Los Angeles Law

In the mid -80s of the XX century, the abundance of police TV series led to a drop in their popularity. The audience was worried about the main question: “Is justice really possible?”

The producer of the famous Blues Hill Street series, Stephen Bochko, came up with the idea of ​​creating a television project whose plots would be based on real events. So the series was born, which laid the foundation for a whole direction in the television industry. Now the main characters are not police officers, but lawyers , discussing current issues related to compliance with laws , crime , retaliation.

Scripting ideas were borrowed directly from newspaper editorials . At the same time, many series were even based on real events. The legal and moral issues that are brought up for discussion in each series involve the viewer in the discussion and are in the center of attention of the court , which is considering how to approach the solution of issues.

For example, a character named Morton Downey, the host of the television show, was tried in the series for inciting neo-Nazis to pogroms and violence in his programs. Moreover, such incitements did indeed take place in the real “The M. Downey Jr. Show” and in the “Geraldo Show” a few months before.

Los Angeles Law has become the most popular and topical TV series. This is evidenced by the numerous nominations for the Emmy Award, reviews from critics and bags of spectator letters. The peak of the significance of the television project can be considered the release of the series after the famous Los Angeles riots . The series showed not only several versions of the Rodney King case, but also recreated the sensational trials of police officers, as well as street riot.

Thus, television has become not just a form of art that mimics the surrounding reality. Instantly reacting to the events of life, it became an ideological digest, with the help of a television drama, satisfying the need of society for a deep understanding of what is happening.

For eight seasons, the audience empathized with what is happening on the screen. In fact, the Los Angeles television view of jurisprudence taught them the norms of behavior in modern life, the ability to withstand situations that contradict their moral and moral principles.

Gradually, the series was supplanted from the air by more realistic so-called “ judicial shows ”. Following the Los Angeles Law, half a dozen prime time legal television series appeared, including Law and Order , daily trial series Divorce Court and Judge, as well as real-life litigation programs (such as , “People’s Court” and the successful cable channel “Judicial TV”).

For eight seasons, several dozens of actors have starred in the series. For some of them, the project has become a kind of "ticket to life."

Of the actors known to the Russian audience, Hey Martinez (Cruz Castillo from Santa Barbara ) starred in one of the main roles. A vivid image was created on the screen by Susan Day ( Echo Park ), who played a strict, fair and honest assistant to the district attorney .

The main roles are:

• Corbin Burnsen - Arnie Becker (171 episodes, 1986-1994)
• Jill Aikenberry - Ann Kelsey (171 episodes, 1986-1994)
• Alan Rachins - Douglas Brackman, Jr. (171 episodes, 1986-1994)
• Michelle Tucker - Stuart Markowitz (171 episodes, 1986-1994)
• Richard A. Dysart - Leland McKenzie (171 episodes, 1986-1994)
• Blair Underwood - Jonathan Rollins (149 episodes, 1987-1994)
• Larry Drake - Benny Stulwicz (139 episodes, 1987-1994)
• Susan Ruttan - Roxanne Melman (138 episodes, 1986-1993)
• Susan Day - Grace Van Owen (126 episodes, 1986-1992)
• Jimmy Smits - Victor Cifuentes (107 episodes, 1986-1992)
• Harry Gamlin - Michael Kuzak (105 episodes, 1986-1991)
• Michelle Green - Abby Perkins (105 episodes, 1986-1991)
• Sheila Kelly - Gwen Taylor (42 episodes, 1990-1993)
• John Spencer - Tommy Mullaney (83 episodes, 1990-1994)
• Hey Martinez - Daniel Morales (1992-1994)
• Debi Mazar - Denise Ianello (1993-1994)

At different times, actors such as James Earl Jones (as Lee Atkins), Force Ward (Lynette Pierce), Jennifer Rhodes (Miss Gilkowski), Vincent Irizarry (Peter Brozens), Nicholas Coster (Brian Young), Teri Hatcher appeared on the series. (Tracy Shue), Michael Darrell (Joseph Schaeffer), Harley Kozak (Ricky Davis), Don Sinclair Davis (Judge Richard Bartek), Kevin Spacey (Zhils Keenan). Also in the "Law of Los Angeles" were occupied by Dan Castellaneta , Amanda Donoghue , Griffin Dunn , Dennis Farina , David Schwimmer , Joan Severance .

• Co-producer, and from the third season, the main producer of the series, David Kelly (a lawyer by training who had legal practice in Boston ), wrote scripts for about 70 episodes. His work is considered the most successful, since it was with him that the film received the Emmy Award as "Best Drama Series."
• The series premiered in the United States on October 3, 1986 , and a year later, in September 1987, the project was launched in Europe. "Los Angeles Law" was shown in the UK , Sweden and France .
• From 1986 to 1994, the film was nominated more than 100 times for various film awards. Among the most prestigious awards received by the creators of the project, one can name the prize of the American Guild of Directors ( Directors Guild of America ) in 1990 , an Emmy for "Best Drama Series" ( 1987 , 1989 , 1990 , 1991 ) and "Best Screenplay" ( 1987 , 1990 ), The Golden Globe in 1987 for "Best Television Series", as well as the Golden Globe Susan Day ("Best Actress of the series, 1988 ), Jill Aikenberry (" Best Actress of the series ", 1989 ) and Amanda Donoghue (" Best Supporting Actress " , 1992 ).