In the first series of The Practice (World, 8.30pm) the least convincing part of the storyline was the fact that for most of the time, the handsome hero Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) had no sex life. Last week, he was fobbing poor Ally McBeal off with excuses about commitment phobia.
This looks set to change for series two, because within the first few seconds Bobby is breaking all the rules and sticking his tongue down the throat of a client. Not just any old client either, this one shot a man five times in her own living room because she claimed he was trying to rape her. Now we know what turns Bobby on. The object of his affections is a successful young woman called Victoria, who is admittedly very attractive, but no more so than the hoards of other women he has rubbed up against. Why this one is so irresistible never really becomes clear.
The entire firm are horrified when they realise Bobby is breaking all the professional rules of conduct. After Eugene walks in on a clinch, everyone starts yelling. Bobby hushes them all with a little speech to defend himself. 'I've defended murderers. I know them, and she is innocent.' This kind of thing might satisfy ignorant juries, in fact Donnell's success rate to date has really relied on this kind of appeal. But hardened legal personnel are a tougher call. The only one who bothers to find out what is behind it all is Jimmy.
The great idea behind The Practice in the first place was that it showed the defence lawyers' dilemma. Half the time they can guess that their clients are not exactly innocent, but they struggle to get them off anyway. Sometimes it is because they feel there is a greater issue at stake (well, yes he did shoot that guy but only because the guy murdered his daughter and got away with it), but more often than not they do it because that is their job.
If Bobby is going to start putting himself out for sexy women with implausible self-defence stories just because he has a yen for them, his entire credibility is on the line.
Born On The Fourth Of July (Pearl, 9.30pm) is not an easy film to watch at time, but then Oliver Stone's film rarely are. Even though it stars a major box office attraction, Tom Cruise, there aren't many moments that are likely to appeal to mass audiences: for most of the time Cruise's good looks are hidden behind a horrible moustache and straggly hair.