50 best television shows set across the United States

South Carolina: Trial and Error

The premise: In season 1, John Lithgow plays a gentle and hapless poet and professor accused of the bizarre murder of his wife. A successful New York attorney comes down to help with his defense and assembles a motley crew of weirdos and misfits. Lithgow plays Larry Henderson, and he makes the perfect comedic foil for the lawyer, Josh Segal. The harder Josh tries to prove Larry’s innocence, the more Larry makes himself seem guilty.

Josh’s legal team consists of a woman with facial amnesia and other bizarre disorders. His main opposition, district attorney Carol Anne Keane, is a ruthless adversary, willing to do anything to win the case, but their sexual chemistry keeps getting in the way.

The setting: The South Carolina town, East Peck, is not a real place, but it goes a long way to work toward the general parody of legal documentaries and reality legal shows. The kooky town and hokey officials create an atmosphere of ineptitude and folly.

The most South Carolina thing about it: Dwayne Reed plays an unrefined lead investigator with a thick Southern drawl is an easy callback to the state. Along with thick accents, the fact Josh’s office shares a space with a taxidermy firm adds some Southern quirky charm. At any given moment, while Josh and his team write depositions or study briefs, they might hear the disturbing sounds of animals getting the taxidermy treatment.