A father and son lawyer duo take a variety of cases that often deal with the important issues of the day.
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S3.E16
Joe Larch used to be a character actor in the movies but he was blacklisted in the early 1950's and hasn't been able to find a job in the movies since. He now works as a sales clerk in a shoestore. ...
S2.E7
When Joey Tassili enters the courtroom to be tried for first degree murder, all he is interested in is if his mother is there. When she shows up, the elder Preston has to restrain him. After the ...
S1.E13
The Prestons defend a policeman who killed the teenage boy that attacked his five-year-old daughter. The officer stubbornly insists he had a right to do it and most of his neighbors agree with him.
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Title: The Defenders (1961–1965)
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Cast
| Complete series cast summary: | |||
| E.G. Marshall | ... | Lawrence Preston 132 episodes, 1961-1965 | |
| Robert Reed | ... | Kenneth Preston 132 episodes, 1961-1965 | |
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Storyline
Recent law school graduate (Robert Reed) joins his father (E.G. Marshall) as the pair tackle challenging legal cases, often involving issues which were highly touchy for the times (abortion, euthanasia, "un-American" activities, movie censorship). In most the freshly minted lawyer has much to learn from his father's extensive legal experience. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
lawyer | law | legal drama | father son relationship | father son partnership |Taglines:
Tense drama in and out of court in the noted series with E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed.Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
16 September 1961 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Los defensores See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(132 episodes)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Trivia
E.G. Marshall and Robert Duvall appeared in Flesh and Blood (1968). See more »Connections
Featured in TV Guide's 50 Best Shows of All Time: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (2002) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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This landmark TV series (1961-65) was years ahead of its time. It correlated many contemporary stories from the headlines and did so with uncompromising depth. The protagonist attorneys (The late E.G. Marshall, Robert Reed) lost nearly as many cases as they won, because the series focused on controversial social issues where there were no easy answers or solutions. This was reflected in the outcome of some episodes. The issues included abortion; euthanasia; capital punishment; censorship; blacklisting; criminal insanity; Nazis; cannibalism; and a variation of what is currently called "road rage." The first listed, "The Benefactor," was a compelling episode about abortion, years before it was legal. The last, "Death On Wheels," involved an enraged motorist who accidentally killed a pedestrian after a heated argument with his wife. A shocking case was the one about cannibalism. Two men were accused of murdering and literally devouring another man when they were all cast adrift in a lifeboat in the ocean. An unusual episode, "Mind Over Murder" involved a clairvoyant accused of murder based on ESP. The defendant's background was loosely parallel to the late psychic, Peter Hurkos.
The Defenders theme song coupled with an aerial view of the courthouses in Foley Square, New York City, were presented with the onset of each episode. Immediately before the theme, the viewer saw the actual crime being committed when possible, which was graphically realistic and sometimes unnerving. The lawyers then often interviewed their clients in a simulated version of "The Tombs," an archaic NYC jail. The late E.G. Marshall portrayed the lead attorney, Lawrence Preston, with flawless acting that was in a class by itself. Indeed, he was so convincing that it was difficult for me to think of him thereafter as anyone else. The style and integrity he displayed in The Defenders inspired my interest in the law and was one of the initial reasons I became a lawyer.