WHY did they replace Daniel Benzali??

I don't think producer Steven Bochco had anything to do with Daniel Benzali's dismissal from "Murder One." Bochco fought the networks to have Benzali cast in the Ted Hoffman role in the first place.

In the case of Daniel Benzali, it was the ABC network that made an utterly stupid decision to cast a younger, more attractive romantic lead actor with more hair. Anthony LaPaglia is a talented actor but Benzali was born to play that role. I thought the network blew it by replacing Benzali. Benzali never got his acting career back on course after leaving "Murder One" and an actor of his unique talents didn't deserve being banished to a career of second tier television roles simply because the ABC network believed that Benzali didn't appeal to the right age demographic. I'm said to say that Benzali's are currently wasted in his role in the daytime soap opera, "General Hospital."

I also agree with the person who praised Stanley Tucci as Richard Cross. Tucci obviously reveled in playing scheming manipulative Mr. Cross and it's one of this brilliant actor's finest moments. The scene where Richard Cross flips his wig on the witness stand and propositions the female D.A and the female judge for three way sex is a classic. Tucci had the perfect condescending sneer and he oozed with the reptilian charm of a sociopath. In 1997 Tucci won three different industry awards for best television actor for his Richard Cross role.

Comments on other supporting actors: The dazzling talents of Patricia Clarkson were underused in her role as Ted Hoffman's wife. I think she would have been far better cast as either the D.A. or Ted's second chair litigator in for the trial. Barbara Bossom's matronly portrayal of Miriam Grasso was an annoying attempt to add an element of homespun likability to the ranking LA county prosecutor. It was a completely contrived and inauthentic portrayal of a prosecutor, especially in glam, image conscious world of the L.A. legal community.

Mary McCormack's portrayal of Justine Appleton character was well presented and my own ambivalence about the Appleton character has more to do with the way the part was written. Justine Appleton is a sweet fresh faced but highly ambitious attorney for the firm who gets corrupted by Richard Cross' campaign to add her to his collection of business aides. The subtext was innocent babes in the woods should be less ambitious or else they'll be seduced and corrupted by big bad wolfs, like Richard Cross.

At first, Dylan Baker seemed a steely and aloof as Detective Arthur Polson, but he does an amazing job of transforming Polson into a sympathetic character when investigates the kidnapping of Ted Hoffman's daughter.

A bit of context on "Murder One." The first episode of the show ran on television on September 19, 1995, two weeks before the verdict in O.J. Simpson trial, which had been going on nearly the entire summer of that year. Like the Simpson trial, the basic plot of "Murder One" involved trial of a brutal murder of a young woman by a high profile celebrity and was set in L.A.'s Parker Center. I've often wondered if Bochco got the idea for "Murder One" from the Simpson trial. It would be a real case of art imitating life.

It's been 16 years since the debut of "Murder One" and my suggestion is that anyone who liked the network run of the show should purchase the Season One DVD. I recently watched the entire season on DVD and it's every bit as entertaining even though some of the women's hairdos are the scariest part of the show. I had forgotten most of the details of the story line over the years, so it all seemed new to me. In fact "Murder One" was even better the second time around because back in 1995 I was in grad school and missed a few episodes so I was always trying to catch up with the story line.