Amazon Prime is one of the many streaming services that have taken cable networks to battle. With more viewers leaving their cable providers in favor of original content elsewhere, Amazon has added another great new series to their docket.

“Goliath” stars Billy Bob Thornton (“Fargo”) as Billy McBride, a low level attorney that has a bit of a problem with alcohol. He was once one of the biggest lawyers in town, until he had an inevitable downfall with his old firm partner Donald Cooperman (William Hurt, “Captain America: Civil War”) and his ex-wife Michelle (Maria Bello, “Lights Out”) who still works there.

When a case falls into his lap that could give a lonely woman justice for her dead brother and implicate how corrupt his old firm has become, a fire lights under Billy to get his life together and reveal the truth. Olivia Thirlby (“The Stanford Prison Experiment”), Molly Parker (“House of Cards”), Nina Arianda (“Florence Foster Jenkins”), Tania Raymonde (“Lost”) and Dwight Yoakem (“To Appomattox”) also star.

Now it sounds like the plot of any generic crime show a once great lawyer gets a case that somehow brings up rough memories from his past and through a series of ups and downs he plans on getting back to his glory days.

However, after one episode it is obvious that this is not a basic crime show. The revelations and twists that are shown, even early on, are actually effective. Almost every drama needs their twists to work and many do not work because they have already been done by other shows. For a series about lawyers, which can be a boring, tedious, paperwork-filled occupation, some very crazy and downright shocking events happen to Billy McBride and his case.

This may have something to do with who is involved with “Goliath.” The show was created by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro, two men that have been in the television business and worked on shows focused on lawyers for decades. The two have collectively worked on giant names like “Boston Legal,” “The Practice,” “Ally McBeal” and “Life.” After working on hundreds of courtroom-based episodes, it is reassuring to know they can still come up with fresh, original storylines. “Goliath” is a standout series on some already remarkable resumes.

Thornton has played a drunk, lowlife numerous times throughout his career. It is a trait in characters that he is practically mastered. However, there is something different about Thornton’s approach to Billy. He brings a humbleness and warmth to this flawed human being. With so much on his plate already you can tell that this character is genuinely trying to make the ones around him happy and to do the right thing. He is witty, one of the smartest lawyers out there but the thing that stands out the most, is his heart.

The show’s approach to Hurt’s Donald Cooperman is rather strange. As the head of the opposing law firm, he is shown mostly in the shadows. He has a large scar on his face and is usually in his office. It is like a disfigured villain one would see in a Bond movie. Hurt is a veteran actor and pulls off his menace with ease.

There are plenty of good television shows out today that it is almost too difficult to choose what to watch. There are also plenty of crime shows out today too, but most are formulaic, predictable and boring. “Goliath” strays from the pack and molds the crime show genre into a whole new beast.