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Amazon was the first,and last, place David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro pitched legal drama Goliath. Kelley had either a cable or streaming network in mind, and Amazon’s zeal for the project made it an easy decision.
The show debuts Oct. 14. “It’s tough to get any show to work these days,” Kelley says. “You really need a network that’s not only willing to air it, but one that’s just as zealous about it as you are.”
Shapiro says it’s harder than ever for a show to stand out. “In this landscape, you have to be someone’s favorite show,” he says. “It isn’t enough to be a good show.”
The pair has a couple more legal dramas to pitch. “Our race isn’t quite run yet,” Kelley says.
Goliath star Billy Bob Thornton was drawn to the idea of playing a lawyer—especially one down on his luck. “I like playing characters who are down and out and clawing their way back,” he says. “I’ve been there myself.”
