Law and Order, Boston Legal, and Ally McBeal; we can never get enough of those legal TV shows! They all start the same way, someone walks into the fancy offices of “Somebody and The Other” demanding a lawyer for a case that sounds too ridiculous to be true, to which you the viewer, jump up from your seat and yell “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED” to your TV screen. You then eagerly spend the next forty-two minutes watching as your favorite lawyer twists and turns the arm of justice to prove their wacky yet significant point. However, as most of the older shows hit their final seasons, you may find yourself starting to worry; what am I going to watch now? Are there any legal shows out there that will make me regain the urge to hastily quit my job and enroll in Law School?
Lucky for you legal shows aren’t getting any less popular, in fact they’ve gotten so popular it has caused a steady string of new legal shows over the past few years, of which I am about to list the top five worth giving a chance.
- Eli Stone: Released in 2008, this legal show has a spiritual kick to it when San Francisco based lawyer Eli Stone, suffers from a brain aneurysm that causes him to have visions, some of which come to him in the form of George Michael singing! These visions cause him to take on very unusual cases, to the dismay of his law firm, which require him to commit less than normal deeds to solve them. After two seasons however, Eli Stone was cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the episodes that have already been released.
- Suits: The TV show Suits revolves around Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers, whom, bored with the average people around him, stumbles across Mike Ross, a genius college drop-out. On impulse, Specter offers him the chance of a lifetime, to become a lawyer at his firm. Suits has everything that makes a Legal show great; a villain who is a source of a lot of the show’s comedy and enough inter-office politics to keep you hooked. The other great thing about this show is that it has just been green lighted for a second season!
- The Defenders: If you’re a fan of According to Jim then you’ll love The Defenders, starring none other than Jim Belushi as a top Las Vegas lawyer running his own small firm. You can’t help but root for Belushi and his partner (played by Jerry O’Connell) as they go above and beyond, and little bit low and sneaky, to win the cases nobody thought would be won. Greatly reviewed as one of the “most realistic legal shows around”, The Defenders give an honest portrayal of what it’s like to keep a law firm up and running. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after one season, but not for lack of brilliance.
- Franklin and Bash: The newest of all the listed legal shows, the TV show Franklin and Bash is based on two independent lawyers and lifelong friends that get picked up by a top notch law firm after winning a high profile case. You’ll find something different in this show as the two young lawyers bring a lot of freshness to the screen with their childlike antics, their breezy laid back way of handling things, and the crazy tricks that always seem to win them their cases. The show just completed its first season and has been signed on for a second one.
- Drop Dead Diva: After so many men-led legal shows, ladies can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy some good old fashioned girl power in our last show on the list! A superficial model gets into a car accident and dies only to come back to life as Jane, a brilliant, yet over-weight and wardrobe-handicapped lawyer. To make matters more complicated, the new man at her law firm is none other than her fiancé in her past life. The two personalities in Jane make for one very fascinating diva! The cases presented in this television show have somewhat dramatic and controversial undertones but the mood is always light and fun. The longest running tv show on this list, Drop Dead Diva just completed its third season and is scheduled for a fourth season next year.
