Legal Dramas

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

"The audience was invested in the story, simply because it was ripped from the headlines. So, they already have an investment. They knew the key components of the story. But what 'Law & Order' always did was make that turn that you would never expect." - S. Epatha Merkseron, Actress

Legal Dramas describe fictional shows with recurring characters centered in some manner with the court system.

Highlights

S. Epatha Merkerson on getting an audition for Law & Order

01:50

Steven Bochco on creating compelling storytelling on L.A. Law

00:55

David E. Kelley on the snappy dialogue on Ally McBeal

02:09

Andy Griffith on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC

03:39

Ethel Winant on casting Perry Mason: Raymond Burr

03:03

Who talked about this genre

Earl Bellamy

Earl Bellamy on directing Perry Mason

03:54

Steven Bochco

Steven Bochco on creating compelling storytelling on L.A. Law

00:55

Steven Bochco on the legal drama Philly

02:45

Robert Butler

Robert Butler on directing episodes of The Defenders

06:41

Dan Castellaneta

Dan Castellaneta on appearing as a disheveled "Homer Simpson" on an episode of L.A. Law

01:48

John Conte

John Conte on guest-starring on Perry Mason

02:37

Charles S. Dubin

Charles S. Dubin on directing episodes of The Defenders

00:44

Charles S. Dubin on directing Matlock, Starman, Square One, and Father Dowling Mysteries

03:22

Barbara Eden

Barbara Eden on Burke's Law

01:22

George Faber

George Faber on his first international publicity job, on Perry Mason

04:16

George Faber on interviewing Raymond Burr of Perry Mason

02:45

Herschel Burke Gilbert

Herschel Burke Gilbert on supervising the music for Burke's Law, produced by Aaron Spelling

04:09

Lee Grant

Lee Grant on appearing on several shows including Judd for the Defense starring Sam Wanamaker

03:38

Walon Green

Walon Green on writing for the short-lived Law & Order: Trial by Jury

04:34

Walon Green on writing for Law & Order: Criminal Intent which was airing on the USA cable network

06:20

Walon Green on co-creating Conviction with Dick Wolf

08:55

Walon Green on writing for Law & Order

17:52

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith on starring on Matlock

10:09

Dean Hargrove

Dean Hargrove on executive producing several Perry Mason movies

22:43

Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook on playing "Hays Stowe" on The Bold Ones

07:37

Roy Huggins

Roy Huggins on The Outsider and The Bold Ones

02:09

Kim Hunter

Kim Hunter on guest-starring on The Defenders

02:00

Charles Floyd Johnson

Charles Floyd Johnson on producing JAG

25:15

Lamont Johnson

Lamont Johnson on directing Judd for the Defense, and directing The Defenders for producer Herb Brodkin

05:58

Sidney M. Katz

Sidney M. Katz on editing The Defenders

12:01

Elodie Keene

Elodie Keene on editing and directing L.A. Law

38:27

David E. Kelley

David E. Kelley on meeting Steven Bochco and writing and showrunning L.A. Law

21:15

David E. Kelley on creating The Practice, getting it picked up at ABC, and changing the storytelling of the show because of its time slot; on spinning off Boston Legal from The Practice

16:54

David E. Kelley on having a strong point of view on issues on Boston Legal; on why the show ended

06:31

David E. Kelley on creating Ally McBeal; on the dialogue, visual fantasies, the dancing baby, and the music on the show; on being the only producer in history to win Emmys for drama and comedy series in one year (The Practice and Ally McBeal); on Ally McBeal's Time magazine cover

15:59

Ernest Kinoy

Ernest Kinoy on writing for The Defenders

13:24

Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod on guest-starring on Perry Mason with Raymond Burr

01:06

Bob Markell

Bob Markell on working on The Defenders

04:31

Bob Markell on working on The Defenders

25:34

E. G. Marshall

E.G. Marshall on starring as "Lawrence Preston" on The Defenders

16:23

E.G. Marshall on acting on The Defenders

10:32

Nolan Miller

Nolan Miller on designing for The Dick Powell Show an episode that eventually became Burke's Law starring Gene Barry

02:56

Paul Monash

Paul Monash on creating Judd for the Defense

02:42

Diana Muldaur

Diana Muldaur on playing "Rosalind Shays" on L.A. Law

21:04

Anne Nelson

Anne Nelson on doing the deal for Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr

02:55

Lori Openden

Lori Openden on her involvement in casting L.A. Law

02:07

Lori Openden on her (non) involvement in casting the pilot of Law & Order and adding talent to the show over the years

02:11

Lori Openden on being the casting director on the drama First Monday

00:20

Daniel Petrie, Sr.

Daniel Petrie, Sr. on directing the pilot for Justice and appearing as an actor in the show

05:39

Pam Polifroni

Pam Polifroni on casting Day in Court, and on the process of casting in those days

03:49

David Pressman

David Pressman on directing one episode of The Defenders

01:55

William Shatner

William Shatner on his first lead role in a series playing David Koster in For the People, produced by Herbert Brodkin

03:04

William Shatner on playing "Denny Crane" on The Practice and Boston Legal

43:09

David Shaw

David Shaw on writing for The Defenders

12:45

David Shaw on writing for The Defenders and Shane

01:25

Judith Sheindlin

Judith Sheindlin on Law & Order

02:12

David Shore

David Shore on writing for The Practice

08:53

David Shore on writing for Law & Order

06:44

David Shore on writing for the series Family Law

12:22

David Shore on writing for Law and Order

03:04

David Shore on consulting and writing for the series Century City

03:13

Fred Steiner

Fred Steiner on composing the theme song for Perry Mason

08:35

Daniel J. Travanti

Daniel J. Travanti on working with Stuart Rosenberg on The Defenders

01:16

Betty White with Emerson College

Betty White on playing "Catherine Piper" on Boston Legal

01:20

Ethel Winant

Ethel Winant on casting Perry Mason: Raymond Burr

03:03

Dick Wolf

Dick Wolf on how the legal profession has reacted to his series like Law & Order

01:02

Dick Wolf on producing Swift Justice

00:40

Dick Wolf on producing Arrest and Trial, his first syndicated show

02:16

Jeff Zucker

Jeff Zucker on the importance of Law & Order and its spin-offs to NBC

01:42