As a fan of the smart little "dramadies" on USA Network,  some of which are returning this week, I was already disposed to like The Defenders (not to be confused with the sixties courtroom drama starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed), CBS' prime-time offering on Wednesdays at 10 PM*  *update: the show will move in February to Friday night at 8 PM.

The shows stars Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as defense lawyers who  are both partners and prototypes: O'Connell plays Pete Kaczmarek boy-man about town and new partner to the more experienced Nick Morrelli, played by Jim Belushi as a gruff ex-fighter with a clearly marked heart of gold.  A mindful if occasionally inventive lawyer and a devoted dad, Nick is reluctantly undergoing a trial separation. Pete, on the other hand, likes to score, whether with a sexy young thing or a high-profile case. Nick functions as Pete's mentor, supplying the firm hand the younger partner apparently lacked growing up. Rounding out the cast are the young intern and former exotic dancer who's worked her way through law-school, and the endearingly bouncy receptionist who favors hot pink and feathers.

So far, so absolutely predictable. But the show doesn't coast on its made-for-TV plotlines or the easy, sleazy charm of Vegas. Instead, the writing allows both Belushi and O'Connell to deliver performances of depth and nuance, which they do in fine style. And man, do they have chemistry!

O'Connell has yet to grow out of his boyishness, a trait that serves him well in this role. But he's also an experienced actor who uses his expressively open face to convey the sense of doubt that ripples underneath his self-confident manner. He aspires to be a player but he's taken something sweetly old-fashioned away from his law-school training: a sense of right and wrong. Though he may forget to toe the line, he's mindful about crossing it, especially where other people are involved.

Jim Belushi is a revelation. His previous role was as the title character in  According to Jim another in an endless stream of shows about lunk-headed working class men with smart, sexy wives and smart-ass children. With the exception of Everybody Loves Raymond, these shows were and are very similar to one another and there was nothing about the admittedly fleeting glimpse I had of Belushi's "performance" that would have suggested he had the skill on display here.

Nick is a complicated guy and he displays a certain weariness that couples appealingly with the kernel of optimism that resides within. Some things matter greatly to him, and define him: his beloved Chicago Cubs, his family, his belief against all odds in the possibility of redemption. The camera loves his many-planed jowly face and he repays that admiration with a soul-bearing conviction in his line readings. When he’s happy, you feel warm. When he’s angry, you get nervous. And when he’s disappointed or hurt, you feel it in your gut.

The show is lightweight fluff, I suppose, although in the hands of these two it becomes something more. Whether the scripts continue to provide them with the opportunity to move artfully between comedy or drama--okay, between camp and pathos--remains to be seen.  And who knows what beats in the hearts of network programmers or what the move to (gulp) Friday really means?

 What I do know is those two funny faces have won me over, even if their suits are a little flashy; their cufflinks a little shiny. If I'm ever in trouble, I could do worse than look up Morrelli and Kaczmarek. I just hope what happens in Vegas stays on CBS. images: CBS Television