medic249a2 I grew up watching L.A. Law as a teenager in the 1980s, right through to 'Finish Line' in 1994. It had so many elements that drew me to it, including the story lines that focused both in the professional & personal lives of the characters. The acting was rock-solid and most of the characters believable, and thoroughly human. In particular, these were Michael Kuzak, Grace Van Owen, Victor Sifuentes, Benny Stulwicz (the role that earned 'Darkman' Larry Drake an Emmy), Leland McKenzie, Ann Kelsey & Stuart Markowitz. Memorable episodes included the one where Benny goes before Judge Richard Lobel (Stanley Grover) to exercise his right to vote, one in which Jonathan Rollins (Blair Underwood) cross-examines an ethically bankrupt financial adviser (Richard Masur) into a fatal heart attack, one in which Grace prosecutes a gang member for a prison guard's murder then is targeted herself, one in which the despicable Rosalind Shays (Diana Muldaur) falls to her death in an open elevator shaft, and the Earl Williams trial in which Kuzak squares off against A.D.A. Margaret Flanagan (played by Veronica Cartwright of 'Alien' fame). In later years, some of the characters came & went (as with any series); some of the new ones (such as A.D.A. Tommy Mullaney, Jane Galloway, C.J. Lamb & A.D.A. Zoey Clemmons) were quite likable, while others (Susan Bloom, Frank Kittridge) bordered on loathsome. The original characters were what really held the series together and made it so popular. Some of today's well- known actors (Larry Drake of 'Darkman' and Dann Florek of 'Law & Order' and 'Law & Order:SVU') got their big start with supporting roles in this series.20 years after it ended its run, L.A. Law still has a popular following. It is beginning to see a DVD release now and here's hoping we see a complete series release. If any show is deserving of a widespread DVD release, this is it.

blablablabla4 Allot of people give Steve Bochco all the credit for the shows success as well they should because he read a screen play called From The Hip ands in turn hired the writer of said screen play. While Bochco wrote many amazing moments in Hill Street, it was David E. Kelly that dropped Rosalyn Shays down an elevator shaft. It was Kelly that established established the beginnings with the odd twist which he would continue with Picket Fences and Chicago Hope. Hardest thing for this writer is every show after it was compared to LA Law. People complained about that in the case of Harry's Law. But at least it was considered in the shadow of Boston Legal. Really Bochco and Kelley invented the dramedy.

S.R. Dipaling As NBC's staple show "ER" enters the rarefied air of a fourteenth season,entirely planted atop the vaunted position of 10 eastern/9 central slot on Thursdays,it embarrasses me a little to have to stop and recall that THIS show occupied that slot with some of that same sticking power. From its second season onward,this show was a stalwart of "Must See Thursday" and,for much of that run,carried the banner ably and even proudly.The exploits of the Los Angeles law firm of McKenzie,Brackman and(by season three)Becker covered the work and(to greater or lesser degrees)their lives. Even though the show had its ostensible "stars"(at the onset,it was Harry Hamlin and Susan Dey as firm mates Michael Kuzak and Grace VAn Owen,later it was Jimmy Smits as fiery attorney Victor Sifuentes,Corbin Bersen as perpetually sleazy divorce attorney Arnie Becker or Blair Underwood as smooth,black lawyer Jonathan Rollins),this show was as much about supporting players(most notably Horror/Sci-Fi staple Larry Drake as the gentle,high-functioning retarded office worker Benny Stulwicz,Alan Rachins as the upright,uptight head of litigation Douglas Brackman,John Spenser as rumpled,recovering alcoholic lawyer Tommy Mulaney and,of course,veteran actor Richard Dysart as senior partner Leland McKenzie)and the writing,which tackled a whole smörgåsbord of issues of the day as well as a variety of cases ranging from the absurd to the morose(sometimes in the same episode!). The show had some dark turns(most notably around season five,when the show changed producers for the first of two times)and the cast became a revolving door of "main" characters,but all in all,it still evened out to make a good run. I probably haven't laid eyes on an episode of this show in at least five years,but it would feel pretty familiar if I did. Creator Steven Bochco(post-"Hill Street Blues",pre-"NYPD Blue") and co-producer/writer David Kelley(before "Picket Fences","Boston Legal","The Practice","Ally McBeal",etc.)made a fine offering of television that I recall favorably. While I may not run out to buy the eps on DVD,I wouldn't rule out watching an episode if I run across one in the vast landscape that is cable reruns.

asmith-7 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.