For Woods, 'Shark' doesn't always go swimmingly

0 Comments | USA TODAY, May, 2007 | by Bill Keveney

James Woods argues both sides of his CBS legal drama, Shark.

He embraces his role as defense lawyer-turned-prosecutor Sebastian Stark and praises his fellow cast members and crew. "I love this show with all my heart," Woods says. "What's great is the quality. We kill ourselves to make it as great as it can be."

And therein lies his major objection. "I cannot work an 80-hour week for 10 straight months," he says. He adds that because of the workload and other grievances, "if they don't give me what I want, I'm not coming back."

But Woods is under contract, and Shark seems a shoo-in for renewal. In its freshman season it has averaged 13.6 million viewers, enough to beat its time-slot competitor, NBC's veteran ER. And it ranks No. 2 among new series...