History Series / SHark

-->'''Stark:''' The panels you're walking on covered the floor of the United States Supreme Court for 68 years. ... Oh, (that chair) looked a lot better when Clarence Darrow sat in it during the Scopes Monkey Trial. That lamp was on Ito's desk during OJ. This jury box is from the set of ToKillAMockingbird.

* PlayingAgainstType: Comedian Kevin Pollack as the cold and calculating D.A. Leo Cutler.

** "Sebastian Shaw lecturing me on ethics. RodSerling should be popping up any time."
* StartOfDarkness: Flashbacks in "Partners in Crime" show this for Stark in 1995. He became the client of an oil man named Normandy, and stood by when Normandy buried his dead lover in an oil field.

* PlayingAgainstType: Comedian KevinPollack as the cold and calculating D.A. Leo Cutler.

* ShoutOut: The first season finale, "Wayne's World 2: Revenge of the Shark", has a lot of references to ''Literature/MobyDick''.
** "Sebastian Shaw lecturing

* MurderByMistake: A friend and former co-worker of Stark is killed in "Partner's in Crime." Stark was the actual target.

* RetiredCriminal: Implied with Danny Reyes when he pops the lock of a car in two seconds.

-->'''Stark:''' Guy made Larry Flynt look like Film/MaryPoppins. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even I have standards]].

** [[BlondesAreEvil Madeline too.]]

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* AssholeVictim: The best example would be a porn magnate whom Stark had refused to defend earlier.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Between Stark and Jessica. Stark often tries to flirt with her, but he keeps getting refusals. Although as the time goes, they've grown to create a friendly relationship.

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''Shark'' is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on Creator/{{CBS}} from September 21, 2006, to May 20, 2008. The show revolved around Sebastian Stark, played by James Woods. Stark is a notorious Los Angeles AmoralAttorney who becomes disillusioned with his career, and becomes a prosecutor at the mayor's suggestion. Stark's relationship with the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, his staff, and his daughter forms the central plot for the series.

* AbusiveParents: A defendant charged with kidnapping claimed the kid's parents were that. It didn't help the parents the boy ran away before the trial and the defendant's lawyer brought up evidence they had previously hid an injury the kid suffered to avoid rumors.
* AFoolForAClient: Wayne Callison represents himself and does ''quite'' well the first time, winning an acquittal. The second time around, he's convicted, though that's only because [[spoiler: Stark [[FramingTheGuiltyParty framed]] him]]. He also represents himself at his appeal, but loses. [[spoiler: It turns he knows this, and it's just a ploy to get into the courthouse, where he can escape.]]

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Julie, who gets brattier as the show goes on (getting [[spoiler:arrested for a [=DUI=]]], [[spoiler:cheating on a test and nearly being thrown out of school]], hanging out with the wrong crowd and dating a boy with a substance abuse problem), although this is TruthInTelevision-teenagers don't exactly make the smartest choices. What makes her truly bratty is how she seems to lash out at and blame her father for all her problems.

* DrivenToSuicide: The key witness for the first time Wayne Callison went to trial.

''Shark'' is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on Creator/{{CBS}} from September 21, 2006, to May 20, 2008. The show revolved around Sebastian Stark, played by James Woods. Stark is a notorious Los Angeles AmoralAttorney who becomes disillusioned with his career, and becomes a prosecutor at the mayor's suggestion. Stark's relationship with the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, his staff and his daughter, forms the central plot for the series.

* AbusiveParents: A defendant charged with kidnapping claimed the kid's parents were that. It didn't help the parents the boy ran away before the trial and the defendant's lawyer brought up evidence they had previously hid an injury the kid suffered to avoid rumors.

-->'''Jessica:''' Actually, I think that's the one time you didn't hit on me. You told me, that at the end of the day, you put your best cards on the table, then you put it in the jury's hands and you let it go.

* BittersweetEnding: "In the Grasp", the main perpetrators are convicted, but [[spoiler:the guy who stood watch for them not only gets off scott free, but comes out looking like the hero]].
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Julie, who gets brattier as the show goes on (getting [[spoiler:arrested for a [=DUI=]]], [[spoiler:cheating on a test and nearly being thrown out of school]], hanging out with the wrong crowd and dating a boy with a substance abuse problem), although this is TruthInTelevision - teenagers don't exactly make the smartest choices. What makes her truly bratty is how she seems to lash out at and blame her father for all her problems.

-->'''Stark:''' I'm not a big one for loose ends, Wayne. There's not a single scrap of paper, not one e-mail to confirm what I just told you. Hanna Morton's remains have been cremated. None of my lawyers knows a thing. And the people who do, aren't saying a word. All that's left... are the raving of a convicted psychopath.

* CourtroomAntics: Used straight and played with. In the pilot episode, Stark shows he is able to get someone to lose their cool on the witness stand with a "mock questioning" of Raina. She loses her cool.

* NothingPersonal: Stark says his cases against the state were just business; LAPD officers quite often disagree.

* OldCopYoungCop: In one of Sebastian Stark's cases as a prosecutor, the defendant was a cop charged with killing a criminal's cousin. The cop had a problem with the criminal and accidentally killed the cousin. The cop was the old cop of the trope and the young one was testifying against him. The ex-cop working as a liasion between Stark's office and the [=LAPD=] commented on how odd it was that the young cop was testifying against the old one since cops usually take the heat for one another. [[spoiler:Then it clicked on Stark that the ''old'' cop was TakingTheHeat for the young one. The young one had heard stories about the criminal and decided to take justice into his own hands. Stark made a deal where he'd allow the old cop to take the heat if the young one agreed to leave the force forever]].

!!This series provides examples of:

* ShoutOut: The first season finale, "Wayne's World 2: Revenge of the Shark" has a lot of references to MobyDick.

* ''TheKindnapper'': One of the defendants prosecuted by Sebastian Stark claims to be one. [[spoiler:It was a lie he tricked the child into believing]].

* NothingPersonal: Stark says his cases against the state were just business, LAPD's officers quite often disagree.

* OldCopYoungCop: In one of Sebastian Stark's cases as a prosecutor, the defendant was a cop charged with killing a criminal's cousin. The cop had a problem with the criminal and accidentally killed the cousin. The cop was the old cop of the trope and the young one was testifying against him. The ex-cop working as a liasion between Stark's office and the [=LAPD=] commented on how odd it was that the young cop was testifying against the old one since cops usually take the heat for one another. [[spoiler:Then it clicked on Stark the ''old'' cop was TakingTheHeat for the young one. The young one had heard stories about the criminal and decided to take justice on his own hands. Stark made a deal where he'd allow the old cop to take the heat if the young one agreed to leave the force forever]].

* PleaBargain: The show has this happen regularly, or at least has attempts to plea bargain.

* TheLancer: Stark has two depending on the situation. If he's falling back on his old unethical tactics Reina calls him on it, or Madeline is encouraging Stark to push the limits and he has to hold her back.

-->'''Issac:''' You turned him down?

* TheBadGuyWins: Wayne Callison got away with murdering five women and driving a witness into suicide.

* TheLostLenore: Issac's fiance, Olivia.

* ActorAllusion: In the episode "One Hit Wonder", someone said "...everyday I meet kids who are willing to [[DealWithTheDevil sell their souls]] to get famous". Next scene, [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Enter]] [[MarkSheppard Crowley]].