Necessary Roughness

Sins of fathers and mothers not only visit each of the characters, but infest them; the show shimmers with an inner core of volcanic anger that makes it far more interesting than your average family soap.

Thankfully, Thorne's feisty charm mostly overcomes the show's familiar-feeling concept. [1 Jul 2011, p.68]

The Necessary Roughness pilot was enjoyable enough, but half the fun may have come from seeing Dani's adjustment to the big money, high-stakes world of professional sports. Can this show go the distance? It isn't clear yet, but at this admittedly early stage, the latest addition to the USA roster appears to be a promising rookie.

Necessary Roughness hasn't scored a touchdown yet, but it's early in the game.

Roughness still feels bland and unexceptional. Thorne remains what's best about this idea in the first place.

[Thorne's] a likable, charming actress, surrounded by a bunch of familiar, appealing performers (Cohen in particular is someone I've liked a long time, even if the business hasn't known quite what to do with him), and I think there's potential in this idea. But the execution and/or the network aren't right for the idea.

Created by Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro ("Miami Medical"), the writing is amateurish, the premise as thin as watery gruel, the emotions generally inauthentic, and the cast only minimally engaging.