Ripped from the headlines of the Cook County Vindicator

The April 27 episode of “The Good Wife” raised a few eyebrows in Youngstown, and for a good reason.

The CBS series’ plot that night revolved around the murder of the editor of a fictitious Chicago paper called The Cook County Vindicator.

It was a surprise that really hit home, because “Vindicator” is not a common name for a newspaper. In fact, the paper (or website) you are reading now might be the only “Vindicator” in the country. I haven’t been able to find another one.

It’s a unique name for a newspaper, and its use on the show made us take notice. We certainly got a kick out of it here in the newsroom.

But it was no coincidence.

Ted Humphrey, a Boardman native who is one of the writers (and a co-executive producer) of “The Good Wife,” gets the credit. He wrote the April 27 episode. He said he called the paper The Vindicator as a nod to his hometown.

Humphrey — a 1987 graduate of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson and Georgetown University — also deserves a good bit more credit for the runaway success of “The Good Wife.” The show started the season without a lot of fanfare but has emerged as a ratings success and a critical darling.

In fact, the only other series introduced this season that has received such a unanimous outpouring of praise from TV critics and audiences alike is ABC’s “Modern Family” — which also has a Youngstown connection (Ed O’Neill, an Ursuline High and Youngstown State graduate, is one of the stars).

“The Good Wife,” which stars Julianna Margulies in the titular role, first got noticed for its ripped-from-the-headlines premise.

Margulies plays Alicia Florrick, an attorney returning to legal practice after her husband (played by Chris Noth) resigns as State’s Attorney in Chicago amid a sex and corruption scandal (errr, does that also sound familiar, Youngstown?)

CBS wasted no time in renewing the series. Way back in October, it green-lighted a full-season pickup, and extended the first season from 13 to 22 episodes. Season one ended Tuesday.

Humphrey has other television writing credits under his belt, including “The Nine” and “The Unit.”

But “The Good Wife” is the biggest hit on which he’s worked.

I asked him how that feels.

“I’ve worked on a lot of shows that have flown under the radar, so it’s been a lot of fun to work on a show that’s not only a critical favorite but a ratings success, too,” said Humphrey. “Just this past weekend, my wife and I took our two sons on a trip and we were talking with some other people, and when I mentioned that I was one of the writer/producers of ‘The Good Wife,’ they all started going on and on about how much they enjoyed the show. I have to be honest, that never gets old.”

Though sex scandals involving politicians are nothing new, seeing it from the wife’s-eye view certainly is.

“This was just a really terrific idea for a show, one that tapped into a lot of what’s going on in the zeitgeist in terms of philandering politicians and all those press conferences we’ve all watched,” Humphrey continued. “It really hit a nerve with the public.”

Humphrey is part of a team of a half-dozen writers who brainstorm the story arc and each week’s legal case as well as the back story involving the characters’ personal lives. After each session, one of the writers actually writes the episode.

So far, Humphrey has written four.

“In terms of ‘breaking’ story, it is probably the hardest show I’ve worked on,” he said, “but the results are very rewarding once we get there.”

He gave credit to the show’s creators, Robert and Michelle King, as well as the cast.

“We have simply the best cast on television,” said Humphrey. “Julianna Margulies is just amazing to work with. She can do more with a look or a raise of her eyebrows than many actors can do with a whole page of dialogue. And Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Archie Punjabi, Matt Czuchry, Chris Noth, Alan Cumming — our whole cast elevates our work every week.”