"L.A. Law" (1986) TV series 1986-1994

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Creators:

Steven Bochco
Terry Louise Fisher

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

3 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Law | Courtroom | Los Angeles California | Bisexual | Human Relationship

Awards:

Won 5 Golden Globes. Another 36 wins & 113 nominations

Cast

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)
Blair Underwood	...	Jonathan Rollins (149 episodes, 1987-1994)
Larry Drake	...	Benny Stulwicz / ... (140 episodes, 1987-1994)
Susan Ruttan	...	Roxanne Melman (138 episodes, 1986-1993)
Susan Dey	...	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)

Also Known As:

Advokaterne (Denmark) [da]
Avvocati a Los Angeles (Italy) [it]
L.A. Law - Staranwälte, Tricks, Prozesse (West Germany) [de]
La ley de Los Ángeles (Spain) [es]
La loi de Los Angeles (France) (dubbed version) [fr]
Lagens änglar (Sweden) [sv]
Lov og rett i L.A. (Norway) [no]

Runtime:

46 min (170 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (early episodes) | Stereo (later episodes)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Viewers could tell the tone of the episode by the way the show's theme song began: if it began with the saxophone, the episode would have a lighter tone. If it began with the strings, the episode had a dark edge to it.

Quotes:

Douglas Brackman, Jr.: I'm more like my father than I thought. I wanted to be the lawyer he was, the man he was. Turns out we both just like to cheat on our wives.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Marge on the Lam (#5.6)" (1993)

David Kelley's warmup to his true writing genius

L.A.Law was a standout drama from '86-'94. At the end, as many drama's have happen, it became somewhat stale and may cause many to forget the gripping storylines Bochco, Kelley etc. created. The acting was superlative from the mainstays Dysart, Rachins, Tucker, Eikenberry, Ruttan, Bernsen, Hamlin etc. As the show expanded Law brought forth additional characters played by Dey, Smits, Greene, Underwood, Donohoe, Spencer, Drake, Muldaur etc. These actors made their roles and characters as unforgettable as the originals made there's.

Probably the best thing that can be said about this show is that no one player was the focal point. No one character had to be the "lightning rod" for the show to be great. In an interview for the 100th show Richard Dysart, who played Leland McKenzie, the paternal "glue" of McKenzie, Brackman, Cheney, Kuzack, and Becker, told Jane Pauley that the actors weren't the genius of the show...the writers were. Awful high praise from an actor at a very candid moment.

Catch it in syndication on A&E each Monday thru Friday. You'll love it the second time around.