These days, there are so many in-depth legal dramas on TV that watching them could make someone feel like they are a lawyer. However, some legal dramas devote less time than others to the legal side, while others are obviously the product of months of research and collaboration with actual defence lawyers. Each week, a different case is featured in a number of excellent legal dramas, but the very best of these films go beyond the procedural confines of the genre and take some significant chances.
American Crime Story (2016 – Present) – 8.4
Available To Stream On Hulu
American Crime Story is a seasonal anthology series, and each season is based on a different true crime story. The show has gained enormous popularity, especially its debut season, which featured a massive recreation of the iconic O.J. Simpson trial.
The second season, which dealt with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, wasn’t as well regarded, but spectators nonetheless enjoyed it. The third season is based on yet another popular subject; it covers Bill Clinton’s sex scandal and impeachment. And watching all the strange depictions of historical individuals never gets old.
Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022) – 8.8
Available To Stream On Amazon Prime Video And Netflix
The fact that Better Call Saul has the highest rating of all the legal dramas hardly comes as a surprise. Better Call Saul, which is a prequel to Breaking Bad and is set before its events, goes well beyond what was previously known about Albuquerque’s criminal underworld. It goes into great detail regarding organised crime in the city, including delving into more detail about Madrigal and demonstrating how Gustavo Fring established his meth enterprise.
But the courtroom drama components are what the programme excels at the most. The legal drama element of the show is the reason why certain seasons even score better than Breaking Bad, from multi-episode arcs involving financial scams to the spectacular courtroom struggle between Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck (Michael McKean).
Boston Legal (2004 – 2008) – 8.4
Available To Stream On Hulu
It’s interesting how many spin-off shows legal dramas receive. There are other Law & Order spin-offs, Better Call Saul, a legal drama from Breaking Bad, and of course, the fantastic Boston Legal, which is a spin-off of The Practice.
One of the few instances in which a spin-off is superior to the original is with this particular series. Even while Boston Legal is notorious for breaking the fourth wall much more than The Practice does, procedural courtroom drama fans will still like the show’s abundance of legalese.
Bull (2016 – 2022) – 7.0
Available To Stream On Paramount+
Bull joined CBS as a major star and was instrumental in bringing the show’s viewers over for all six seasons. In Bull, in which he played the major part and served as the head of a jury consulting agency that assisted his clients in choosing the best jurors for their trials, Michael Weatherly left NCIS for the job.
He also worked on developing case-winning arguments that were largely modelled on Dr. Phil McGraw’s early professional life. Bull had almost 13 million viewers on average per year in its first two seasons before it was finally cancelled in 2022. Even while courtroom dramas can be very serious, Bull even had a musical episode, proving that the show was always at its best when it broke the boundaries of the genre.
Damages (2007 – 2012) – 8.1
Available To Stream On Hulu And Starz
Damages is one of the most captivating legal dramas ever made, despite the fact that it was relatively brief in comparison to other legal dramas, many of which feature hundreds of episodes.
In contrast to other shows that condense weeks-long procedures into 40-minute episodes, each significant case on the show takes up an entire season, allowing for greater study time and effort and a more thorough breakdown of how legal proceedings work. The idea that Patty (Glenn Close) will go to any lengths to win a case, regardless of how immoral it may be, adds to the intensity of the programme.
Eli Stone (2008 – 2009) – 7.7
Available To Stream On Hulu
One of the few lawyer-themed television programmes that truly injects humour into its episodes is Eli Stone. The comedy-drama follows the title investigator as he works on cases that are morally fulfilling but have little financial benefit in San Francisco.
The show borders on the weird due to Stone’s frequent hallucinations and startlingly precise forecasts, such the city being struck by an earthquake. Eli Stone was regrettably cancelled too soon because it had only two seasons and didn’t bring the events of the show to a fitting conclusion.
Fearless (2017) – 7.6
Available To Stream On Freevee
Fearless highlights UK law while most legal dramas are situated in the United States. The six-part limited series, which is set in London, is on a human rights attorney who fights to clear a murderer of a schoolgirl 14 years after his trial and conviction.
