Reasonable Doubts
{{short description|American police drama television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Reasonable Doubts.jpg
| caption =
| genre = Police procedural
| creator = Robert Singer
| starring = Mark Harmon
Marlee Matlin
| executive_producer = Robert Singer
| producer = Jim Michaels
| location = Chicago
Stage 27A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Stage 28, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Stage 28A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
| camera =
| composer = Ross Levinson
| theme_music_composer = Brad Fiedel
| country = United States
| language = {{Plainlist|
- English
- American Sign Language
}}
| num_seasons = 2
| num_episodes = 44
| runtime = 60 minutes
| company = December 3rd Productions
Lorimar Television
| network = NBC
| first_aired = {{start date|1991|9|26}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1993|4|27}}
}}
Reasonable Doubts is an American police drama television series created by Robert Singer, which broadcast in the United States by NBC that ran from September 26, 1991, to April 27, 1993.
Synopsis
Reasonable Doubts is primarily about the working relationship between Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman (Marlee Matlin), a prosecutor very sensitive to the rights of the accused, and hard-charging, gruff Detective Dicky Cobb (Mark Harmon), an old-fashioned cop with a "bust-the-perps" attitude. The reason that these two are assigned to work together was that Cobb is one of the few available police officers who knows sign language, and Tess, like the actress who portrayed her, is deaf. Dicky is usually more frustrated by Tess' sympathy for the suspects than by her deafness; he also repeats what Tess says back to her to make sure that he understood it (Tess can also read lips) and this allowed the audience to understand her part of the dialogue. Dicky also spoke as he signed to Tess.
Both characters are romantically involved with other people when the series opens: Tess is estranged from, but still in contact with, her husband Bruce (Tim Grimm); Dicky had a manipulative girlfriend named Kay Lockman (Nancy Everhard), who is, unsurprisingly, quite jealous of Tess, and not without reason, as a considerable mutual attraction, despite their differences, has developed between Tess and Dicky. The situation becomes more complicated with the death of Kay early in the second season, freeing the characters to pursue the relationship at least somewhat, although its resolution is still up in the air when the program was not renewed for a third season. Cobb was also involved with flinty lawyer Maggie Zombro (Kay Lenz), an early continuing character who became a regular in later seasons.{{cite news|last1=Everett|first1=Todd|title=Reasonable Doubts Try to Be Nice– What Does It Get You?|url=https://variety.com/1992/tv/reviews/reasonable-doubts-try-to-be-nice-what-does-it-get-you-1200430943/|work=Variety|date=November 16, 1992|access-date=November 22, 2017}}
Executive producer Bob Singer gained some interest from the network in spinning off the show into a straight cop drama starring Harmon and Jim Beaver, who had played Dicky's friend and partner Detective Earl Gaddis from the beginning of the show, but ultimately NBC demurred.
Cast
- Mark Harmon as Detective Dickie Cobb
- Marlee Matlin as Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman
- William Converse-Roberts as District Attorney Arthur Gold
- Nancy Everhard as Kay Lockman
- Tim Grimm as Bruce Kaufman
- Kay Lenz as Maggie Zombro (recurring, season 1; main, season 2)
Episodes
=Series overview=
{{Series overview
| color1 = #FF5F5F
| link1 = #Season 1 (1991–92)
| episodes1 = 21
| start1 = {{Start date|1991|9|26}}
| end1 = {{End date|1992|9|15}}
| color2 = #0000FF
| link2 = #Season 2 (1992–93)
| episodes2 = 23
| start2 = {{Start date|1992|09|29}}
| end2 = {{End date|1993|04|27}}
}}
=Season 1 (1991–92)=
{{Episode table |background=#FF5F5F |overall=6 |season=6 |title=28 |director=15 |writer=30 |airdate=15 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|EpisodeNumber2=1
|Title = Pilot
|DirectedBy = Robert Singer
|WrittenBy = Robert Singer
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|9|26}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|EpisodeNumber2=2
|Title = Hard Bargains
|DirectedBy = James Quinn
|WrittenBy = Steven Phillip Smith
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|9|27}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|Title = Making Dirt Stick
|DirectedBy = Joe Napolitano
|WrittenBy = Kathy McCormick
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|10|4}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|Title = Daddy's Little Girl
|DirectedBy = Armand Mastroianni
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Michael Marks & John Schulian |t= Steven Phillip Smith & Kathy McCormick}}
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|10|18}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|EpisodeNumber2=5
|Title = ...and Sleep Won't Come
|DirectedBy = Bill D'Elia
|WrittenBy = John Schulian
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|10|25}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|EpisodeNumber2=6
|Title = The Silent Treatment
|DirectedBy = Charles Robert Carner
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Robert Singer & Steven Phillip Smith|t= John Schulian & Kathy McCormick}}
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|11|1}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=7
|EpisodeNumber2=7
|Title = Tangled Up in Blue
|DirectedBy = Randy Zisk
|WrittenBy = Robert Singer & John Schulian
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|11|8}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=8
|EpisodeNumber2=8
|Title = Aftermath
|DirectedBy = James A. Conter
|WrittenBy = Steven Phillip Smith
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|11|15}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=9
|EpisodeNumber2=9
|Title = One Woman's World
|DirectedBy = Eric Laneuville
|WrittenBy = Kathy McCormick
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|11|29}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=10
|EpisodeNumber2=10
|Title = Graduation Day
|DirectedBy = Robert Singer
|WrittenBy = Michael Marks
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|12|5}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=11
|EpisodeNumber2=11
|Title = Pure Gold
|DirectedBy = Peter Levin
|WrittenBy = John Schulian
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|12|13}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=12
|EpisodeNumber2=12
|Title = Dicky's Got the Blues
|DirectedBy = James Quinn
|WrittenBy = Steven Phillip Smith
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1991|12|20}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=13
|EpisodeNumber2=13
|Title = The Shadow of Death
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|1|17}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=14
|EpisodeNumber2=14
|Title = The Discomfort Zone
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|2|4}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=15
|EpisodeNumber2=15
|Title = Fish Out of Water
