Five recent law school graduates from different backgrounds begin working together as first-year associates at Sterling, Huddle, Oppenheim & Craft, a prestigious Los Angeles law firm; they are thrown in the deep end and are forced to deal with court cases that conflict with their personal beliefs and ethics. The "Prince of Darkness", Cliff Huddle, is initially their boss, but things start to change when firm partner Hart Sterling returns after a long hiatus spent taking care of his sick wife. Even though the firm's partners make things difficult for them, the five attorneys quickly bond under pressure as they learn to make tough ethical decisions.
The Deep End is an American television series created by David Hemingson and produced by 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC television network. Starring Matt Long, Tina Majorino, Clancy Brown, and Billy Zane, the show follows five first-year associate attorneys from diverse backgrounds as they learn how to cope with the challenges of working at one of the most prestigious law firms in Los Angeles.
 
Hemingson based the series on his work experience as an attorney. To cut production costs, the show was filmed in Las Colinas, a real estate development in Irving, Texas; ABC scheduled a six-episode run, and the series premiered as a midseason replacement on January 21, 2010. The show was described as a cross between L.A. Law and Grey's Anatomy, but it was criticized for its lack of originality and for reusing ideas from similar shows. Critics said the show was so poor it was a failure after its first episode. The series was canceled in May 2010.