBC4.27 69 That (8 p.m.)FOX4.25 70 Joey (8:30 p.m.)NBC4.22 --------------------------------------------71 72 That (8:30 p.m.) FOX4.16 73 8 Simple RulesABC4.06 74 The ScholarABC3.99 75 Trading SpousesFOX3.93 --------------------------------------------76 Will Grace (9:30 p.m.)NBC3.92 77 Hope and Faith (8:30 p.m.) ABC3.72 78 King of the HillFOX3.63 79 The CutCBS3.47 I Want to Be a HiltonNBC3.47 --------------------------------------------81 King of Queens 82 Less Than PerfectABC3.35 83 Rock Star: INXS 84 Malcolm in the MiddleFOX3.04 85 --------------------------------------------86 Girlfriends 87 Summerland WB2.50 88 The O.C.FOX2.43 89 One on OneUPN2.42 90 Girlfriends --------------------------------------------91 All of Us 92 Half and Half 93 Half and Half All of Us 95 --------------------------------------------96 Smallville 97 Eve (8 p.m.)UPN1.88 98 RebaWB1.87 99 Gilmore GirlsWB1.86 RevelationsNBC1.86 --------------------------------------------101 The West Wing (8 p.m.)NBC1.72 102 One on OneUPN1.70 103 Smallville 104 Veronica MarsUPN1.66 Eve (8:30 p.m.)UPN1.66 --------------------------------------------106 7th HeavenWB1.64 107 Living With FranWB1.57 108 Blue Collar TVWB1.50 109 West Wing (9 p.m.)NBC1.42 110 EverwoodWB1.34 --------------------------------------------111 CharmedWB1.32 112 One Tree Hill 113 One Tree Hill 114 What I Like About YouWB1.19 Network averages Here is the number of viewers (in millions) that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season. Network Last week Season to date CBS7.3311.86 FOX5.759.11 NBC5.639.07 ABC5.299.31 UPN2.753.21 WB1.683.10 Prime-Time TV Rankings From Associated Press NEW YORK Fox proved that TV summer infatuation with dance may not be just apassing fancy. The debut of You Think You Can an competition for hoofers, pulled in 10.3 million viewers last week, according to Nielsen Media Research.

While relatively modest, it was still the third most- watched show, second among young viewers. It comes on the heels of the biggest success, now-concluded With the following troubled teens being shocked into shape, is another top 10 success. But elsewhere, the shows that made ABC a surprise success during the TV season are having the opposite effect during summer. rerun drew only 5.3 million viewers last week, while a repeat had 4.5 million. These serials traditionally do poorly in reruns, a truism that pulled ABC into fourth place last week.

Dramas in which the stories are resolved in one episode do better in repeats. why seven of top 15 shows last week were episodes of either the or franchises. Three other police-procedural dramas also made the top 15. For the week, CBS averaged 7.3 million viewers. Fox had 5.8 million and won among the 18- to-49-year-old demographic.

debut has Fox waltzing Where: NBC When: 9p.m. Thursday Ratings: TV14 (may be unsuitable for children younger than 14) Roy Black Partner Executive producer David E. Kelley. Law Where: FX When: 10 tonight Ratings: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17) Executive producers and creators Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo. Writer and director Chris Gerolmo.

HOW DO YOU WEEKEND? 04ED069 HEBC Calendar Weekend. Thursdays. VACATIONING? Donate your newspaper for education. 1-800-252-9141 ways, they are reminiscent of the sort of characters who populated the war films of old: There is the a kind of slumming intellectual, whose intelligence is signaled, as it has been in a thousand other films, by the fact that he wears glasses; the All-American Kid; the urban cynic; the ethnic guy (here an Arab American from Detroit); the tough sergeant and his clueless superior. And there are the usual Hollywood touches that add excitement not necessarily in the service of truth the power ballad that ends the episodes, the florid camera moves (though this is less eccentric than some Bochco productions), the smoke and lighting effects.

When the stateside husband of a soldier goes to afamily support group, all the women are good-looking, as if just stepped over from One gets a whiff of here, a taste of spaghetti westerns there. As to the enemy ordinary Iraqi citizens barely exist in the show so far they are mostly video-game blips in the distance, to be picked off before they pick you off. When they get closer, they are unambiguously treacherous (or seriously misguided), as if to ensure sympathy for our heroes. There is no blurring of right side and wrong. Even the little girl who dies in a car running a checkpoint is revealed to be the pawn of the insurgency, not an innocent victim of American gunfire.

The apparently crazy special-operations officer who hijacks the insurgent prisoner is only crazy like a fox. Synapses of future episodes indicate similar strategies ahead: member of the fire team is implicated in a civilian killing that the unit suspects was a setup by Iraqi and later, an Iraqi prisoner with explosives threatens to blow up himself and everyone else at the The series is apolitical in the sense that it take a side on whether we should be in Iraq in the first place, and its sympathy toward the troops reflects a widespread, if not universal, attitude that the soldiers are not to blame and not to be criticized. But dreaming to think that one can remove that question, or all the questions that question raises, from the experience of watching it, or indeed from making it. Every decision of what to show or not to show, whether to make a character profane or well-spoken, what to have them say or not to say, what music to use and when to use it, every aesthetic decision ultimately has a political resonance, whether intended or not. The subject is too big, too urgent and too real for it to be otherwise.

Series tries to convey Iraqi reality Robert Zuckerman FX FIRING LINE: From left, Luke Macfarlane, Nicki Aycox, Josh Henderson, Kirk Jones and Lizette Carrion are among cast members. from Page E1.