Katherine Heigl returns to TV in CBS’s DOUBT (2/15 10/9c), a show about a tough as nails lawyer who kind of screws things up a bit by falling in love with the guy she’s defending, who may or may not be guilty.  Coming from Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, most recently of Shondaland, the series also stars Elliout Gould, Dule Hill, Dreama Walker, Kobi Libii, Stephen Pasquale, and Laverne Cox.

Heigl is lovely and believable as Sadie Ellis, the lawyer with all of the answers, even if her banter with Dule Hill’s Albert (her old friend) feels a bit forced.  He, however, remains delightful, and a reason enough to tune in.  Laverne Cox smiles a lot, which we’re not used to when we see her as Burset (OITNB), and it’s a nice breath of fresh air. She’s, unsurprisingly, very good here, and her personal life is something that will keep bringing me back.

Is DOUBT a brand new show we’ve never seen before? No. Is it something that’s worth spending some time checking out? Yes – the cast is great, ep2 works better than the first, ep3 more than the second, etc. It’s a quirky, well-done and reliable procedural. Given the chance, I think this could blossom into some kind of appointment TV.