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|2|11}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=16
|EpisodeNumber2=16
|Title = Burning Desire
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|3|3}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=17
|EpisodeNumber2=17
|Title = Love is Strange
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|3|17}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=18
|EpisodeNumber2=18
|Title = Home is Where the Heart is
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|3|17}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=19
|EpisodeNumber2=19
|Title = Maggie Finds Her Soul
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|3|24}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=20
|EpisodeNumber2=20
|Title = Home to Roost
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|9|8}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=21
|EpisodeNumber2=21
|Title = Change of Plans
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|9|15}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
}}
=Season 2 (1992–93)=
{{Episode table |background=#0000FF |overall=6 |season=6 |title=28 |director=15 |writer=30 |airdate=15 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|NumParts = 2
|EpisodeNumber_1 = 22
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 23
|EpisodeNumber2_1 = 1
|EpisodeNumber2_2 = 2
|Title = Lifelines
|DirectedBy = Randy Zisk
|WrittenBy = Steven Phillip Smith & Kathy McCormick
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|9|29}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=24
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|Title = FAP
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|6}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=25
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|Title = Moment of Doubt
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|27}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=26
|EpisodeNumber2=5
|Title = Mercury in Retrograde
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|10}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=27
|EpisodeNumber2=6
|Title = Try to Be Nice, What Does It Get You?
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|17}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=28
|EpisodeNumber2=7
|Title = Brother's Keeper
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|12|1}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=29
|EpisodeNumber2=8
|Title = Self Defense
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|12|8}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=30
|EpisodeNumber2=9
|Title = A Rose is a Rose
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|12|15}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=31
|EpisodeNumber2=10
|Title = Silence
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|12|22}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=32
|EpisodeNumber2=11
|Title = Legacy
|DirectedBy = Robert Singer
|WrittenBy = Melinda M. Snodgrass
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|1|5}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=33
|EpisodeNumber2=12
|Title = Two Women
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|1|12}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=34
|EpisodeNumber2=13
|Title = The Iceman
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|1|19}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=35
|EpisodeNumber2=14
|Title = Run Through the Jungle
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|1|26}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=36
|EpisodeNumber2=15
|Title = Thank God, It's Friday
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|1|26}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=37
|EpisodeNumber2=16
|Title = Sister, Can You Spare a Dime?
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|3|13}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=38
|EpisodeNumber2=17
|Title = Crumbling Systems
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|3|20}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=39
|EpisodeNumber2=18
|Title = Diminished Capacity
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|3|27}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=40
|EpisodeNumber2=19
|Title = Wish You Were Here
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy = Ed Zuckerman
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|4|3}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|NumParts = 2
|EpisodeNumber_1=41
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 42
|EpisodeNumber2_1=20
|EpisodeNumber2_2 = 21
|Title = The Ties That Bind
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy =
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|4|13}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|NumParts = 2
|EpisodeNumber_1=43
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 44
|EpisodeNumber2_1=22
|EpisodeNumber2_2 = 23
|Title = Trust Me on This
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy = Kathy McCormick & Ed Zuckerman
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|4|27}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Award ! Category ! Recipient ! Result | ||||
| rowspan=3|1992 | American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movies of the Week/Pilots | Robert Primes | {{nom}} |
| rowspan=4|Golden Globe Award | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Mark Harmon | {{nom}} | |
| Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Marlee Matlin | {{nom}} | ||
| rowspan=2|1993 | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Mark Harmon | {{nom}} | |
| Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Marlee Matlin | {{nom}} | ||
| 1992 | rowspan=3|Primetime Emmy Award | rowspan=2|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | rowspan=2|Kay Lenz | {{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|1993 | {{nom}} | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Series | Richard M. Rawlings Jr. (For episode "Lifelines") | {{nom}} | ||
| rowspan=2|1992 | rowspan=6|Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Mark Harmon | {{nom}} |
| Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Marlee Matlin | {{nom}} | ||
| rowspan=4|1993 | Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Mark Harmon | {{nom}} | |
| Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Marlee Matlin | {{nom}} | ||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Kay Lenz | {{won}} | ||
| Best Specialty Player | Leslie Jordan | {{nom}} | ||
| 1994 | Writers Guild of America Award | Episodic Drama | Ed Zuckerman (For episode "Thank God, It's Friday") | {{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0101175}}
Category:1990s American legal television series
Category:1990s American crime drama television series
Category:Deaf culture in the United States
Category:Sign language television shows
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Television series by Lorimar Television
Category:1991 American television series debuts
Category:1993 American television series endings
Category:Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department
Category:Television shows about deaf people