"The character development IS great, but it's the casting that really makes that possible. I've never seen a production with such consistently outstanding casting, not just the main characters, but even her son's scary pseudo-girlfriend, for example. It's just a very well-crafted show, all around. And if you didn't catch it, here's a very interesting article about Christine Baranski, the actress who plays Diane Lockhart: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04..." - Gordon Vaughan