Lawyer in Your Living Room
I enjoyed serving on “the jury” chosen by the American Bar Association to pick the top 25 law shows during the history of prime-time television. Our list and sketches of the shows just appeared in the August, 2009 ABA Journal. I was pleased but surprised that “The Defenders,” a fine series from the early 1960s ranked third. The other top series – “L.A. Law,” “Perry Mason,” and “Law & Order” – are not only great law shows but also milestones in the history of entertainment television. Meanwhile, I’m not sure “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” deserve their places on the list. I enjoy both, but they seem to me police procedurals rather than law shows.
If anyone is curious, here’s the full list:
- “L.A. Law” (1986-94)
- “Perry Mason” (1957-66)
- “The Defenders” (1961-65)
- “Law & Order” (1990-present)
- “The Practice” (1997-2004)
- “Ally McBeal “ (1997-2002)
- “Rumpole of the Bailey” (1978-1992)
- “Boston Legal” (2004-08)
- “Damages” (2007-present)
- “Night Court” (1984-1992)
- “Judging Amy” (1999-2005
- “Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law” (1971-74)
- “JAG” (1995-2005)
- “Shark” (2006-08)
- “Civil Wars” (1991-93)
- “Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law” (2000-9)
- “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (2001-present)
- “Murder One” (1995-97)
- “Matlock” (1986-1995)
- “Reasonable Doubts” (1991-93)
- “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (1999-present)
- “Judd for the Defense” (1967-69)
- “Paper Chase” (1978-79, 1983-86)
- “Petrocelli” (1974-76)
- “Eli Stone” (2008-09)
