1 9 9 5 – 1 9 9 7 (USA)
48 x 60 minute episodes
This ABC legal drama was the work of producer Steven Bochco whose previous credits included Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.
Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) was a prominent defence attorney in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. After successfully defending the wealthy but suspicious entrepreneur Richard Cross (Stanley Tucci) in a lurid murder trial, Teddy became involved in the defence of Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick) – a famous young actor with severe drug and alcohol problems who was subsequently charged with murder after Cross was acquitted.
This single case ran for an entire television season of 23 episodes (interspersed with little bits of other cases).
When the series returned for a second season, Teddy took a leave of absence.
The firm then recruited Jimmy Wyler (Anthony LaPaglia) – who used to work for the DA but couldn’t get along with him – as their new star.
Unlike the first season, the firm now had more than one client to defend – and it didn’t take all season to do it.
Among those cases, Wyler and his associate, Justine Appleton (Mary McCormick), took on the case of Sharon Rooney (Missy Crider), a former mistress of the governor of California accused of murdering the governor and his current mistress and accused serial killer and self-styled vigilante, Clifford Banks (Pruitt Taylor Vince) – dubbed as “the street sweeper” because he only killed felons who had committed heinous crimes and beaten the legal system.
Theodore “Teddy” Hoffman
Daniel Benzali
Richard Cross
Stanley Tucci
Neil Avedon
Jason Gedrick
Jimmy Wyler
Anthony LaPaglia
Lisa Gillespie
Grace Phillips
Annie Hoffman
Patricia Clarkson
Justine Appleton
Mary McCormick
Sharon Rooney
Missy Crider
Frank Szymanski
Jack Kehler
Roger Gardfield
Gregory Itzin
Louis Hines
John Fleck
Miriam Grasso
Barbara Bosson
Vince Biggio
Clayton Rohner
Davey Blalock
Kevin Tighe
Arthur Polson
Dylan Baker
Arnold Spivak
JC MacKenzie
Aaron Mosley
DB Woodside
Chris Docknovich
Michael Hayden
Malcolm Dietrich
Ralph Waite
Frances Wyler
Eileen Heckart
Clifford Banks
Pruitt Taylor Vince
Laura Crimmins
Jessica Tuck
Angela Rosetti
Toni DeRose