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It's OK for guys to check out 'Good Wife'

by Tyler Wilson/Special to the Press
| March 28, 2014 9:00 PM

I don't understand it, but people scoff when I tell them how much I love "The Good Wife."

Maybe it's because the conversation is tied to my wife, who has been separately binging on episodes of "Doctor Who" while I devour the four seasons of "Good Wife" available for streaming to Amazon Prime subscribers. Those who claim to know us would expect the opposite.

No disrespect for "Doctor Who" or those who believe I MUST consume all forms of cult science-fiction. It's just that "The Good Wife" is a terrific show - perhaps the last great network TV legal drama. It airs on CBS amid a schedule of mediocre police procedurals, and the title admittedly doesn't elicit excitement.

For those itching for gripping courtroom theatrics, "The Good Wife" is really the only option in town. Gone are the days of having a David E. Kelley show for every day of the week. "Good Wife" more than fills the void, though, bolstered by a strong ensemble led by Julianna Margulies and careful plotting that doesn't require a slew of ridiculous twists (ahem, "Scandal").

Margulies plays Alicia Florrick, a lawyer who walked away from her career to raise the kids while her husband (Chris Noth) sought public office. In the first episode, her state attorney husband is arrested for corruption involving bribery, lost money and prostitutes.

Alicia returns to work, hired by former college almost-flame Will Gardner (Josh Charles). Also at the office: tough-but-guarded private investigator Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) and, eventually, the deliciously smarmy Alan Cumming as crisis manager Eli Gold.

While the title is typical of the CBS style of appealing to bored senior citizens, it carries thematic weight throughout the series. Alicia is whip-smart and self-reliant, yet she's always viewed through the lens of her husband, and she carries the burden of being the "responsible" parent to their teenage children, even though the kids respond best to her acts of independence.

The show has numerous awards and nominations, as well as the best assortment of guest stars on television. It's no accident fans prefer Michael J. Fox appearing occasionally on "The Good Wife" than full time on a show called "The Michael J. Fox Show."

"Good Wife" also, occasionally, catches the attention of cable-minded pop culture writers. It was the most talked about show this past week, thanks to the sudden departure of a series regular. For those just starting on Amazon, avoid those spoilers as best you can.

So why all the scoffing about my "Good Wife" affection? It's partly due to the show's "female-skewing" reputation. Women are measured by their tolerance to franchises like "The Walking Dead" or "Breaking Bad," but suggest to men they should watch something with "Wife" in the title and guys can act like it's some attack on their genitals.

Whatever the case, "The Good Wife" is a great show on network television, and that's a rare thing. It's also one of the best reasons to consider an Amazon Prime membership.

More Amazon Prime goodies

The streaming service also has exclusive rights to the first season of network TV's other best show - the disturbingly compelling NBC series, "Hannibal."

Amazon has quietly snagged a couple of buzzy dramas away from Netflix and Hulu. The BBC sci-fi series "Orphan Black" and the F/X period spy series, "The Americans."

Less quiet: Amazon's decision to bump a Prime membership up to $99/year. That "free" two-day shipping is getting a little less free by my calculations.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com