L.A. Law 

The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.

Creators:

Steven Bochco, Terry Louise Fisher

Stars:

Corbin Bernsen, Jill Eikenberry, Alan Rachins

Won 5 Golden Globes. Another 40 wins & 147 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Corbin Bernsen	...	Arnie Becker 171 episodes, 1986-1994
Jill Eikenberry	...	Ann Kelsey 171 episodes, 1986-1994
Alan Rachins	...	Douglas Brackman, Jr. 171 episodes, 1986-1994
Michael Tucker	...	Stuart Markowitz 171 episodes, 1986-1994
Richard Dysart	...	Leland McKenzie 171 episodes, 1986-1994
Susan Ruttan	...	Roxanne Melman 150 episodes, 1986-1993
Blair Underwood	...	Jonathan Rollins 149 episodes, 1987-1994
Larry Drake	...	Benny Stulwicz 144 episodes, 1987-1994
Susan Dey	...	D.D.A. Grace Van Owen / ... 126 episodes, 1986-1992
Jimmy Smits	...	Victor Sifuentes 107 episodes, 1986-1992
Harry Hamlin	...	Michael Kuzak 105 episodes, 1986-1991
Michele Greene	...	Abby Perkins 105 episodes, 1986-1991
John Spencer	...	Tommy Mullaney / ... 83 episodes, 1990-1994

Storyline

This popular TV drama depicted life in a large Los Angeles law firm. The plots were strongly character-based and dealt with both the personal lives and professional activities of the partners, associates, and staff. Scenes centered around the courtroom and the law offices. Often, an episode would open with a surprising twist, which would then be played out during the rest of the show.

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Plot Keywords:

law | law office | courtroom | arrest warrant | client | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

L.A. Law

Filming Locations:

Stage 5, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min (170 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (early episodes) Stereo (later episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Series co-Creator Terry Louise Fisher, former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, former entertainment lawyer for 20th Century Fox, and Producer and Writer for Cagney & Lacey (1981), composed a form letter she was thinking of sending to lawyers who complained about the show: "Dear So-and-so: If I were a good lawyer, I'd still be practicing law. Instead, I'm stuck in Hollywood, making ten times as much money. I hope you are as conscientious about your clients, as you are about our show. Thank for your writing."

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Quotes

Leland McKenzie: [settling an argument during a staff meeting] It's time you people remember whose name is at the top of the letterhead!

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Connections

Referenced in Who Do You Think You Are?: Blair Underwood (2012)

User Reviews

A classic legal drama that redefined TV

The previous post was less than favorable to this incredible show ("great actors, flawed writing"), so I just had to weigh in. For a moment, forget that "L.A. Law" presented some of the most compelling and unusual legal cases as drama (some of them so unusual, in fact, showrunner David E. Kelley would revisit them in his own "Picket Fences," "The Practice," and even "Ally McBeal").

"L.A. Law" brought black comedy back to television and presented sexuality and sensuality that actually advanced its storylines. The latter were core character traits of Corbin Bernsen's Arnold Becker and Jill Eikenberry's and Michael Tucker's Ann Kelsey and Stuart Markowicz, respectively. You can argue the tastefulness of these scenes and others, but you couldn't make a case for their gratuity.

The writing, of course, enabled the other collaborators on this show to perform at the peaks of their abilities. The show explored some of the more difficult issues of its time through our legal adversarial process. Whether surgeons should be obligated to operate on AIDS patients, the right for the terminally ill to die, the lives of the mentally challenged, sexual dysfunctions, the pressures and responsibilities of the police -- these and other episodes paved the way for the shows we're watching today. "L.A. Law" stood on the shoulders of giants, yes, but it became a giant in its own right.

Arguably the show created by Stephen Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher suffered with the departure of David. E. Kelley in its fifth season. The guys who used to run "St. Elsewhere" had a brief stint as showrunners, and viewers began tuning out when the show became less about L.A. lawyers and more about various medical maladies.

That fifth season was especially dramatic, too, as several cast members also were leaving, which freed the writers from some of the constraints of series television -- namely, that characters could not change significantly from week to week.

To dismiss "L.A. Law" as a show about yuppie lawyers is to misjudge a deep, poignant, and important book by its slick, glossy cover. Check it out.