L.A. Law

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L.A. Law
The L.A. Law opening title featured a personalized license plate mounted on a Jaguar XJ6.
Genre	Legal drama
Creator(s)	Steven Bochco Terry Louise Fisher
Starring	(See entire cast list below)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	172
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 15, 1986 – May 19, 1994

L.A. Law (1986 - 1994) was one of the most popular American television shows of the late 1980s and early 1990s. As with its contemporary thirtysomething, L.A. Law reflected important social and cultural issues of the 1980s and early 1990s.

The series was set in and around the fictitious Los Angeles law firm McKenzie, Brackman, Cheney and Kuzak and featured attorneys at the firm and various members of the support staff.

It was co-created by Steven Bochco (who had created the landmark NBC show Hill Street Blues and would later co-create another successful drama series, ABC's NYPD Blue) and former entertainment lawyer Terry Louise Fisher.

The show won numerous awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991. Some of the actors, such as Larry Drake, also received Emmys for their performances.

After the end of the regular series in 1994, it returned for a single broadcast in 2002 as L.A. Law: The Movie.

[edit] Cast and characters

The show's original ensemble cast:

• Harry Hamlin as Michael Kuzak (1986-1991; seasons 1-5)
• Susan Dey as Grace Van Owen (1986-1992; seasons 1-6)
• Corbin Bernsen as Arnie Becker
• Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes (1986-1991; seasons 1-5)
• Jill Eikenberry as Ann Kelsey
• Alan Rachins as Douglas Brackman, Jr.
• Michele Greene as Abigail "Abby" Perkins (1986-1991; seasons 1-5)
• Michael Tucker as Stuart Markowitz
• Susan Ruttan as Roxanne Melman (1986-1993; seasons 1-7)
• Richard A. Dysart as Leland McKenzie

Over the run of the show additional cast members included:

• Larry Drake as Benny Stulwitz (1987-1994; seasons 2-8)
• Blair Underwood as Jonathan Rollins (1987-1994; seasons 2-8)
• Dana Sparks as Jennifer Kepler (1988-1989; season 3)
• Dann Florek as Dave Meyer (1988-1990; seasons 3-4)
• Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays (1989-1991; seasons 4-5)
• John Spencer as Tommy Mullaney (1990-1994; seasons 5-8)
• Amanda Donohoe as Cara Jean "C.J." Lamb (1990-1992; seasons 5-6)
• Cecil Hoffman as Zoey Clemmons (1991-1992; season 6)
• Sheila Kelley as Gwen Taylor (1990-1993; seasons 5-7)
• Conchata Ferrell as Susan Bloom (1991-1992; season 6)
• Michael Cumpsty as Frank Kittridge (1991-1992; season 6)
• A Martinez as Daniel Morales (1992-1994; seasons 7-8)
• Lisa Zane as Melina Paros (1993-1994; season 8)
• Alexandra Powers as Jane Halliday (1993-1994; season 8)
• Alan Rosenberg as Eli Levinson (1993-1994; season 8)
• Debi Mazar as Denise Ianello (1993-1994; season 8)

[edit] Trivia

• The building shown to represent the McKenzie Brackman law firm is the Citigroup Center in Los Angeles. Sometimes called the "444 Building" or "The Fantastic Four Building", it is located at 444 S Flower Street and is adjacent to the U.S. Bank Tower. It bears a striking resemblance to the fictional Marvel Comics Fantastic Four Headquarters set in New York City. It features three large numeral fours (i.e., "444") outside on the top floor.
• At the height of the show's popularity in the mid-1980s, attention was focused upon a fictitious sexual technique mentioned by one of the show's characters called the "Venus Butterfly". The only clue describing the technique was a vague reference to "ordering room service". Fans and interested persons flooded the show's producers with letters asking for more details about this curious kink.
• Series creator Steven Bochco was so taken with the show being parodied on the cover of the October 1987 issue of Mad Magazine that he staged a photo shoot with the show's actors in the exact same positions that their caricatures had appeared on the magazine's cover. Mad Magazine ran the photo in a subsequent issue.
• Its familiar theme song, composed by Mike Post, features a saxophone solo by famed smooth jazz artist David Sanborn.
• During the 1994 season, the custom license plate fell off of the Bentley at the beginning of the show, reflecting a crash scene that had just occurred between Arnold's Bentley and another car.
• The beginning of the theme song would reflect the type of episode that it was going to be. If it started with a saxophone, it was a light-hearted episode. If it started with a long, deep synthesized note, it was a more dark, serious episode.
• Series co-creator Terry Louise Fisher, former deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, former entertainment lawyer for 20th Century Fox, and producer-writer for Cagney & Lacey, 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 10 times as much money. I hope you are as conscientious about your clients as you are about our show. Thank for your writing."
• Long time holder of NBC's prized Thursday night at 10PM (9PM Central) time slot, which it took over from another Bochco-produced show, Hill Street Blues. The show would be replaced by another hit ensemble drama, ER, which still is on at that time today.
• In early 1991, a Season 5 episode had two female characters, Abby, played by Michele Greene and the newcomer C.J., played by Amanda Donohoe kissing each other after a really tough case. That was recognized as the first kiss between two women in a prime time series and was considered quite controversial.
• The sticker on the license plate during the introduction of the show would list the year the episode was produced ('86, '88, '93, etc.) The technique was used later on the Fox sitcom That 70's Show, but with the year that the episode supposedly took place ('76,'79, etc.).
• The scene where Leland McKenzie, played by Richard Dysart, was discovered in bed with his enemy Rosalind Shays, played by Diana Muldaur, was ranked as the 38th greatest moment in television (the list originally appeared in an issue of EGG Magazine).

[edit] External links

• L.A. Law at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with Steven Bochco from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Currently this video may not be available in some countries outside the U.S.
• Fansites
  • L.A. Law Discussion
• Theme Song RealAudio Format
• L.A. Law at tvshowsondvd.com
• The Bochco Beat - Forum dedicated to this and other Bochco shows