Few of its competitors can match the dramatic impact of the limited series, which stars Michael Gambon and other outstanding British performers. The fact that the episode was directed by Pete Travis, who is best known for blockbusters like Vantage Point and Dredd—although some contend that Dredd was ghost-directed by Alex Garland—gives it a cinematic feel.
Goliath (2016 – 2021) – 8.2
Available To Stream On Prime Video
Billy Bob Thornton starred in the Prime Video original series Goliath. The four-season television series, which followed the quest for redemption of a down-and-out attorney, was cancelled in 2021. The programme was significant because it demonstrated how the legal system, which benefited the wealthy, was rife with corruption.
Providing a riveting portrayal as Billy McBride, a formerly brilliant lawyer who assisted a man on trial for murder in getting a not-guilty verdict only to discover that he slaughtered his family, Thornton was largely responsible for the success of the Goliath. For the first season of the show, Thornton received a Golden Globe.
How To Get Away With Murder (2014 – 2020) – 8.1
Available To Stream On Netflix
How To Get Away With Murder is the legal drama’s response to the many occupational series that have a main character who serves as a mentor to a group of characters, whether they are detective shows like Lie To Me or medical dramas like House.
The show centres on Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), a professor of law and criminal defence lawyer who mentors five pupils. The fact that these specific individuals become involved in their own murder plan makes for an intriguing drama. The main reason the show has such high ratings is because of Davis’ outstanding portrayal of Keating, who brings an Oscar-caliber performance to television. Additionally, there are some intriguing connections to Scandal.
Law & Order (1990 – 2010, 2021 – Present) – 7.8
Available To Stream On Hulu And Peacock
For a long time, Law & Order was the most well-known legal drama on television. It was ultimately surpassed by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which not only outlasted it but also received a higher IMDb rating from fans. Even so, the show was renewed for a 21st season, 11 years after it had been cancelled.
When the show was at its peak, it had a number of memorable characters, including Jack McCoy, Lennie Briscoe, and Mike Logan (played by Chris Noth and Jerry Orbach, respectively) (Sam Waterston.) Only SVU has more seasons than the original CSI’s 22 in terms of scripted dramas.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001 – 2011) – 7.5
Available To Stream On Peacock
Criminal Intent is unquestionably the best of the many Law & Order spin-offs that have been on television. Despite having low ratings, the New York-based show is well-liked, and the lead attorneys are occasionally more compelling than those in the first series.
By Law & Order standards, the show only aired for 10 seasons and 195 episodes, but even so, its run is astounding. Vincent D’Onofrio is a part of Criminal Intent’s impressive and brilliant cast, making it one of the two well-known legal dramas the actor has appeared in.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 – Present) – 8.1
Available To Stream On Hulu And Peacock
One of the most popular TV franchises is Law & Order, yet the first spin-off, Special Victims Unit, is ranked better than the original series itself. SVU frequently focuses on crimes that are loosely modelled on actual incidents that have received a lot of media attention. It is set in a fictionalised version of the NYPD.
With nearly 500 episodes, SVU has been on the air for a very long time. It is an amazing accomplishment that the show has continued to be fantastic over the years. Future incarnations of the model should take more cues from SVU than any other Law & Order series, as NBC consistently produces new Law & Order episodes that feature different units or take place in various locales.
Marvel’s Daredevil (2015 – 2018) – 8.6
Available To Stream On Disney+
Even though Marvel’s Daredevil, one of the early Netflix hits, is a superhero show, it nevertheless functions as a procedural drama since Matt Murdock (Cox) approaches cases as the top criminal defence attorney in Hell’s Kitchen. Murdock works as a lawyer during the day and transforms into a violent vigilante in a mask at night. Both sides of the character are amusing.
Daredevil has some incredible isolated action scenes and a ground-breaking hallway brawl, but the courtroom scenes are just as thrilling. With this year’s Daredevil: Born Again, the series will have a sequel/reboot, Matt Cox and Vincent D’Onogrio will reprise their roles.
