‘Family Law’ Takes Idea From News

The arrest of an Arab American on espionage charges despite what appears to be trumped-up, circumstantial evidence brings a breaking-news vitality to tonight’s “Family Law,” at 10 on CBS.

The episode, “Security,” directed by Fred Gerber from a script by I.C. Rappaport, crackles with the heightened atmosphere of post-Sept. 11 America. There’s patriotism tinged with paranoia, fear and anger rubbing up against issues of fairness.

The suspect, a U.S. citizen living a quiet suburban life with his wife and young son, is jailed after bringing home diskettes from his job working with hazardous materials for the Department of Transportation. Zubair Ahmed (Nicholas Xatzis) insists he was merely catching up on some work, but he ends up in jail and facing life in prison.

He hires Lynn (Kathleen Quinlan) and Joe (Tony Danza) to defend him after the government prosecutor begins building a guilt-by-association case that even begins looking into the backgrounds of the lawyers, all in the name of national security.

Playing the prosecutor is one of Danza’s pals from his “Taxi” days, guest star Judd Hirsch. The two send up some sparks during their legal wranglings, but what is particularly interesting is the way the case polarizes the lawyers in the firm. Does a suspect with alleged ties to terrorists deserve a legal defense these days?

The internal debate plays itself out with arching tension, right to the show’s twist of an ending.

Surf Report

SPECIALS

Blues music makes its way from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago, and the folk revival explodes out of Greenwich Village, on Part 3 of “American Roots Music” (10 p.m., KCET).

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SERIES

It’s all holds barred when the superstars of the World Wrestling Federation must use brains, not brawn, as they compete against one another on a celebrity-charity edition of the quiz show “Weakest Link” (8 p.m., NBC).

Twiggy Lawson, 1960s supermodel, makes a guest appearance when the British import “Absolutely Fabulous” (9 p.m., Comedy Central) returns with the first of six new episodes. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star.

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SPORTS

On “Monday Night Football” (6 p.m., ABC), the Baltimore Ravens, last season’s Super Bowl champs, meet the Tennessee Titans.

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MOVIES

A murdered musician (Brandon Lee) returns from beyond the grave to seek revenge as “The Crow” (10 p.m., Cinemax).