Probably one of the better prime time not-quite-drama/not-quite-comedy television shows from the 1980's, this NBC hit became one of the network's cornerstones in their weekly prime-time line up. Several of the stars achieved their stardom here and cultivated the exposure into leading roles in various made-for-tv movies, and of course there was the usual workplace chatter the day after a show would air.
Leyland MacKenzie is the powerful top attorney of a prominent Los Angeles law firm. Grace van Owen, Ann Kelsey, Michael Kuzak Arnie Becker, and Stuart Markowitz handled the criminal, commercial, personal injury, divorce, and tax law cases (respectively). Later, Victor Sifuentes would join the firm, after being hired away from the Public Defender's office, to handle most of the firm's 'pro bono' work. Abbey Perkins was the junior attorney trying to work her way up the ladder and Roz Melman was the loyal legal secretary to Arnie Becker.
Each week, a new set of cases would be introduced, some dramatic, some humorous, some based on cases "ripped from the headlines". But what kept the viewers each week was the relationship between the characters. Handsom Kuzak was trying to romance the beautiful van Owen (at one point donning a gorilla costume and reading poetry to her on the courthouse steps)and later the diminuitive intellectual Markowitz was trying to develop a relationship with the hard-charging Kelsey (in real life, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker became wife and husband during the show's running, which played out well for fans of the show). Perkins was the single woman trying desperately to balance her work, her home life, and her desire to succeed (I believe she may have even been a single mom, but I don't recall any children being cast). And there was the ongoing humorous interaction between Arnie and Roz to keep things light.
The show has held up well over the years, mostly because it played on people's common perceptions of attorneys, which hasn't changed in the years since the show went off the air.
Leyland MacKenzie is the powerful top attorney of a prominent Los Angeles law firm. Grace van Owen, Ann Kelsey, Michael Kuzak Arnie Becker, and Stuart Markowitz handled the criminal, commercial, personal injury, divorce, and tax law cases (respectively). Later, Victor Sifuentes would join the firm, after being hired away from the Public Defender's office, to handle most of the firm's 'pro bono' work. Abbey Perkins was the junior attorney trying to work her way up the ladder and Roz Melman was the loyal legal secretary to Arnie Becker.
Each week, a new set of cases would be introduced, some dramatic, some humorous, some based on cases "ripped from the headlines". But what kept the viewers each week was the relationship between the characters. Handsom Kuzak was trying to romance the beautiful van Owen (at one point donning a gorilla costume and reading poetry to her on the courthouse steps)and later the diminuitive intellectual Markowitz was trying to develop a relationship with the hard-charging Kelsey (in real life, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker became wife and husband during the show's running, which played out well for fans of the show). Perkins was the single woman trying desperately to balance her work, her home life, and her desire to succeed (I believe she may have even been a single mom, but I don't recall any children being cast). And there was the ongoing humorous interaction between Arnie and Roz to keep things light.
The show has held up well over the years, mostly because it played on people's common perceptions of attorneys, which hasn't changed in the years since the show went off the air.