Perry Mason (1957 – 1966) – 8.3
Available To Stream On Paramount+
The original lawyer programme was Perry Mason. It established the benchmark for what succeeding programmes like Law & Order and L.A. Law would aim to achieve. Based on the fictional defence attorney Perry Mason created by novelist Erle Stanley, Raymond Burr made his acting debut in the 1957 film Perry Mason.
Over the course of nine seasons and 271 episodes, each episode featured the titular attorney taking on a new case and resolving it by the finale. Additionally, there was a rebirth in the 1970s and a few made-for-TV movies, demonstrating the popularity of this programme for four decades. A second season will be released later in 2023. Most recently, the series was redone by HBO, with the first season receiving a very respectable 7.5 on IMDb.
Reasonable Doubt (2017 – Present) – 7.3
Available To Stream On Fubo
Over the years, a tonne of shows with the title “Reasonable Doubt,” the majority of which are lawyer shows, have come and gone, but one of the most adored and most recent is the series that debuted in 2017.
The notion of Reasonable Doubt is unique; it centres on two detectives who revisit closed-case homicides to determine if the families of the convicted individuals should file an appeal. Despite having virtually little audience and no well-known actors, the programme is a hidden gem. Additionally, it is one of the most binge-worthy shows because it has five seasons.
Suits (2011 – 2019) – 8.5
Available To Stream On Amazon Prime Video And Peacock
In Harvey’s office, Harvey and Alex converse. Because it focuses more on the inner workings of the law office than it does on the actual cases the business takes on, Suits is the most fascinating of the legal dramas. Suits deftly portrays Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a law associate who never actually attended law school, as he wraps off cases while still keeping his secret.
The majority of the time, the show is filled with predictably irate, rude lawyers who shout over one another while using the most dense legal jargon conceivable, but that’s exactly what makes it so hilarious.
The Good Fight (2017 – 2022) – 8.3
Available To Stream On Paramount+
The Good Fight was the Paramount+ original offshoot of The Good Wife, despite not being quite as popular as the programme that came before it. Christine Baranski reprises her role as Diane Lockhart from The Good Wife in this series, serving as the series’ lead once more when Lockhart is forced to start over after losing her job.
She joined a new firm in this lawyer show and then went on to restore her reputation and regain her status. The fact that the show primarily focused on the lives of its three female stars and touched on a number of sensitive political and social commentary issues made it even more significant.
The Good Wife (2009 – 2016) – 8.4
Available To Stream On Paramount+
If it weren’t for American Crime Story, which is based on actual court cases, The Good Wife would be grounded in reality almost more than any other legal drama. The Good Wife is heavily influenced by real-life events, such as the Bill Clinton controversy, because it is about the wife of a state attorney who returns to the legal field when her husband is implicated in a sex scandal.
The interplay between these ladies is intriguingly explored in the show, even when they are found with their pants around their ankles. These women sacrifice their jobs to support their husbands’ goals.
The Practice (1997 – 2004) – 7.7
Available To Stream On Hulu
As a response to L.A. Law, a programme that completely idealised the American legal system and made it seem hotter and flashier than it actually was, The Practice is something of a TV first.
The Practice didn’t dumb anything down, it truly treated its audience with respect, and it was much more realistic. Deep themes were also covered when it came to legal proceedings, including personal morality, which was a brilliant approach given that criminal lawyers had never truly been portrayed in such a negative way previously.
Your Honor (2020) – 7.6
Available To Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Bryan Cranston, who has appeared in two legendary television series, returned to the medium after becoming a movie star. In the film Your Honor, he plays a judge whose son kills a teenager in a hit-and-run. The series is unique since it is one of the few serialised legal dramas, whereas most are procedural case-of-the-week shows.
Additionally, Your Honor is a limited series, therefore there won’t be any more episodes. However, the experience that viewers received was unique and unlike anything else in the genre, and Michael Desiato (Cranston) isn’t any better than Walter White from Breaking Bad.
